How to Protect Electronics from Power Surges

Power surges can mean death for expensive electronics. A blown electrical transformer, popped fuse or blown breaker can send an electrical jolt powerful enough to actually melt the circuitry within these devices. A bit of prevention on your part may help protect your electronics in the event of a surge and thus increase the lifespan of these expensive devices.

Tried and True Method:
The only true method of protecting electronics from power surges is to disconnect them from any and all sources of power. Of course, we can't watch television on a device that isn't plugged in so this is not practical for everyday protection. As a preventive measure during thunderstorms however it cannot be surpassed. If you are home during a thunderstorm unplug all of your electronics and disconnect them from any source of power including phone lines, cable lines and Internet connections. Make sure that any device physically connected to your pricey electronics is disconnected from power sources as well.

Surge Protectors:
Invest in a high-quality surge protector and use it as a buffer between the wall outlet and your device. Surge protectors contain a fuse or a breaker within that will either blow or trip when exposed to power surges. One thing to note on the surge protectors that contain a fuse (you can tell a difference: surge protectors with breakers have a reset button): over time that fuse can grow weak and fail with repeated small spikes in power. Inexpensive surge protectors will not notify you of this and will keep providing unprotected electric to your electronics, while the more expensive ones have an indicator to notify you that the fuse has failed. Make sure all of your surge protectors have this indicator light for optimal safety.

Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS):
Some devices like plasma televisions have a cool-down cycle they must go through before shutting down. This cool-down cycle increases the life of internal components, so an abrupt loss of power may decrease the life of this appliance. For this and other devices that have a specific shut-down sequence (or that have settings that are lost whenever they lose power) you may want to invest in a UPS or uninterruptible power supply. An uninterruptible power supply will prevent unexpected shutdowns due to power outages (some are even able to communicate with your electronics and shut them down gracefully) as well as protect your electronics from power surges and brownouts.

An Unusual Tip:
Mark Minasi shared an unusual tip in "The Complete PC Upgrade & Maintenance Guide, 10th Edition" (Mark Minasi; 1999). He told of a situation where thunderstorms destroyed several expensive modems--and of the solution to the issue: There is an "old tech trick" that involves tying five overhand knots in both power and phone cords. In the event of a surge the power will loop over on itself, destroying the power or phone cord but fizzling out before actually reaching your device. I have personally used this tip on both power and phone cords since learning of the tip and have yet to lose a modem or a computer to power surges since I began using this method. I had been forced to replace several modems before starting to use this method. I have had to replace a couple of phone cords since starting this however! Tie the knots loosely and space them an inch or so apart. Don't get scientific--the important part is the knots. I have shared this tip with several computer clients who routinely lost modems to power surges and have yet to replace a single modem for any of them since (despite doing other work for them).

To best protect your valuable electronics from power surges invest in some form of surge protection to protect your electronics full time. This will help to protect you if an unexpected surge strikes while you are not at home. If you do happen to be at home and a storm blows up, completely disconnecting your electronics for any and all sources of electrical power is the best way to totally protect your devices from damage. Using a combination of these methods will help protect your electronics and perhaps extend their useful life.

References:
"The Complete PC Upgrade & Maintenance Guide, 10th Edition;" Mark Minasi; 1999.
"Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 15th Edition;" Scott Mueller; 2004.