Protecting Your PC from Power Surges

What is a surge? A power surge is when a large amount of electrical current rushes through your power lines. This surge or spike of power can have damaging effects on your computer system. According to Nathan Chandler in his article "Surge Protection behind the Scenes" the largest surge you can expect is about 6000V once every seven years. When we add frequent thunderstorms you can expect such spikes every 18 months. (Chandler, 2002) This can put any company at risk. What I plan today is to discuss options to protect ourselves from such power surges while keeping cost in mind.

Our first line of defense in the war against surges happens to be our power supply. (Chandler, 2002) Though it is not reliable it does offer us some protection because it is rated at 300 volts which is more then twice the normal pressure a standard outlet uses. This means that one way to help protect against surges is to purchase a higher quality power supply.

The next step in our chain is a surge protector. We've all seen these and they work quite well. On the low end you can purchase a descent surge protector for $20 - $60 dollars. These protectors use MOV technology which works by diverting the surge of power from the hot wire into the ground wire. When you go to purchase your surge protector you want to make sure it is recommended by the Underwriter's Laboratory represented by a UL on the box. (Chandler, 2002) A better surge protector utilizes series-mode suppression technology which uses inductors to absorb the excess power. These can be purchased between $89 -$149. (Chandler, 2002) Since these offer greater protection I would recommend them for a more secure setup.

Our next layer of protection comes in the form of an UPS or uninterruptible power supply also known as a battery backup. (Andrews, 2006) A UPS works by monitoring the flow of electricity to your system and switching to its own power supply when the main fluctuates. (Wikipedia, 2007) A UPS will also allow you enough spark to safe your work and turn your system off properly during a power failure. The most common type of UPS found today is called a standby UPS. A standby switches to its own power supply when it senses a fluctuation in current. A line interactive UPS works with the AC power line to iron out any ripples in voltage that might occur ensuring they do not harm your system. Finally the most advanced and most costly choice is the online UPS. This UPS supplies constant "clean" power from its battery to the equipment it protects. (Answers, 2007) The cost of a UPS can range from $100 - 4,000. (Amadio, 1999) This cost range makes getting a UPS efficient for almost any company of any size.

To recap what we've covered on a minimum you should have the following: a surge protector and a standby UPS. For all round coverage you should invest in a better power supply, surge protector that utilizes series-mode suppression technology, and an online UPS that will supply constant "clean" power to your computer system.

Protecting your computer is not an option in today's world. Data is the lifeblood of all companies and that can be easily protected with a little knowledge and planning. There are always options that will fit into any company's budget.

References

Amadio, Jill (1999). www.findarticles.com. Retrieved March 13, 2007, from Power play - Buyer's Guide - uninterrupted power supply systems - buyers guide Web site: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DTI/is_3_27/ai_54141211

Andrews, Jean (2006). A+ guide to managing and maintaining your pc fifth edition. Canada: Thomson Course Technology.

Answers, (2007). Uninterruptible power supply. Retrieved March 13, 2007, from www.answers.com Web site: http://www.answers.com/topic/uninterruptible-power-supply

Chandler, Nathan (2002). Surge Protection Behind The Scenes . Retrieved March 13, 2007, from www.smartcomputing.com Web site: http://www.smartcomputing.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles/archive/r0608/12r08/12r08.asp&guid=

wikipedia, (2007). Uninterruptible power supply. Retrieved March 13, 2007, from www.wikipedia.com Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uninterruptible_power_supply