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Electronic devices like computers, TVs and smart phones are very picky about the kind of electricity used to make them run and/or charge their batteries. Use the wrong kind of electrical power and, poof, your fancy new laptop is now a fancy, new doorstop.

This is especially true of the power coming from the electrical wall outlets in our homes and businesses. While some folks may have their own wind generators or solar panels to make electricity (and be penalized by the power company for doing so), most of us rely on a major electrical power utility to provide us with electricity to run our cool computing devices.

No matter how you get your electricity, your computers, TVs, phones, and, indeed, all the electrical devices you have want the same thing: unchanging, stable power that is always on, always the same, all the time, every day, all day long. Any deviations from consistent electrical power can lead to disaster. Sadly, deviations happen, for a number of reasons. Most of us have come to know these deviations by the name of the worse deviation of all: the dreaded “power surge.”

The term “power surge” describes an event when something causes the electricity coming out of the wall and going to our devices to “surge” above a specified value. The nerdy explanation is, most electronic devices used in the United States are designed to use what is provided to us by the power company, namely, 120 volts AC (Alternating Current) at a frequency of 60 Hertz (the number of times per second the current “alternates”), with peaks of 169 volts. Variations outside these limits, called “surges”, usually last only a fraction of a second, but can range from hundreds to many thousands of volts above what our devices can handle.

Small deviations from these values usually seem to be no problem, and our computers hum merrily along. Unfortunately, large deviations (“surges” or “spikes”) can cause immediate damage, destroying our equipment, forcing us to repair or replace things. To the rescue come wonderful devices called “surge protectors.”

Years ago, I worked on a customers’ computer where the repair session took a horrible turn for the worse. I was taking care of assorted computer chores when the power to his home suddenly went out. We sat there in the dark for a few seconds, when, bam, the power came back on. That was Power Surge Number One. That’s also when I discovered my customer had the computer set to restart in the event of a power failure, instead of the preferred setting, which is to stay turned off.

After the lights came back on, we looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and waited for the computer to reboot. It finally got going when, bam, the power failed again. As we sat in the dark a second time, I thought, “Oh no, I haven’t even had time to change the ‘auto-restart’ setting,” and I asked him if he had a flashlight handy. Then, the power suddenly came back on. That was Power Surge Number Two.

As the computer automatically turned itself back on again, we looked at each other with saucer-eyes and frowning mouths. Then, he said, “I’ll look for a flashli…” and kapow! The power failed for a third time, and then, almost immediately came back on.

That was Power Surge Number Three. At that point, it was too late. There was no automatic restarting of the computer, this time. Instead, smoke started pouring out of the back. I dived under the desk to struggle with the rat’s nest of cables that was there and unplugged everything. He opened some windows to let the smoke out. After a few minutes, I carefully removed the computer’s side cover to examine the damage. There were no flames, but there sure was smoke, and the awful smell of melting plastic. Inside the computer was a black, sooty mess. I declared the computer a total loss. He asked me if I could save his files, as he had never backed anything up. I told him I would take the computer back to my shop and try.

All computers, and their associated devices, should be plugged into high-quality surge protectors. Next week, we’ll look at how they work and how to choose the right one.