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.
As described last week, small deviations from proper power 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.”
Also known as surge suppressors, diverters, or arrestors, surge protectors are designed to detect and clamp down on large jumps in voltage, suppressing the surges and protecting our equipment. All electronic equipment, including computers of all types, routers, modems, printers, cable TV convertors, phones, televisions, healthcare equipment, radios, DVRs, audio systems, satellite receivers, electronic musical instruments, alarm systems, audio and video disk players and recording gear, fax machines, game consoles, etc., should be connected to high-quality surge protectors.
What causes electrical power surges in the first place? According to studies by the Eaton Corporation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Siemans AG, the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, most power surges are caused by internal events, problems and equipment found in our own homes and businesses. If you’ve ever noticed light bulbs dim when something else turned on, you were witnessing an event that involves a power surge.
Internal power surge sources include faulty wiring, elevators, air conditioners, coffee makers, heaters, toasters, microwave ovens, blenders, refrigerators, pumps, hair dryers, power tools, electric stoves and ovens, welding tools, electric mowers, weedeaters, compressors and motors can all be causes. Most often, these surges are small, degrading the components found inside our computers, etc., rather than immediately taking them down. These surges can occur hundreds of times every day. Over time, these surges can add up, chipping away little by little at our devices until, like the straw that broke the camel’s back, they finally give up and fail.
A significant number of power surges also come from external sources. They usually go by so quickly that we don’t notice or remember them. The lights go out for a split second, come right back on, and we seem no worse for the wear. But, it’s not the lights going out that kills our equipment; it’s when the lights come back on. That’s when the power surge occurs.
The most common external source of power surges is the local power utility company. Power surges can come directly from normal power utility events such as grid shifting (reallocating stored energy to match demand), and daily capacitor switching. One study shows the average North American household experiences around three disruptive or destructive power disturbances every month. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. In 2015, there were 3,571 reported power outages affecting 13.2 million people; that includes neighborhood, city, county and multiple county-wide outages. Those are smaller events than the 300 U.S. electric grid disturbances reported by a Pew Trusts report from 2011-2013.
While the electricity coming from power plants is extremely stable and consistent, once it goes through the thousands of miles of wiring it takes to reach your location, numerous potential problems can happen that lead to power surges. Faulty wiring and equipment breakdowns are not unheard of. Also contributing to power utility failures are animals like squirrels chewing on wiring and getting trapped in power equipment; automobiles crashing into and bringing down power poles and tree limbs touching or falling onto power lines. Weather events like high winds, snow, ice and torrential rains cause huge numbers of power failures.
Next week: the final part of this series, and surge protector purchase recommendations.