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It’s Electrifying – Power Strips, Surge Protectors and Uninterruptible Power Supplies
by Steve Stanger
You have invested a significant amount of money on your computer and peripherals. Have you ever given any thought to what lies between your computer and your electrical outlet? Don’t worry if you haven’t, many people never do. There are many different levels of surge protection and power conditioning available, my goal this month is to make sure your computer and important data is protected from power surges, spikes, sags and complete power failures.
Lets take a look at the different devices that are available, how they work and what they do (or don’t do) to protect your computer:
A Power Strip is simply an extension cord with multiple outlets. Almost all come with some form of simple surge protection.
A Surge Protector is the one piece of standard equipment you should have when you put together a computer system. A Surge Protector lets you plug multiple components into one outlet. The important function of a Surge Protector power strip is protecting the electronics in your computer from surges.
What are surges? A power surge, put simply is an increase in voltage above the designated level in a flow of electricity. In normal household and office wiring here the United States, the standard voltage is 120 volts. If the voltage rises above 120 volts, you have a problem, and a surge protector helps to prevent that problem from damaging your computer and other electrical equipment.
There are two terms used for when the voltage increases. A surge is an increase lasts three nanoseconds (billionths of a second) or more. And a spike is when the increase only lasts for one or two nanoseconds.
If the surge or spike voltage is high enough, it can inflict some heavy-duty damage on electrical equipment. A surge or spike actually heats up the wiring in equipment, sometimes causing a part or component to burn out. Even if increased voltage doesn't immediately break your machine, repeated surges or spikes will put extra strain on the components, wearing them down over time.
A standard Surge Protector passes the electrical current along from the outlet to a number devices plugged into the power strip. If the voltage from the outlet surges or spikes the surge protector diverts the extra electricity into the outlet's grounding wire.
As a backup, most Surge Protectors also have a built-in fuse or circuit breaker. If the current increases above the acceptable level, the heat caused by the resistance burns out the fuse or the spike or surge will “trip” the circuit breaker, thereby cutting off the circuit. The fuse only works once, as it is destroyed in the process. Better to burn out your Surge Protector then your Mac. Most circuit breaker based Surge Protectors can be reset. Keep in mind that surge protection circuitry can burn out with one large surge or spike. This is why it's a good idea to get a protector with an indicator light that tells you whether or not it's functioning properly.
Anything that has a Microprocessor in it should be plugged into a surge protector. That means not only your computer equipment, but also home entertainment components for example. Devices with microprocessors in them are very sensitive to changes in voltage.
I would suggest staying away from the $5 to $10 power strips. They only offer very basic protection (if any). You will get better protection for $15 to $25 US. These Surge Protectors will have better ratings.
Another surge/spike protection device is a Surge Station. These are large surge protectors that offer superior voltage protection and advanced line conditioning. You can get one of these units for as little $30 US, or you can spend upward of $100 for more advanced models.
The next device, Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), is a battery back up for your computer. If the power goes out, your computer will continue to run, feeding off the stored battery power. This will give you a few minutes to save your work and shut down your computer. A UPS generally protects a computer against surges, spikes, sags and total power failures. These units tend to cost from $30 US if you can find a deal, sale or rebate to a few $100 dollars or more depending on the type of equipment you want to protect.
UPS come in all different sizes, one of the best ways to find what UPS is right for your computer set up is to use a website that offers a UPS selector. The selector allows you to input computer type, monitor, processor type, hard drive and other variables. The UPS selector provided by the company APC does include current Mac models. The results will give you a pretty good idea on what kind of UPS you need for your specific computer set up
Better Surge Protectors and UPS will come with some sort of guarantee of their performance. If you're shopping for more expensive units, look for a product that comes with a guarantee on your computer. If the unit fails to protect your computer from a power surge, the company will actually replace your computer. This isn't total insurance, you can still loose your data, but it is a good indication of the manufacturer's confidence in their product.
Remember: NO surge protector is 100 percent effective!
If you have any questions or comments about this Article please feel free to email me at sstanger@maccompanion.com
For more information about this topic and other Mac tips I invite you to listen to my weekly podcast - “The Mac Attack”
