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| Thread ID: 89627 | 2008-05-06 10:42:00 | Can a power blackout harm a desktop PC if it is connected via a surge protector? | ssssss (2100) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 666605 | 2008-05-06 10:42:00 | Thanks, this concerns me as winter blackouts may occur. | ssssss (2100) | ||
| 666606 | 2008-05-06 10:58:00 | A blackout may harm the computer with or without a surge protector. If the computer is writing something to the hard drive at the time of the blackout, then yes, data can be lost. Getting a UPS will temporarily help that problem. (by giving enough time to turn of the computer and saving first) |
bob_doe_nz (92) | ||
| 666607 | 2008-05-06 11:03:00 | Second that From Bob - A surge protector will (Maybe) stop a slight surge but only a UPS will actually keep a PC running in a Power Cut, long enough to safely turn it off, or a power drop- known as a Brown out. An example I give to customers who have just purchased a UPS to show what it does is with the PC going, reach over and pull the power plug from the wall :horrified - Standing there with the power lead in my hand - But wait!! the PC is still going quite happily ;) |
wainuitech (129) | ||
| 666608 | 2008-05-06 11:04:00 | Shouldn't, thats precisely what they are designed for (in fact some of the better ones insure against your system being damaged if the unit fails to do its job); may not help with a close lightning strike though ;), I'd advise disconnection during thunderstorms :). | feersumendjinn (64) | ||
| 666609 | 2008-05-06 11:05:00 | I should have said 'damage' rather than 'harm'. Can a blackout damage the hardware if a surge protector is being used? | ssssss (2100) | ||
| 666610 | 2008-05-06 11:36:00 | Wait, a surge protector is designed to protect from "surges" hence the name. A lack of electricity would corrupt your data and MAYBE damage some very sensitive parts of the computer but it would not do nearly as much damage as a proper surge. I mean if you are this concerned, then a UPS is the best answer. And they're only about $100 nowadays (not very good ones but still...) |
beeswax34 (63) | ||
| 666611 | 2008-05-06 21:24:00 | IMO the bigger risk is power sags (or poor power quality) rather than total black outs. A surge protector won't help you against power sags. I have seen many many printers in industrial areas with faulty electronics after a localised power sag - the computers aren't affected as much - but who's to say there hasn't been some sort of damage? | andrew93 (249) | ||
| 666612 | 2008-05-06 22:09:00 | Basic At the bare minimum, you should use a good surge-protected multiple-outlet power strip for each computer. There are a number of products on the market that provide excellent protection and at a cost of less than $50. Power strips simply plug into your wall receptacle and provide multiple outlets for devices such as your computer, monitor, speakers, printer, etc. However, they will not provide back-up power or protect against line voltage that's running high or low, or rapid fluctuations. For power outages longer than about 0.05 seconds, or 50 milliseconds (ms), your computer will reboot and any unsaved data will be lost. Line power voltage protection is provided by an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). There are three topologies in today's market: Standby, line-interactive, and on-line. Standby UPS's simply monitor the line voltage and cut in the inverter within 50 milliseconds of a power loss. Line-interactive UPS's perform the functions of the standby UPS and add voltage regulation. True on-line UPS's perform a dual conversion -- that is, all incoming line power is converted to the battery's DC voltage and then inverted to provide stable computer line power. |
pctek (84) | ||
| 666613 | 2008-05-06 22:16:00 | Once we get the Nuclear ship tied up at Auckland Port to supply power to Auckland we hopefully will not get any power cuts. Surge Protectors are a must as pctek says. I did have an UPS for a few years but eventually the battery died and the cost of a replacement was more than the original UPS unit so I have not yet replaced it. I do have an old modem here that was one item struck by lightening at a client's house. Inside it is a molten mess. EVERY Electrical appliance that was plugged in in his house got totally fried, the Insurance company had a bit of trouble believing it had happened. |
Bantu (52) | ||
| 666614 | 2008-05-06 22:53:00 | Once we get the Nuclear ship tied up at Auckland Port to supply power to Auckland we hopefully will not get any power cuts. Um... Say what? |
Thebananamonkey (7741) | ||
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