What is Surge Protector and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Devices
In particular, power surges and spikes can damage computer equipment, and a loss of power can result in lost data.
Most high-quality power supplies (or the attached systems) will not be damaged by the following occurrences:
If a jolt of high voltage gets into your computer’s motherboard, your computer will get fried. That’s why every computer (as well as any other expensive piece of electronic equipment in your home or office) should have a surge protector (also
known as surge suppressors) between its plug and the wall outlet. This device contains electrical components that can, in most circumstances, chop off any sudden spurts of high voltage.
In the worst situations, such as a lightning strike or a serious malfunction in an electrical line, a surge protector sacrifices itself. Its internal parts melt to break the electrical circuit. With luck, this process happens so fast that the electrical surge won’t get into the power supply or beyond.
Underwriters Laboratories has produced an excellent standard that governs surge suppressors, called UL 1449 3rd Edition. Any surge suppressor that meets this standard is a good one and definitely offers a line of protection beyond what the power supply in your PC already offers. Units that meet the UL 1449 3rd Edition specification are marked as Type 3 SPD with the UL Listed label on the packaging, on the unit, or in the documentation (Types 1 and 2 SPDs are permanently installed). If this standard is not mentioned, the device does not conform. Therefore, you should avoid it.
If you want the highest level of protection from a power outage, consider adding a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) device to your collection of equipment. This device is essentially a large battery, your computer plugs into the UPS and draws its power from the battery; the UPS plugs into a wall socket, using the electrical current to keep topping off the battery.
If the power goes off briefly or drops below ordinary levels momentarily, you should be able to keep on working without an interruption. In the case of an extended power outage, your computer should be able to use the battery long enough to allow you to save any open files and conduct an orderly shutdown.
Be sure to buy a UPS with a battery large enough to power your computer and its display for a reasonable period, such as 10 or 15 minutes.
Because of a UPS almost total isolation from the line current, it is unmatched as a power conditioner and surge suppressor. The best UPS systems add a ferroresonant transformer for even greater power conditioning and protection capability. This type of UPS is the best form of power protection available.
To find out just how much power your computer system requires, look at the UL sticker on the back of the unit. This sticker lists the maximum power draw in watts, or sometimes in just volts and amperes. If only voltage and amperage are listed, multiply the two figures to calculate the wattage. Adding an LCD monitor that draws 50 watts.
What is Power Conditioner
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Most high-quality power supplies (or the attached systems) will not be damaged by the following occurrences:
- Full power outage
- Any voltage drop (brownout)
- A spike of up to 2,500V
If a jolt of high voltage gets into your computer’s motherboard, your computer will get fried. That’s why every computer (as well as any other expensive piece of electronic equipment in your home or office) should have a surge protector (also
known as surge suppressors) between its plug and the wall outlet. This device contains electrical components that can, in most circumstances, chop off any sudden spurts of high voltage.
In the worst situations, such as a lightning strike or a serious malfunction in an electrical line, a surge protector sacrifices itself. Its internal parts melt to break the electrical circuit. With luck, this process happens so fast that the electrical surge won’t get into the power supply or beyond.
Underwriters Laboratories has produced an excellent standard that governs surge suppressors, called UL 1449 3rd Edition. Any surge suppressor that meets this standard is a good one and definitely offers a line of protection beyond what the power supply in your PC already offers. Units that meet the UL 1449 3rd Edition specification are marked as Type 3 SPD with the UL Listed label on the packaging, on the unit, or in the documentation (Types 1 and 2 SPDs are permanently installed). If this standard is not mentioned, the device does not conform. Therefore, you should avoid it.
If you want the highest level of protection from a power outage, consider adding a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) device to your collection of equipment. This device is essentially a large battery, your computer plugs into the UPS and draws its power from the battery; the UPS plugs into a wall socket, using the electrical current to keep topping off the battery.
If the power goes off briefly or drops below ordinary levels momentarily, you should be able to keep on working without an interruption. In the case of an extended power outage, your computer should be able to use the battery long enough to allow you to save any open files and conduct an orderly shutdown.
Be sure to buy a UPS with a battery large enough to power your computer and its display for a reasonable period, such as 10 or 15 minutes.
Note
Occasionally, a UPS can accumulate too much storage and not enough discharge. When this occurs, the UPS emits a loud alarm, alerting you that it’s full. Simply unplugging the unit from the AC power source for a while can discharge the excess storage (as it powers your computer) and drain the UPS of the excess.
Because of a UPS almost total isolation from the line current, it is unmatched as a power conditioner and surge suppressor. The best UPS systems add a ferroresonant transformer for even greater power conditioning and protection capability. This type of UPS is the best form of power protection available.
To find out just how much power your computer system requires, look at the UL sticker on the back of the unit. This sticker lists the maximum power draw in watts, or sometimes in just volts and amperes. If only voltage and amperage are listed, multiply the two figures to calculate the wattage. Adding an LCD monitor that draws 50 watts.
Note
The highest-capacity UPS sold for use with a conventional 15-amp outlet is about 1,400 watts. If it’s any higher, you risk tripping a 15-amp circuit when the battery is charging heavily and the inverter is drawing maximum current.
Caution
Don’t connect a laser printer to a backed-up socket in any UPS unit. Such printers are electrically noisy and have widely varying current draws. This can be hard on the inverter in an a UPS and frequently cause the inverter to fail or detect an overload and shut down. Either case means that your system will lose power, too. Some UPSs have sockets that are conditioned but not backed up—that is, they do not draw power from the battery. In cases such as this, you can safely plug printers and other peripherals into these sockets.
What is Power Conditioner
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