Source: Protect your home from power surges
I helped a customer who said he had a problem printing at home. It turns out that his house had been hit by an electrical surge and not only damaged the printer but the computer as well. I shared with him that a whole house surge protector or surge arrestor would help him from this happening again. You can read the details in the link above but it is basically just a simple part that gets burnt out by too much voltage trying to pass through.
I have been helping customers who had electrical damage for a long time. One of my customers said lightning struck his house and when I saw the computer it was like it was put in an oven. It was completely black inside and out. I had advised the customer before this happened to buy a UPS but he didn’t want to. Strange because he knew of the issues with power at his home. Anyway when it blew it was still under warranty so it was replaced and he bought a UPS then.
I also had a first hand experience with a UPS protecting my computer I was using. A surge happened the UPS made a noise and then everything turned off. It turns out that it did the job and so I bought another UPS. It was a great experience and I liked that the expensive computer wasn’t damaged and I saved money.
To me, anyone who has a home should have a whole house surge protector. If they don’t want to buy that, then at least a UPS for their most expensive systems. UPS start at $60 for very nice units that can run things like TVS/computers long enough to shut them down. It seems a reasonable insurance policy given the high cost of these devices.
In a way, having a laptop reduces the need for a UPS. Of course when the laptop is charging it is vulnerable to power surges, but given that most people use their laptop without being plugged in, very few cases with power issues and laptops I have seen. Still if the computer is worth more than a $60 UPS, it seems prudent to buy one.
The other neat thing about UPS/surge protectors is that they offer you battery life if the power goes off. It is a neat experience to be working and have the power die and you are still working away at your computer and preparing to shut it down. It gives you a good feeling knowing that you didn’t stress from losing work, or from being damaged and now having to waste money on repairs. Being prepared takes so little time, and the rewards are always worth it.
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