Originally posted on January 30, 2013 @ 5:30 am
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With the relatively common occurrence of electrical fluctuations in many parts of the world, there are bound to be occurrence of power surges as well. A power surge is defined as a voltage spike which can happen at any time. Voltage spikes are extremely harmful to electrical equipment and have caused many to provide decreased functionality or be destroyed so as to render them useless.
The main safeguard used in most electronic equipment for protection against power surges is the surge protector. It is basically an appliance that is designed to limit the voltage that enters an electric device within the safe level. It works to block or to short ground voltage that goes beyond the acceptable threshold.
As a rule of thumb, any electrical device plugged into the wall would benefit from the protection provided by surge protectors. The quality of surge protectors available in the market are not equal thus buying the cheapest is not necessarily the least costly especially if the poor choice results to the damage of an important electronic device. One of the most important devices that needs such protection is the laptop.
Power surges that affect an unprotected laptop will not always result to a knocked-out system. However, such power surges can slowly damage the critical components of a laptop that can greatly reduce the laptop’s usable life. A surge protector is the least costly way of protecting a laptop against physical damages or information loss.
The use of surge protector is common enough in the typical work environment such as an office. Many laptop owners forget about this basic protection once they bring their devices outside or while on travel. So as to encourage laptop owners to observe the use of surge protectors in different environments without sacrificing portability, travel-sized surge protectors have been made available. Thus, every time a laptop needs to be plugged-in, basic protection is available.
It is possible that extreme power surge can damage a surge protector, thus it would be wise to opt for one that provides a clear indication of whether they are still working or not. The safety of a laptop would depend on the efficiency of a surge protector in doing its job so a fast-acting one is highly preferred. For best protection that goes beyond physical, laptop owners should look into warranties offered by manufacturers. There are actually manufacturers who do offer to compensate laptop owners if their device gets damaged even with the surge protector in place. These devices however may be more costly.
About the Guest Blogger
Jack is a voracious reader whose main interest lies on finding better ways to do things. He is currently reading about New York Energy Companies.