Oh, my! The AC (Alternating Current) electricity that powers your computer is not as reliable as you might think. Power surges, or moderate voltage changes, occur regularly. Voltage spikes, or sudden peaks of power, can cause equipment malfunction and premature circuit failure. Noise interference can cause information loss.
The surge protector guards data and equipment by filtering electrical power. It acts as a shock absorber by limiting damaging power fluctuations. It is life insurance for your computer.
If your computer is attached to a telephone line for modem or fax use, you should surge-protect the phone line too, since lightning strikes to telephone lines are not uncommon. Even if your PC is unplugged during a lightning storm (which we recommend), a massive spike across the phone line could destroy components in the computer. We've seen it happen, and it's not pretty. (Don't believe lightning could strike you? Check Global Atmospherics' map of US lightning strikes in the past week or their list of lightning-related pictures and sites.)
No surge protector can prevent brownouts or blackouts, even momentary ones. An AC power drop that causes even the faintest flicker of your house lights can be devastating to your data, especially if you are updating a file directory when the power fails. The directory—and all subdirectories and files along its path—may be lost. The threat is real, and it's a good reason to keep current backups of your data at all times.
If your electrical supply is notoriously fickle, consider buying a power conditioner (which can help you through temporary power sags) or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with a built-in battery.
These devices work. Even our most basic surge protector is so effective that it comes with a lifetime insurance policy against electrical damage to your computer.
We want to keep you and your equipment operating at peak efficiency. Drop us a line. We're here to help.
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Last update: 2-5-97.
