With Fall just around the corner it’s time again to batten down the hatches. Weather is funny this time of year. The winds change, the rain moves in and the trees like to decorate our roads, they also like to take the power out.

This causes a few electrical issues – brownouts, blackouts, and surges. These can be very dangerous for all electronics plugged in that do not have a proper power protector in place.



Brownout: A brownout is an intentional or unintentional drop in voltage in an electrical power supply system. Intentional brownouts are used for load reduction in an emergency.The reduction lasts for minutes or hours, as opposed to short-term voltage sag (or dip). The term brownout comes from the dimming experienced by incandescent lighting when the voltage sags. A voltage reduction may be an effect of disruption of an electrical grid, or may occasionally be imposed in an effort to reduce load and prevent a power outage, known as a blackout. (Wikipedia source)

Power surges: occur when something boosts the electrical current at some point in the power lines. This causes an increase in the electrical energy, which can increase the current flowing to your wall outlet. A number of different things can cause this to happen including your high-powered appliances. Other sources of power surges include faulty wiring, problems with the utility company’s equipment, and downed power lines.

What can be done to prevent harming your electronics?
The most important item to have is a Surge Protector.

Our lovely model Frank is holding two different power protectors. One being a UPS (The black brick on the right (his left) starting at $129.99 and on the left side (His right) a Surge protector starting at $34.99.

A surge protector is an appliance or device designed to protect electrical devices from voltage spikes. A surge protector attempts to limit the voltage supplied to an electric device by either blocking or shorting to ground any unwanted voltages above a safe threshold. Most Surge protectors are only good for one surge and then recommended to replace immediately. It is also recommended that you replace your surge protector every two years.

Another type of Surge protection is an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). It is a device primarily used to provide a backup power source. In most cases, those pieces of hardware include the main computer housing and the monitor, but other devices can be plugged into a UPS for backup power as well.

Have any questions regarding what is recommended for your home? Give us a call today! One of the “Guys” would be happy to answer your questions or concerns.

Have a safe and happy stormy season!