Surge Protection & Suppressors - A guide to surge protection

Do you need surge protection?

Most people don't even think about surge protection when they buy a PC, but when you go out and spend a lot of money on a machine it is wise to think about protection.

Below are some of the reasons why :

·         Surges/Spikes are bursts of electricity up to 3,000 volts caused by electrical load switching and the on/off action of equipment.

·         Noise can enter power lines from nearby electrical equipment, such as vending machines and heavy industrial equipment.

·         A single brief surge/spike of electricity could render your machine useless and/or destroy the Power Supply Unit.

·         Electrical noise can corrupt data.

·         The cost of a surge protection unit is a lot cheaper than the repair bill for a new Power Supply Unit.

·         Surges are common in power cuts (which we all have from time to time) when power is restored.

·         Surge protection units come in various shapes and sizes, the most common is similar to an extension lead, some have built-in protection for data lines too.

When you choose one take into account the amount of outputs you will need and if you want any data protection as well, some of them boast certain specifications, but the cheaper ones barely live up to it.