Have you experienced an electronic failure due to electrical spike?

[slipper]

Just curious if anyone here has experienced a failure due to a lightning storm or other electrical spikes? I just purchased an APC SurgeArrest Surge Protector since i recently purchased a new TV and entertainment system. I've never had a problem before but it seems that some people swear by the stuff. If you use a surge protector, did you purchase a specific brand or did you just purchase the cheapest for your requirements?

 

[ActionableMango]

I had a CRT monitor die during a rain storm power loss. There was no lightning involved. I assume it died when the power came back on.

I've heard these warnings about turning off all electronics if the power goes out so they don't suffer when the power comes back on. I now take that warning seriously.

 

[wirelessmacuser]

I find it fascinating that so many people spend so much time & money on new computers & peripherals, then fail to protect them. Or buy so called "surge protectors" that are so cheap & poorly designed they fail to do the job. I've not experienced any damage or down time by simply doing the right thing. I choose to invest in proper uninterruptable power supplies.

 

[S.B.G]

My office got hit by lightning last summer and we have a giant UPS with 30 car-type batteries in it protecting the building. Plus my two server racks have some commercial APC UPSs protecting the servers. So the servers have dual UPS protection.

Regardless of all that UPS protection, I lost two of my servers the next day to file system corruption (Win 2003) and one of the servers had to get a new logic board. Then about two weeks later one of my client PC's capacitors blew up and killed the machine.

UPSs are a great insurance investment and everyone who values their expensive electronics should have one. But it's not 100% protection. Lightning can be so strong as to overpower and even jump the protection circuits of a UPS.

When I am at home and know a storm is coming through I always physically unplug my equipment (UPS et al) and wait for it to pass. I don't want to take any chances.

 

[slipper]

Is there any added protection when using a UPS compared to a surge protector?

 

[S.B.G]

Is there any added protection when using a UPS compared to a surge protector?

Yes there is. A surge protector only has an inline fuse that is supposed to pop when too much voltage try's to pass through. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Most surge protectors are junk. You'll have to spend a fair amount of $$$ for a good one.

A UPS will do the same as a surge protector but also conditions the electricity going to your equipment. Meaning your equipment will get clean electricity, a constant rate of voltage with no dips or spikes. Dips and spikes can ruin sensitive electronics, such as computers. A UPS also buys you time when the commercial power is lost, to shut down your computer so you don't lose everything unsaved the instant power is lost.