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Questions tagged [surge-protection]

Questions about surge protectors can be asked as long as it related to use with your computer or peripherals and when attempting to determine the proper level of protection required for your equipment. Purchasing recommendations are strictly off topic.

A surge protector (or surge suppressor) 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. [1]

These devices can also include protection for cable, telephone and Ethernet connections.

[1]Source

59 questions
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2 answers

Why are brownouts so harmful?

I was reading Is surge protection actually needed? and well I'd like to know why brownouts are so harmful. The explanation gave there is "the capacitors get above their rated voltage" But that makes no sense if the power coming into the PSU is less…
Earlz
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votes
7 answers

Is surge protection actually needed?

Am I am an idiot for not using a surge protected powerboard? Does this mean my computer gets fried in a power outage? Which particular parts of the computer are most vulnerable to damage if I get a 'surge'?
andrew
  • 371
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2 answers

Is there a way to tell the laptop battery when to stop charging?

I don't want my laptop's battery to always be at 100% because it lessens battery life, especially when above 25 Celcius, the lowest summer temperature in Israel (currently 30C - 32C). I prefer to keep the battery level between 30% and 50% and use it…
Boris_yo
  • 5,994
4
votes
1 answer

Can Electric Surge Go Through Modem And Fry Laptop?

I have cable internet connection and cable connects to modem. From modem there is a LAN cable connecting to my laptop. Can electric surge reach my laptop?
Boris_yo
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3
votes
2 answers

What is the black powder/dust around a surge protector?

A tree had fallen down and taken out the electric line with a huge bang! So all the electric went off. Then I noticed loads of black powder/soot around a surge protector extension cable. It looks like a small explosion, with everything around it…
Russell England
  • 521
3
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3 answers

Is it worth getting a voltage stabiliser?

My PC has now blown 3 13A fuses in total (each in the power strip the PC was plugged into) and I've been told that a voltage stabiliser would help. I'm just wondering if they always solve the problem and I want to check that the information I've…
George Tomlinson
  • 215
3
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0 answers

Unplug computer during thunderstorms?

I once heard from a friend of mine that it's good practice to disconnect your computer and tv during a thunderstorm to avoid damage from electrical surges caused by lightning strikes. It kind of makes sense, but nobody else that I've asked does…
Jeff Welling
  • 575
3
votes
1 answer

Is a USB-connected drive more surge resistant than a separately powered drive?

My understanding of power surges is that they can simultaneously damage anything that's plugged in to AC power. My question is whether a drive that's connected to the computer via USB (only) is better protected than a drive that has its own power…
Marc Rochkind
  • 237
2
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1 answer

Powerline Ethernet surge protection

Following the recent weather events in my village (see related question) I'm looking at better power protection for my equipment, specifically a UPS and a set of replacement surge protectors which, it turns out, have all been worn out. I see some…
alastairs
  • 398
2
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0 answers

What about placing a voltage regulator behind an UPS with modified sine output, to protect an active pfc psu?

I moved to an area/building where there are quite some problems with the wall-power supply. Primaraly I would like to protect my computers, secondary I would like have some affordable UPS for some of them. Common advice is a online-ups systems, but…
Sarmes
  • 121
2
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2 answers

How to verify that a surge protector actually works?

I need surge protectors to prevent expensive equipment from exploding. Manufacturers of these devices obviously make a lot of fantastic claims about features and performance, but how can I trust them when there appears to be no independent tests…
DOS
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2
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Should you plug a laser printer directly into a wall socket?

Based on this answer to the question "Why shouldn't I attach laser printers or scanners to a UPS?", and a comment made by Blunder, should you plug a printer directly into a wall socket and avoid plugging it into a surge protector? When turned on,…
ardent
  • 123
2
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2 answers

What are the chances a power surge can wipe out a whole system? How can I tell?

I was on my computer and all of a sudden it shut off and the lights in my house dimmed. When I tried to turn it back on, nothing happened and there was a burning smell coming from my comp. I sent in my power supply to Corsair since I have a 5 year…
ryeguy
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2
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5 answers

What to look for in a good UPS?

I just asked this question where my PC may have been fried due to a power surge. Now I'm browsing around and I'm curious what characteristics make a quality UPS? What should I be looking at? Should I be wary of the cheaper UPS's? Whats the…
Doug T.
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2
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RJ45 to RJ11 to RJ45 proper config?

I am buying a surge protector, and the model I am looking at has RJ11 ports (in and out) for protection. Now I want to ask if its possible to do a RJ11 > RJ45 conversion, so I can protect my Ethernet cable with it. I read someone suggesting TAE…
appwizcpl
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