If you have noticed electrical disturbances that affect your power, you should understand that there is a variety of potential causes. Understanding electrical disturbances better can help you figure out how to solve problems when they occur.
There are different types of electrical disturbances. A surge is a small one that lasts for a split second and results in an increased voltage. A spike produces a very large voltage level increase. A brownout is a little bit longer than a surge and could last anywhere between a few seconds and several hours. When this happens, and the voltage levels will go down. A blackout is the complete halt of electricity.
Searches can be caused by the switching off of heavy duty appliances or short circuits in the electrical system. Spikes can be caused by lightning striking nearby, as well as downed power lines. Brownouts can be caused by decreases in voltage levels by the utility company that are sometimes done on purpose in response to being at peak load times. Blackouts can take place due to very high demands on power grids or natural storms that occur.
Any of these electrical disturbances can potentially cause damage. Surges can cause excessive wear to the components of electrical equipment, and spikes can destroy equipment or cause data loss or other processing problems. Brownouts can cause data loss and have an impact on the efficiency of the equipment as well. Blackouts are capable of causing data loss, as well as damage to a computer hard drive.
There are things that you can do to minimize any damage caused by electrical disturbances. You can plug electrical equipment into surge protectors and suppressors in order to minimize damage from surges and spikes. You can also install an uninterruptible power supply system in order to minimize damage that can come from brownouts and blackouts.
For quality power monitoring services, contact the expert team at Power Plus Engineering today.