Electronic Safety

Don't let lightning zap your gadgets

Is your home or office filled with electronic gadgets? Then you should know that TVs, home theaters, computers and other electronic equipment are vulnerable to electrical surges generated by lightning-even if the lightning is miles away.

Electronic equipment can also be damaged by power surges caused by a variety of factors from inside or outside your home-including the normal operation of large appliances. Enough power surges can literally destroy computers and other electronic equipment.

That's why you should consider installing whole-house surge protective devices to safeguard your sensitive electronic equipment.

Ordinary power strips don't provide adequate protection. Uninterruptible power supply systems are battery-backed devices that keep electricity flowing in the event of an outage. They are useful devices, but do not act as surge suppressors unless they are certified as such.

You need a true surge suppressor, which looks like a power strip but which provides much greater protection. Suppressors can cost from $20 to $150; the best ones can handle high-voltage surges and react instantly to protect the equipment, an important factor considering that many power surges last just fractions of a second. To make sure you're getting the right kind of protection, look for the Underwriters Laboratories 1449 rating on a surge suppressor; this is the basic standard. Also make sure your suppressor has an internal fuse to cut the circuit in the event of a longer surge. Buy a suppressor with a good warranty that obligates the manufacturer to reimburse the user for the costs of repairing damage or replacing equipment if the suppressor fails.

You may also want to consider a suppressor equipped with special features to protect modems, faxes or coaxial cables, since these are common points of entry for power surges.

If you have any questions about protecting your electronic equipment from power surges, contact your local electric cooperative.