Texas experienced a record-breaking freeze last winter, leaving residents without power for days. The outage caused severe damage to the health care system, especially medical devices. Over 100 individuals died from technological complications and extremely low temperatures.
Companies experience similar interferences during brown- and blackouts. When power sources abruptly stop supplying electricity, they may damage motor-driven electrical devices.
The Impact of Outages on Electronics
Power outages have significant impacts on electronics. Most buildings use 120-voltage electrical systems to support computers, phones, lights and other devices. During brown- and blackouts, the conventional electricity voltage drops below 90 or cuts out completely.
Motorized electronics run inefficiently when energy drops, putting stress on their systems. This damages essential commercial devices like computers and limits their longevity. After an outage, some companies must upgrade all their appliances to reach pre-blackout efficiency levels.
Electrical lines experience an inrush after energy professionals restore power. All the empty spaces quickly fill with electricity, creating a surge. This increases the voltage entering a building and damages some electronics.
There are five common ways to protect your devices from energy loss and surge-related damage. Adding supportive technologies and practicing effective pre-storm maintenance may minimize damage to electronics.
1. Use Undervoltage Relay
You may utilize undervoltage relay technology to prevent electronics from outage-related damage. The device connects to a circuit breaker and identifies changes in the power supply. When it detects a decrease in power, it trips the breaker, either stopping or restarting the energy current.
Minimizing changes in the current effectively protects devices from damage caused by energy spikes. It reduces harm to motors and preserves electronics over time.
2. Prevent Outage Susceptibility With IoT
You can also improve the longevity and security of your electronics by preventing brown- and blackouts. Engineers developed an intelligent data model using the Internet of Things (IoT) to identify regions with high outage susceptibilities. Energy professionals can assess the data to determine which utility assets are the most vulnerable.
The technology could alert professionals of susceptible regions before a storm, helping them respond quickly to prevent outages and surges. Reducing the risk of energy interferences may effectively improve the stability of office electronics.
Power professionals can also support the longevity and stability of electronic devices by adequately maintaining dry-type transformers. They may clean a transformer’s vents and surface area to reduce energy flow interferences and outages. Regular maintenance and inspections can improve a transformer’s defense against weather-related interferences.
3. Add Solar Panels
Solar panels effectively provide buildings with off-grid electricity, supporting electronic devices during outages. Businesses and homeowners can install photovoltaic (PV) panels on their roofs for energy access during brown- and blackouts. PV systems use photons to absorb solar radiation and knock electrons loose within a panel.
The loose electrons create a flow of energy, which transfer wires then collect. These wires convert the power supply into electricity, feeding it directly into an office building. Individuals that install PV systems may never lose power during a grid outage and protect their electronics from surge damage.
4. Use Outlet Adapter Surge Protectors
You may also install outlet adapter surge protectors to decrease damage to electronics. The technology connects to multiple devices, acting as a conventional power strip. It also reads a building’s energy voltage to identify spikes and surges.
When the technology recognizes a differentiation in the power supply, it diverts excess energy into a grounding wire. Reducing a device’s interference with surges effectively minimizes burnout and other longevity-depleting effects.
5. Turn Off Lights Before a Storm
People can additionally prevent electronic damage by powering down devices before a storm. Turning off all the lights in a building can protect bulbs. You may also shut off computers, monitors, coffee machines and other office appliances to protect their stability during outages and surges.
Install Preventive Appliances Today
You can protect office electronics before storms approach by identifying the most effective and necessary additives. Surge protectors are affordable and easy-to-install devices that can be installed at any time. Undervoltage relay devices also protect businesses from outage damage, but they are more expensive, creating limitations for some business owners.
There are many options to protect your electronic devices from power surges. That makes it much easier to ride the storm out with peace of mind.
