If your device is not adequately secured, a power outage might cause serious harm. The damage is generally caused by the sudden power loss and the potential power surges connected with it, rather than the fact that the device does not get any power during the outage.
If you shut down your device before a scheduled power outage for line repair, for example, your machine is not at risk.
Did you consider how much harm a power loss may cause a device while you were booting it back up? What about the feared power surge, the opposite of a power outage? Are they potentially dangerous to your computer?
Let’s look at what happens during both, how it impacts your device, and how to avoid harm to address these issues.
Are Power Outages Dangerous?
When a computer’s continuous power supply is disrupted, its features lose the ability to function.
This generally happens when there is an issue at a power plant or inside the home’s network, such as a tripped fuse. It turns off the whole machine, regardless of where it was in its operations.
Shutting down a computer is generally barely noticeable – after all, we do it regularly! That isn’t to claim it’s completely risk-free, though.
Data corruption is the most common problem induced by a power loss. If a power outage occurs while you’re saving changes to a file, it’ll be locked in the middle of saving forever. It may cause some of the data in the file to be corrupted or render it unusable.
When you’re revising a shopping list, this isn’t a big deal. Suppose you’re working on a critical business document or storing critical system file changes. In that case, it might result in a loss of data or even leave the operating system useless until it’s rectified.
Protection Against It
Switching to a laptop instead of a computer if you’re frequently experiencing power outages is one of the most beneficial things you can do. You can also look to choose a power supply that is suitable for your device.
You won’t lose data if there is a power outage since the laptop will automatically switch to battery power. When you live in a neighborhood with intermittent electricity, laptops are the best option.
If a computer is required for your task, an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) might be used instead. These act as backup batteries for your computer, ensuring that you have power after a power outage.
The batteries aren’t meant to keep your computer running for an extended period. Still, they allow you enough time to instruct it to shut down and prevent your work from being corrupted.
Why Are Storm Surges So Dangerous?
A power surge is far more dangerous than a power outage since it has the ability to corrupt data or fry your device. These generally occur after a power outage or as a result of a thunderbolt striking the electrics.
Every electrical gadget in your house has a limit on how much power it can handle. When it’s plugged into a socket, and the socket is turned on during a power surge, the gadget is bombarded with an electrical charge it can’t handle.
If the power surge is minor, it may result in some extra heat or electric arcs, which damage the device’s components over time.
If it’s a strong one, the power surge will completely fry any part it comes into contact with.
When it comes to your computer, the first component that a surge will strike is the power supply, which is where electricity enters your system. Only the power supply may be damaged or destroyed if the power surge is small enough if the power supply is composed of high-quality components.
If it isn’t, the surge might continue through the power supply and into the main computer, causing serious difficulties.
As we know that the computer components are not designed to withstand voltages outside their operating range, a large power surge will likely destroy them. It’s very uncommon for power surges to make motherboards, CPUs, and graphics cards completely unusable.
This is why surge protection is so critical for expensive computers; a single surge may quickly kill a computer.
Protection Against It
If a thunderstorm is approaching your home and you’re concerned about electrical lines being damaged, switch off all gadgets and disconnect them as quickly as possible. Unplugged items are not affected by power surges!
Also, if at all possible, consider purchasing a surge protector. These protect your components from power surges and are typically very inexpensive or at least less expensive than a new computer.
Conclusion
Both power outages and power surges can harm a device in various ways and to varying degrees of severity. You now understand how each one occurs, how they might harm a device, and how to prevent them from happening.