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Tips for guarding your electronic equipment.
Understanding electrical problems
Eighty percent of electrical problems result from wiring or grounding issues. Twenty percent occur
because an event in the PGE distribution system. To reduce potentially damaging
spikes or
power surges,
keep in mind this basic rule: Whenever possible, try to isolate sensitive electronic products
from power-hungry appliances:
Sensitive appliances and home electronics
- Personal computers and modems
- VCRs, DVD players and stereo equipment
- Answering machines and fax machines
- Home security systems
- Garage door openers
- Digital clocks
- Any piece of equipment that needs constant, uninterrupted power
Power-hungry appliances
- Laser printers
- Washers and dryers
- Electric and microwave ovens
- Hair dryers and electric razors
- Electric tools
- Electric furnaces and air conditioning
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Three steps to protect your home
A few preventative steps can go a long way in protecting your home from electrical
spikes or
surges. If
power quality questions come up, please call the PGE Power Quality Hotline at 503-736-5750 or 800-270-7016 or talk
with an electrical contractor.
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Check your wiring and grounding.
- Are your lights dimming or getting brighter? Is your electronic equipment
acting unreliable? You may have problems with your wiring. Make sure
the equipment is plugged into a grounded outlet.
- Living in an older home (built before 1960)? See if your wiring meets
current standards.
- Check appliances for loose or damaged plugs or poor connections and
repair or replace them.
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Use surge suppressors.
- You install these devices between the appliance and the electrical outlet to prevent surges from reaching your sensitive equipment. Read more about choosing a surge suppressor and check out PGE’s line of quality surge protection products in our PGE Meter and Outlet Surge Suppressor section.
- Invest in protection at your home’s electric gateway.
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Use this chart to find solutions to common power problems.
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Home Power Problem |
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Power Problem Causes |
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Electronics Protection |
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Power surges/spikes |
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When motors or compressors cycle on or off (think refrigerators or
paint sprayers), or PGE switches various sections of the power grid, it can cause a
power surge, which can damage electronic components.
Lightning strikes can send excessive voltage into electrical, telephone or cable TV
lines and possibly destroy them. |
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Surge suppressors divert excessive electrical energy away from your electronics or
appliances without harming them. For specifics, see Choosing a surge suppressor. |
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Brownouts |
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Excessive household power usage results in lights flickering, computers
locking or electric motors burning out. Surges occur most often when power returns to normal. |
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Line conditioners, UPSs (uninterruptible power supplies)
When
voltage sags, line conditioners shut off power to protect electronics and appliances.
A UPS runs equipment on an internal battery for a short period if voltage decreases
below a certain level or goes out completely. |
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Blackouts |
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Storms, animals on power lines, excessive demand on power grid and other causes. |
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UPS
Indispensable for just about any home computer user. Provides temporary power
for 10 to 20 minutes so you can back up files and shut down your computer
during an outage. |
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Electromagnetic interference
and
radio frequency interference. |
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Laser printers, fluorescent lighting, and lightning. Nearby radio stations create static
and harmonic (noise) distortion. |
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Usually found in better surge protectors, UPS devices and line conditioners.
Electrical filters protect your electronics and appliances by trapping the
interference before reaching your equipment.
Check product packaging for the words EMI/RFI noise protection. |
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