UPS needed to handle local power surges

APC solutions suggests more careful power protection measures

With Eskom’s recent announcement that the longer days and warmer weather of summer will not necessarily alleviate the pressure on our power grid, companies and individuals need to remain mindful power protection in order to avoid permanent damage to expensive and sensitive electronic equipment, equipment downtime, lost productivity and lost data power fluctuations caused by power fluctuations.

“Although Eskom made it through winter without load shedding and the summer months mean a lower demand for power, this is also the time that the utility carries out maintenance measures which essentially means more outages,” says Rodney Callaghan, MD: Southern Africa at APC by Schneider Electric.

“Furthermore, South Africa’s summer months bring with them rain, storms, lightning and over-voltage, particularly in Gauteng. Frequent lightning accompanying summer thunderstorms may cause over-voltage that can damage electronic devices and can lead to short-circuits or even fire,” he explains.

“This constant threat of power surges, spikes and lightning make it critical to have reliable power protection in the home or business. Most people use a reliable surge suppressor or uninterruptible power supply

(UPS) to protect their PCs, but many do not understand the need to protect themselves from ‘back-door’ surges, such as those from communication lines and computer peripherals.”