3 Sneaky Electrical Issues Which Could Cause Problems With Your Electronic Devices

17 August 2016
 Categories: Technology, Blog


Most homeowners are quick to recognize signs of electrical trouble inside the house, but most will actually call up the electric company and make claims that there must be problems with the service. Yet, it is actually more common for disturbances in electricity to happen solely because of problems inside the house. Unfortunately, these electrical disturbances can wreak havoc on your electronic devices, whether it is a desktop computer or television or something else. Therefore, it is best to get familiar with signs of electrical trouble inside your home and understand how these issues could affect your electronics. 

Problem: Sags and dips in power availability.

This is a common issue in residential settings and may seem like no big deal. However, interruptions in adequate flow of power to your electronic equipment can easily cause damage in the long term. Plus, a lagging availability of power can create problems with data loss on computer systems. Even other electrical equipment that utilizes memory, such as fax machines, televisions, or your DVR, can see issues.

If you see consistent issues with sagging power supply or even outages, it is best to contact an electrical service contractor for help. But in the meantime, invest in an uninterruptable power strip, which contains a battery pack for back up that can be used to temporarily power devices until the electricity delivery is stable again. 

Problem: Major spikes or electrical surges happen randomly. 

While surges in electrical power can have external causes, such as lightning or changes in power flow from a line, in a lot of cases the issue is caused by internal factors. For example, if you have an air unit that uses a great deal of electricity, when the unit initially kicks off, it will create a surge of power in the rest of the house. Unfortunately, almost all electrical devices are vulnerable to power surges and can sustain damages, either immediately or in the long term. Computers, speakers, televisions, and even your home appliances can be negatively affected by a surge in power.

If you are seeing issues with power surges in your home, you can use surge protecting power strips, which help to stabilize the electrical power fluctuations as they occur. However, it is also best to track down the source of the problem to prevent future problems. If the problem can be narrowed down to one specific home feature, consider making some upgrades or changes. If not, contact an electrician, like one from Meserve Electric, to help you upgrade your electrical panel to better cater to the power needs of your house. 


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