Power surges make smart appliances dumb

MORE than 60% of South Africans say load-shedding is destroying their appliances.

This is according to a recently-conducted Gumtree poll on Twitter in which respondents reported that they have had electric appliances stop working owing to power surges caused by load-shedding.

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And this is not likely to get any better, as Eskom on Thursday announced that South Africans can expect rolling blackouts, with load-shedding expected to move to stages four and five in the coming months.

Should this happen, South Africans can expect to be without power for more than seven hours a day.

The fluctuations in the power wreaks havoc on all appliances, which causes permanent damage that is often not covered by insurance.

As a result, people are opting for second-hand appliances to replace those damaged through power surges.

Many smart devices have micro-processors that require correct shutdown, which means power cuts could result in catastrophic internal hardware failures too.

There is also the risk of a power spike or surge when power is restored, that can damage electronics.

Therefore, protecting these electronic and appliance investments is key as load-shedding is a hard-hitting reality in South Africa.

One can invest in surge protectors, which can be bought online or from any electronics store.

These devices monitor the flow of electricity that reaches the appliances and can either link to a single appliance or connect to the main electrical panel at home.

This acts as a buffer between the socket and the appliance that directs surges in power away from your electronics.

Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device with a battery back-up system that can supply power to a device for a matter of minutes or hours.

Even if the UPS only keeps you running for a few minutes, it will buy you enough time to power down devices safely.

One can keep computer cables, telephone cables linked to modems and other sensitive equipment unplugged during load-shedding.

Security systems are often compromised during load-shedding, so installing solar security lights or back-up battery systems for electric gates and fencing will help ensure one’s home stays protected during blackouts.

There are plenty of cheap and effective measures one can take to minimise or prevent damage to electronics.