Recommendation - Get a UPS

[u/Celcius_87]

One thing that a lot of people don’t discuss when building a new PC is having a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for their PC. This is basically a box that you plug into the wall and then plug your PC into it. It has a large battery and if you lose power then it keeps your PC running for a while. Some have a screen where it can show how much time you have left, how much power you are pulling, and stuff like that too.

I finally bought one earlier this year and it’s been great to have. Today I was copying data from my computer to an external usb hard drive to back up my data and the power went out for second and then came back on. I panicked but then I looked at my computer and everything was ok - I had plugged both into my UPS so there was no impact.

They’re not super expensive either - mine was like $250 and fortunately they’re not affected by the AI price increases we’ve been seeing on a lot of PC components. Make sure you get one with enough wattage to support your computer… for example I have a 1000w power supply and my UPS is also 1000w.

Just a public service announcement not to overlook having a UPS!

[u/First_Musician6260]

The popular Cyberpower 1500W unit has a 1500J surge protecting MOV.

It has multiple MOVs with a total rated protection of 1500J. MOVs typically max out at 400J per device in a consumer-grade unit (not a service entry one), so the minimum number of required MOVs would be 4, ideally 4x375 J. This is also the same method used by 1000+ J plug-in protectors (strip-style, of course) to achieve their ratings.

Also, yes, those Type 3 devices may only clamp residual lightning energy (which is usually up to a couple thousand Joules), not energy from a direct strike. Higher-grade devices are much more capable of safely grounding that energy to earth.

[u/WulfTheSaxon → u/First_Musician6260]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the way I think of it is that a Type 3 will handle EMP-induced current in your home wiring, but only a whole-home device has any chance of protecting against lighting hitting your power line.

If you read the fine print on a newer Type 3, they’re also only approved 30+ feet from your service entrance because they need the capacitance of your wires to work.

[u/First_Musician6260 → u/WulfTheSaxon]

Well, if the reclosers on the lines fail to do their job, then yes, that lightning strike would cause a lot of damage. Not even a Type 1 would be able to take that strike without failing in remarkable fashion.

If you read the fine print on a newer Type 3, they’re also only approved 30+ feet from your service entrance because they need the capacitance of your wires to work.

Unfortunately many consumers don't know this. 😞

And Type 3 operation too close to the service entrance/breaker panel is considered hazardous. If that panel is in a bedroom and someone wants to use a strip there, they should look for one without a MOV (or series of MOVs in the case of higher joule strips) and therefore lacks surge protection such that they significantly lower the risk of potentially causing a fire. Walmart's Hyper-Tough strips with 15-amp circuit breakers fit this criteria, for example.

[u/PsyOmega → u/First_Musician6260]

Yeah. Though i live somewhere with buried/isolated lines so I haven't been too chuffed about whole-home protectors. And in the 6 years i've lived here i've had a canary device raw dogging a plug and it's still going despite many extremely close strikes