Computers and Hervey Bay Storms
They really don’t mix
If you haven’t realised yet we’re now well and truly in the middle of storm season and the electrical storm and blackout last week once again took its toll on computers here in Hervey Bay.
The day after the storm there were plenty of computers coming in to Fraser Coast Computers for repairs. You see, the power surge that follows a blackout or a lightning strike can, and does, reak havoc with home and business computers.
Even if your computer is switched off it is still vulnerable so here are a few tips to help your computer survive this storm season.
1. When you know that there is a storm coming switch your computer off and unplug it from the wall.
2. Unplug the phone line from the modem - lighting strikes can send power surges down your phone line that will fry your modem and seriously damage other sensitive parts of your computer.
3. Invest in some power surge protection. Last week’s blackout was caused by a lightning strike in Maryborough well before there was any sign of a serious storm here in Hervey Bay.
This is the power surge protection that we use:
You can buy them from Fraser Coast Computers for around $60.00 and that is a bargain compared to the cost of repairing a damaged computer. Not only will it protect the power circuit to your computer but you can also run your phone line through it and protect that as well.
If you want more than just surge protection and have a need to be able to shut your computer down in an orderly fashion, rather than just losing everything when the power disappears, then you need one of these:
It provides battery backup and gives you an extra 15 minutes or so of power when the electricity fails. It too provides power surge protection and you can buy them at Fraser Coast Computers.
We currently use three of the battery units as well as the surge protection boards for added security and we recommend them.
