What is a power surge meaning?
Power surges happen when there is a massive spike in your electrical system’s current. They only last about a fraction of a second, but can cause lifelong damages to any outlets or plugged-in appliances. This is due to the power surge overloading the circuits connected to your electrical system.
How does a power surge happen?
Power surges occur when the flow of electricity is interrupted, then started again, or when something sends electricity flowing back into the system. Surges can range from five or ten volts when you turn on your hair dryer to thousands of volts if lightning strikes a transformer.
What is power surge protection?
A surge protector guards against the damage that sudden power surges can cause. It works by pulling the current from one outlet and passing it through to the devices you have plugged into the surge protector.
Do you really need a surge protector?
Desktop computers, laptops, televisions, gaming systems, and charging phones should all be plugged into a surge protector, so they aren’t damaged in a storm. A power spike or power surge can shorten the life of these devices or even wipe out all of your data.
What is a power surge on a computer?
power surge – Computer Definition. An oversupply of voltage from the power company that can last up to 50 microseconds. Although surges are very short in duration, they often reach 6,000 volts and 3,000 amps when they arrive at the equipment. Power surges are a common cause of damage to computers and electronic equipment.
How long does a power surge last?
An oversupply of voltage from the power company that can last up to 50 microseconds. Although surges are very short in duration, they often reach 6,000 volts and 3,000 amps when they arrive at the equipment. Power surges are a common cause of damage to computers and electronic equipment.
What happens if a power surge occurs on the bridge?
A power surge on the Bridge is rapidly and correctly diagnosed as a faulty capacitor by the highly-trained and competent engineering staff. If the light itself were to fail, the power surge would trip the main circuit breaker and the whole tower would shut down.
What causes power surges and storms?
The most well-known cause of power surges is electrical storms. When lightning strikes near power lines, even if there is no direct contact, the rapid ionization of the air and the sheer amount of energy in the lightning are enough to induce additional potential energy in the lines, causing a power surge.