Articles

Summer & Power Consumption

Posted by Stephen Almeida on 18 May 2012 | 0 Comments

Tags: power, protect systems, green energy

 

So what happens when you turn on your air conditioner?  Well other than the obvious, of the room becoming cooler and tolerable, it adds surges and spikes in the electricity flow.

When the A/C, or refrigerator, kicks off you will see your lights dip for a split second and then everything goes back to normal.

Well during the summer months, not only do you have to worry about the A/C use in your home, but also across the Electricity Grid in your area.   These dips occur regularly, but as consumption increases there are greater dips or brown outs. 

These dips cause a decrease in electricity traveling to your electronic equipment.  In short doses there is minimal impact on equipment.  Over the long haul, these dips help shorten the life of our equipment.

What to do?

1. The best thing to do is purchase an Uninterruptible Power Supply, or Battery Backup.  When sized appropriately these items will keep your equipment running when the power goes out.  What many do not know, the proper UPS not only will keep your equipment running, it will condition the power.  This means it maintains a steady flow of electricity to your equipment, even during brown outs.
2. Turn off unnecessary equipment to reduce the strain on your electrical grid, but also to reduce the wear and tear on the equipment & lower your electrical bill.
3. Make sure you have sufficient coverage through out your home or office.  Try not to over load outlets by adding too many surge suppressors or power strips.  Contact your electrician and install more outlets when necessary.

These simple steps will see your equipment perform better, last longer and reduce your electrical consumption.