Winter Is Coming
By Jeremy Schuitema
Storms have the potential to wreak some havoc on your property this winter. Here’s 5 things to check on to make sure your computers and electronics are safe guarded before it’s too late.
1 – Charge your Devices
Our first thoughts when the threat of lightning or storms are coming our way are to look out for our electronic devices that are always plugged into the wall, such as desktop computers. However lets not forget about that cell phone or laptop that’s sitting at 10% charge. If you lose power at home there won’t be any way to charge those devices and you may need them to make calls or communicate with the outside world in the event of an emergency. When you become aware that a storm is coming, plug in your phone or laptop so it’s topped-off before nasty weather takes away that option.
“If your laptop is fully charged by the time that storm hits, you can use it on battery and not worry about any possible damage from power surges.”
2 – Surge Protectors
Power surges can be very ugly for your electronic devices, and are common enough during many types of storms to merit a little protection and forward thinking. For your devices that are more on the expensive side, such as TV’s, computers and stereo systems, consider adding in a surge protector at the outlet. If you already have a basic power strip, replacing it with a strip that has built in surge protection is always a great idea. We have several different choices available at Clicktek if you need some advice or options.
3 – Backup Battery (UPS)
Lets take things one step further and consider adding on a backup-battery unit to our expensive desktop computer to prevent the loss of files we’re working on during a power outage. A UPS, or Uninterruptible Power Supply, senses a loss of power and temporarily continues to power any devices plugged into it via a built-in battery. This gives you enough time to save your work and shut down the computer before you lose anything important.
4 – Unplug devices
So you don’t have surge protectors yet and that storms coming in fast? Sometimes the simplest solution is the best one. Unplug those TV’s and computers from the wall for a few hours until the threat of the storm passes to prevent any damage from occurring.
5 – Make Backups!
If all else fails, having already made a recent backup of your important data can be the last line of defense. Think ahead! At Clicktek we have a range of external hard drives and years of experience to share with you so you can develop a backup strategy that allows for complete peace of mind even when nasty weather is threatening your devices.