Power Protection Devices; Surge Protectors - Dell OptiPlex NX1 User Manual

2-6 Dell OptiPlex NX1 Net PC Systems User's Guide
Computer systems are sensitive to variations in voltage supplied by the AC power
source. Overvoltage, undervoltage, and transients (or spikes ) can erase data from
memory or even cause components to fail. To protect against such problems, power
cables should always be properly grounded, you should use a power protection
device, and you should place the system on a circuit that does not contain any heavy
electrical equipment.
Your network administrator should verify your power source and network cables;
however, you should ensure that your system is connected to a dedicated power cir-
cuit and that it is not sharing a circuit with any of the following:
Kitchen appliances
Copier machines
Air conditioners
Vacuum cleaners
Space heaters
Power tools
Teletype machines
Adding machines
Any other motorized equipment
Another threat to a system's supply of power is surges or blackouts caused by electri-
cal storms. Whenever possible, turn off the computer and any peripherals and unplug
them from their power sources during thunderstorms.
If a blackout occurs even a temporary one turn off the system immediately and dis-
connect it from its power source. Leaving the system on may cause problems when
the power is restored; all other appliances left on in the area can create large voltage
spikes that could damage the system.
Various levels of power protection are available for your system.
Surge protectors prevent voltage spikes, such as those caused during electrical
storms, from entering a system through the AC power source. These devices are
available in a variety of types and usually provide a level of protection commensurate
with the cost of the device.
Surge protectors, however, do not offer protection against brownouts, which occur
when the voltage drops more than 20 percent below the normal AC line voltage level.