Load shedding has become a guaranteed occurrence for all South Africans. At first, it was something that happened sporadically. These days it’s scheduled and almost always happens according to the schedule. The advantage of this is that we can prepare for when load-shedding happens because power cuts are not only an annoying inconvenience but can also cause some issues with your internet devices using power.
Power turning on and off at any given time can hurt your appliances and can even cause permanent damage. Worse still, these types of issues are often not covered by your general insurance.
According to tech appliance purchasing websites (such as Gumtree, etc.) searches for UPS (power back up devices) and surge protectors have more than tripled over the past year as we prepare for our “new daily norm” to ensure our devices are ready for the “load-shedding karate chop” coming our way.
While many electrical devices simply switch off during load-shedding, your sensitive tech could be seriously damaged. Devices such as PC’S, Smart TV’s, laptops and gaming consoles have built-in microprocessors that are not happy at all when they are not shut down correctly.
When these types of devices are not shut down correctly they can (and do) act up. This could result in irritating internal hardware failures. There is also the risk of power surges when Eskom does finally decide to flow electricity through to your area. A power surge can be deadly to your computer-operated technology.
Steps to protect your Devices during load-shedding:
Surge protectors
- These devices monitor the flow of electricity that reaches your appliances and can either link to a single appliance or connect to your main electrical panel at home. This acts as a buffer between the power socket and the devices that directs surges in power away from your electronics.
Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)
- A UPS is a device with a battery back-up system that supplies power to your device for a few minutes or hours, depending on the UPS you have. Even if your UPS only keeps you running for a few minutes, it will buy you enough time to power down devices safely.
Unplug your devices
- If possible, keep your computer cables and any linked to modems and other sensitive equipment unplugged during load shedding.
Back-up batteries & Solar Power
- Security systems are also at risk during load shedding. Solar security lights or back-up battery systems are available for electric gates and fencing to make sure your home stays protected during black-outs. Load-shedding is going to impact everyone – being prepared is key. There are many cheap and effective measures you can take to minimize or prevent damage to your devices.
