ShirleyfromDover

Q: I just bought an iMac.  We have been having power outages and power surges all week.  My iMac is plugged into a surge protector.  Will the outages damage my computer?

I just bought an iMac.  I have it plugged into an APC surge protector.  This week we have been have a lot of power outages and power surges.  Will this damage my computer even with it being plugged into the surge protector?

Thanks

Shirley

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015), OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Sep 13, 2016 6:09 AM

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Q: I just bought an iMac.  We have been having power outages and power surges all week.  My iMac is plugged into a surge pr ... more

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  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Sep 14, 2016 11:32 AM in response to westom
    Level 7 (32,056 points)
    iPad
    Sep 14, 2016 11:32 AM in response to westom

    I have never had kool aid as it is a very unhealthy drink.

     

    I don't need to protect sales- I do not own or work for that company.

     

    And, I am no longer interested in your preaching rhetoric. I have accomplished my goal here and I am done with this thread.

  • by K Shaffer,

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Sep 14, 2016 11:50 AM in response to ShirleyfromDover
    Level 6 (14,367 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 14, 2016 11:50 AM in response to ShirleyfromDover

    With my experiences - I rebuilt restored donated near 500 Macs as learning hobby -

    and power surges (no lightning was involved) stopped taking out logic boards when

    I sought to find suitable solutions to filter the power as well as provide alternative

    backup power on an automatic basis. The cheap onsite insurance of having the unit

    just work, and replacement of the batteries inside it every 3 to 4 years, is worth the

    cost of the unit and maintenance of the UPS unit. ~And I feel any guarantees offered

    by the maker, is where the ghello hits the wall. Useless to me, once damage is done.

     

    My other backup power supply has been an onsite generator that provides soft

    enough power to adequately run Apple Macintosh computers directly; but since

    I want a buffer between my costly hardware and any errant electrical grid issues,

    the investment in these idiot blackbox solutions (for about $150+ at Costco/Sams)

    has been a suitable one for my needs. When an outage in my remote area -- I learn

    what is happening because of a longer term existence in marginal environs -- may

    be expected to be longer than an hour, I will manually start the genset. While I'm

    doing this, the computer can still be running on the UPS battery. Asleep.

     

    Naysayers aside, one in particular occasionally reappears, even under guise of new

    namesake, you can do more than stand by and hope your investment in hardware

    and in software doesn't plunge faster than natural depreciation.

     

    At this point, my oldest Apple is PowerMac 7300 running pre-X MacOS 8.6. The newest

    is a Late 2012 i7 Mini quad-core server. In between the other ones are about 11-12 yr/old.

    As my Late 2012 i7 is still worth more than I paid for it in resale, due to demand, I feel

    to keep these UPS units around is to my personal advantage, & a good idea, too.

    (And to buy replacement batteries from industrial electronic suppliers locally; the shipping

    for a lead-acid or other heavy battery, to here, is costly. Battery replacement is easy DIY.)

     

    The backup automatic power conditioning UPS of at least 1500VA, is worth about 15 min

    depending on the load you put to the battery side; there are a few filtered surge ports on

    the unit too. I only use those power-strips with off-on switches, to ration power or to use

    as an easy reset for internet base stations, wi-fi, and other items; instead of pulling plugs.

     

    {Everyone has an opinion. Some are just a pile of words.

    May as well be selling a political agenda against sanity.}

     

    I don't have an agenda. I don't own any stock, but have my Macs.

    Some can afford to gamble with or without a hint of insurance.

     

    In any event...

    Good luck & happy computing!

  • by westom,

    westom westom Sep 14, 2016 1:52 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 14, 2016 1:52 PM in response to Csound1

    Csound1 wrote:

    I have to ask, how many OHMs in a foot?

    Well if it only a small nail, then only one ohm.  However a large spike may cause screaming with those ohms.  Just another reason for spike protection.

     

    However, if asking about wires, well, resistance or impedance? Two completely different numbers.  For example a 14 AWG wire is 0.002550 ohms per foot 'resistance'.  A 500 amp current would create 1.3 volts.  But protection is about 'impedance'.  An industry professional provides voltage numbers:

    Mike Holt defines voltages for a tiny 500 amp surge on a 14 AWG wire:

    > 6 inches  460 V; 20 inches 582 V; 30 inches 782 V. ...


    Most are only taught what advertising orders them to believe. Then must deny being easily manipulated.  Facts that say why an effective protector must connect low impedance to earth are avoided to protect sales.   Truth is that APC protector is virtually unconnected to ground.  See numbers for impedance.  Its hundreds of joules must 'magically' absorb a surge that is hundreds of thousands of joules.  Or its 2 cm part must somehow 'block' what three miles of sky cannot.  What it sometimes does is connect that surge destructively into the iMac's motherboard.  As we engineers demonstrated so many times - by autopsying the victims.

     

    Best protection for cable (and installed for free) is a hardwire connected low impedance (ie less than 10 feet) to earth ground.  AC electric wires cannot connect direct to earth.  So that low impedance (ie wire has no sharp bends) connection to earth is via a 'whole house' protector.  A protector only does what a hardwire does better.  Again, that is how protection from all surges (even direct lightning strikes) has been done for over 100 years.  Then near zero joules in an APC will not be overwhelmed - maybe create a fire.

     

    And yes, APC recently admitted some 15 million protectors must be removed due to circuits that cause fires.  ShirleyfromDover should be concerned - and start asking many more questions.  Including what is a single point earth ground.  Since protection of that computer (and therefore everything else) was requested.

     

    Yes, impedance (not resistance) is the relevant parameter.  Wire length (not thickness) is critical.  Even sharp bends or wire splices can compromise protection.   All says best protection for that computer is one 'whole house' protector ... for about $1 per protected appliance.  Only that does a low impedance connection to earth.  Do those numbers cause concern?

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Sep 14, 2016 1:59 PM in response to westom
    Level 9 (50,516 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 14, 2016 1:59 PM in response to westom

    Whatever you choose to believe

  • by westom,

    westom westom Sep 14, 2016 3:08 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 14, 2016 3:08 PM in response to Csound1

    If you step on that nail, will you suddenly have an epiphany?  Unlearning advertising myths can be that painful.

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