Why you need UPS & surge protection.

One out of four computers gets hit by a major power event every year. It's not a question of if you will experience a power problem, it's a matter of when. Even if you avoid a major catastrophe, every computer gets hit daily with sags,surges, and noise that can cause system lock-ups and data corruption. A study by IBM has shown that a typical computer is subject to more than 120 power problems per month. Short term increases in voltage, or surges, can occur for a number of reasons. Sometimes they happen when high-powered electrical motors in common household appliances are switched off, and the extra voltage is dissipated through the power lines.

Instantaneous increases in voltage called spikes, can happen due to lightning strkes or when the utility restores power following a storm or accedent that may have knocked down a utility pole. Be it a surge or spike, that excess voltage travels rapidly through electrical wiring, network, serial and phone lines with the equivalent force of a tidal wave. When that surge travels into your computer, critical components can be damaged.

Power Event Definitions, Causes and effects:

Power problems are the largest cause of data loss.