This a simple guide on protecting personal electrical & electronic gadgets for those who live in places where electricity is erratic.

1. PROTECTING YOUR
PERSONAL ELECTRICAL &
ELECTRONICS
FROM THE RAVAGES OF BAD ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

2. ELECTRICITY SUPPLY
• In many places electricity supply is not stable. It comes and goes,
sometimes without warning to the user.
• Electricity supplier cannot meet demand every time. They must ration
it to different villages & towns at different times.
• Sometimes there are problems at the electricity plant or substation
and electricity is cut without warning.
• Electricity cut from your home distribution board (DB) is a different
matter. There maybe certain electrical appliance that is unsafe to use.
Example an ELCB or MCB had tripped. This will not be discussed here.
ELCB – Earth Leakage Circuit
Breaker
MCB – Miniature Circuit Breaker

3. HOW POOR ELECTRICITY SUPPLY DAMAGES
OUR PERSONAL ELECTRICAL &
ELECTRONICS
• When electricity is lost, your TV shows nothing. Your mobile
phone can still run on battery power, but it needs to be
charged when battery is low.
• When electricity is lost, your electronics either runs on battery
or does not work. The electronics does not get damaged due to
lost of electricity.
• The electronics get damaged when electricity returns. This is
different from when you plug your electronics to electricity
supply.

4. PERSONAL ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS
DAMAGED WHEN ELECTRICITY RETURNS
• Electronics get damaged when electricity returns, but the
damage may not be immediate. You may still use the TV or
phone charger, after several rounds of electricity blackout &
returning the electronics does not work anymore.
• What happens when electricity returns? There is a very short
time of about 1 second or less where the electricity voltage is
very high. This high voltage is damaging to electronics. This is
the same as lightning strikes where voltage is very high, and
the electronics are damaged. We call this voltage surge.

5. HOW TO PROTECT OUR ELECTRONICS?
• When electricity supply is lost, remove all your electrical and
electronics from your wall socket outlet.
• Wait about 5 minutes after electricity returns, then plug your
electrical & electronics back to electricity supply.
• Install as many surge arrestors as possible to your power extension
cords and wall socket outlets. These surge arrestors will cut down the
voltage surge when electricity returns. However, you may experience
more ELCB trips whenever there is lightning & thunder. It’s a small
inconvenience.

6. WHAT ARE SURGE ARRESTORS?
This is a universal plug adapter with
surge protection. I use this wherever I
travel. I also use many of this at my
home. This has a little piece of blue
“pearl” inside. This is the one that cuts
down voltage surge so that your
electronics does not get damaged. It is
not complete filter of voltage surge; but
helps your electronics to last longer.

7. POWER CORDS WITH SURGE PROTECTION
Power cords are widely use at home and
at work-places.
You may find cheap power cords
without surge protection. Do not buy
them. You cannot save money without
surge protection.
Your TV, phone charger spoil very fast
without surge protection.

8. OTHER SURGE ARRESTORS
This is another type of surge arrestor you may
find in your house electricity distribution board.
Not all homes have this. If you can, get your
local electrician to install this for your home. It
will cost you a little more than the usual
installation cost, but it can save your
electronics from being damaged and save you
more from buying new TV or phone charger,
etc. …

9. ANOTHER METHOD TO BLOCK SURGE
• UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply)
• This is like a very big power bank. You charge it from normal
electricity supply. You plug-in your phone charger, TV, power
bank charger, computer, etc. … at its socket outlets.
• UPS socket outlets are separate from the normal electricity
supply. Surge at the electricity supply cannot pass through the
UPS to your electronics.

10. UNINTERRUPTABLE POWER SUPPLY
UPS supply electricity for a few more
minutes after the normal electricity
supply is lost.
Do not plug-in too many electronics,
its battery store can finish very fast.
Just like car battery, its battery life
span does not last very long. You
need to replace its batteries or the
whole UPS after about 2 years of use.
This is an expensive option; but
needed at places where computers
and communication electronics are
in use. Prepared by Chan Poey Lum