protecting your Power Supply & UPS from load shedding...

[ceeteedee]

Hi Carboniters...

This is a support thread about loadshedding damage to PSU's and how to mitigate/prevent this...

So I recently replaced a PSU because it was damaged causing my computer to perform really badly,

The replacement PSU is performing fine and the computer too is performing far better than it was with the damaged PSU obviously.

So here's the thing, on first power up and power down of the PSU, because I was replacing NVME's, SSD's etc I was able to properly flush residual motherboard power by pressing the power button...

On the next power down after load shedding I was unable to properly flush residual board power because it seems to no longer work.

As is the new PSU powers up and works fine for now, but it seems that even after a single load shedding outage that there is some damage to it.

I don't own a UPS, in the past the UPS's i've owned haven't lasted very long or performed very well and crapped out a few months...

So what do I do now? which UPS or power protection solution should I consider? it's a 750w PSU so anything under 1000va UPS should be fine...

 

[Dr. Kraken]

No need for expensive solutions I think. A surge protector should work fine for protecting from loadshedding power spikes and stuff. Not sure what you mean that you can't flush power? Holding down the power button of the case while PSU is off should do it, if the case power button is broken, most motherboards have a power button you can just hold to do the same thing.

 

[Switch]

I don't own a UPS, in the past the UPS's i've owned haven't lasted very long or performed very well and crapped out a few months...

You should still keep the ups connected if it is a quality one, not because of the battery backup but because a ups includes an automatic voltage regulator which would smooth out the varying voltages from eskom and help prevent voltage spikes from blowing your psu.

 

[Sageofchaos]

In general, a surge protector plug that is SABS approved, should be adequate. Ellies is a go-to brand for most companies.

Also mentioned, most UPS's (and PSU's for that matter) have built in surge, over volt, and over current protection, and if your Power Supply is half-decent, this "residual" power should be absorbed and discharged by the capacitors in the power supply... Usually the Power Supply fan keeps spinning after the PC has been turned off, until the residual power has worn off. - Digitally regulated (solid state) power supplies have different means of mitigating this residual power.

Are you doing this for insurance requirements or protecting your equipment?

If it's for insurance it's best to consult the insurer on their requirements for electrical appliances to be covered. Most insurers have indemnified themselves (via T's and C's updates) from any load-shedding related incidents.

Lightning damage, however, is still covered by some, but there's hardly any way to be completely resistant to lightning.

A good surge protector plug and a UPS should protect all you need. The UPS/Surge protector being the scapegoat, and you'll have to replace this if anything ever does happen.