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Last Updated on December 5, 2018 by Work In My Pajamas
When you have a home office, you often have much asset value wrapped up in your electronics. With your computer, tablet, cellphone, printer, and any other major electronics that you use in your day-to-day work, you have invested a significant amount of money in the items you need to make your business run smoothly. How do you protect those assets from damage?
Guard Against Power Surges
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If you’ve lost an electronic device to a power surge, this one will make you groan with recognition. Power surges occur when an abnormal amount of electricity gets delivered to your electric outlets, damaging critical components in sensitive electronics. Power surges can be caused by many issues, including major electronics such as air conditioners or elevators shutting on and off, problems with wiring, unexpected surges from the power grid, and lightning strikes.
Installing small power surge protectors on all your outlets can help to protect electronics through routine power surges. Major power surges like these examples that are caused by lightning strikes are rare, but small power surge protectors cannot handle this explosive load of power. To be fully protected, consider installing a whole-home surge protector. Whole-home surge protectors are installed outside your home, near the electric meter, and can protect your devices from catastrophic surges.
Control Indoor Humidity
Electronics are sensitive to humidity and generally run best with a consistently low level of moisture in their vicinity. Humidity can build up over time inside your computer, monitor, television, printer, and any other electronics with a protective casing. This humidity can wreak havoc on circuit boards, wiring, and fans.
Many climates have an excess level of humidity. To keep your electronics in top shape, as well as help keep them running for years to come, invest in a dehumidifier for your home office. If you live in a particularly humid climate, you may also consider installing a dehumidifier on your HVAC system, which will work to maintain a consistent level of humidity throughout your home. On the opposite side, if you live in a particularly dry climate, you may need a humidifier to maintain a minimum level of humidity for both your comfort and for the efficient operation of your electronics and appliances.
Unplug Little Used Electronics
One of the best ways to protect electronics is to unplug them when they are not in use. While this action is not feasible for some electronics, such as servers and backup hard drives, many little used electronics can be unplugged without interfering with your work. Not only are unplugged electronics protected from power surges, but they can also help you save on your utility costs.
Vampire electronics are those electronics that, when plugged in, pull small amounts of electricity consistently. This small pull of electricity adds up over time and drives up your utility bills.
Keeping your home office electronics in good working order is essential to the smooth running of your business. By installing surge protectors, keeping an eye on humidity, and unplugging vampire electronics, you can protect your electronics and keep your business on track for efficient operations.
