10 ways to protect systems from electrical damage

#6: Replace damaged or faulty UPS/surge protectors
When a surge protector or UPS sustains a significant electrical surge, such as occurs with a lightning strike, the device's internal electronics can fail. If warning lamps light, outlets stop operating, or batteries fail, replace the damaged component or the entire UPS or surge protection device. You should do this even if the unit's telecommunications protective mechanism is the only component that fails.

Although it's tempting to continue using a UPS with only a single dead outlet or port, the device has sustained an electrical charge sufficient to damage components, which indicates that other damage may have occurred. Such damage could prevent the UPS or surge protector from properly protecting connected equipment, thus necessitating the device's replacement.

#7: Protect telecommunications links
Always make sure that servers, PCs and network equipment receive protection from electrical spikes that can travel telecommunications links. Lightning strikes frequently discharge via cable modem, DSL, and telephone lines. The discharge isn't pretty, as everything from network interface cards to motherboards can be destroyed.

When purchasing UPS and surge-protection devices, look for models that protect connected equipment from lightning strikes entering the network via data lines. Then, when deploying the UPS or surge protector, be sure to connect the data line to the protective device's input. Connect a corresponding RJ-11 or RJ-45 cable to the device's protected output to guard against lightning damage on your network.

#8: Test power supplies
Delicate electronic components within a computer — such as hard disk motors, memory, video cards and motherboards — are sensitive to even minor fluctuations in a system's electrical supply. Even if circuits have been tested, proper grounding has been verified and UPS or surge protectors are in place, a system's wayward power supply can inflict electrical damage on a PC or server.

Power supplies are a frequent cause of system reboots and failures. I've seen a power supply (on a system attached only to a power strip) continually reboot a machine while in the process of overheating. Thick, acrid white smoke poured from the malfunctioning power supply while the system kept repeating vain attempts to restart.

Whenever you encounter unexplained or intermittent reboots and other flaky behaviour, check the power supply's electrical output to ensure it's working properly. Use either a multimeter, set to read the proper voltages, or a tool specifically designed to test a power supply's output.

Malfunctioning power supplies should be replaced immediately to protect a system's components from electrical damage and potential fire hazards. If a power supply has been distributing excessive electrical power to a system, it's not a bad idea to test the motherboard, CPU, memory and other components using a POST card to make sure that no additional repairs are required.

#9: Maintain proper operating temperatures
Temperature is a well-known and well-documented enemy of network switches, firewalls, PCs, servers and other equipment. High temperatures can adversely affect power supplies, potentially causing damage to a system's internal components. High temperatures can also prevent a UPS device's internal electronics from working properly, thereby leaving connected systems and equipment at risk.

Protect against electrical damage resulting from overheating by ensuring that systems receive proper cooling. Keep all vents and fan outlets free of debris, boxes, files, folders and other furniture. When performing routine system maintenance, verify that PC and server exhaust fans are working properly and are unobstructed.

I've encountered situations in which a PC's exhaust fans were blocked by documentation placed inside the system (to prevent the discs and licence numbers from becoming separated from the unit or being lost). A good idea in theory, but the resultant ventilation loss prompted the hard disk to fail as a result of its baking in the heat generated by its own electrical activity.

Take steps to ensure that UPS devices also receive ample room to breathe. Don't stack boxes, retired PCs or other equipment alongside UPSs, either in server rooms or in cubicles.

Electricity use consistently generates heat, and that heat must be dissipated properly or damage and potential data loss will result. It sounds simple, but take a quick walk through any office environment and you'll almost always find at least one UPS buried by boxes, files or other office material.

#10: Maintain proper insurance
You can take numerous steps to prevent electrical damage to computers, servers and other computing equipment, but sometimes your best efforts simply aren't sufficient. I've seen clients lose motherboards, NICs, hard disks and more due to lightning strikes. Some of the damaged equipment was even connected to UPS and surge protectors.

Despite precautions, equipment can still end up being lost to electrical damage resulting from surges, lightning and other disturbances. Business owners, even those with small operations, should make sure that insurance policies include riders or passages expressly covering computers and associated equipment. IT professionals employed by larger organisations should also work with their chief technology officers to properly maintain the documentation required by the corporation's insurers.

Review your organisation's property and casualty insurance policies. Small or home office operators should review homeowner's policies. Regardless of organisation size, you should record the model numbers, serial numbers and purchase prices of all equipment. Also, collect photographs of all computer and related items. Both the insurance policies and the supporting documentation should be securely stored off-site. If a devastating electrical crisis does occur, having proper insurance and the associated documentation can help your organisation recover much more quickly and efficiently.