July 29, 2010

How to prevent static electricity and power surges from frying your fragile computer parts or computer

Static electricity and power surges can shorten the life of your computers, computer parts, and electronics by frying the circuits, and electronic chips which are very easily damaged by static electricity, or power surges zapping them. It is a great idea to know how to properly store, and handle your computer parts, so they last longer, and how to prevent power surges from damaging your computers and electronics.

Anti-Static bags are great for storing electronics and computer electronic parts which are easily damaged by static electricity. Anti-Static bags are designed to prevent static from outside the bag from frying sensitive computer electronic parts like RAM/Memory, CPU Expansion cards like sound cards, network cards, etc.

When you buy computer parts like video cards, anti-static bags are used to protect the card from damage due to electrostatic-discharge, and dust.

However, you should also own an Anti-static mat, and wrist strap to protect your computer parts once you take them out of the anti-static bag since once you take the computer parts like RAM out of the bag for installation into your computer. The parts are not protected from static unless you are wearing an anti-static wrist strap and using an anti static mat.

For extra protection, you can also wear anti-static gloves to reduce of static shock to your computer parts via your finger tips.

You can also use anti-static spray to spray on carpet, and your work area to further reduce static build up.

It is also important to unplug your PC while you are working in it, and touch a metal part like your computer case, or PC power supply to ground yourself from static electricity. Also, avoid moving your feet too much when working on your computer. It is also important that your wall power outlets are properly grounded when your PC is ON since the ground plug gets rid of excessive electricity called power surges. It is also a good idea to buy a surge protected power strip with a rating of 600 Joules or more to protect your PC from power surges. It is a good idea to have a surge protector which also protects your TV Coax video cables, telephone, and network cables from power surges since power surges can come in from TV cables, telephone cables, and your PC network cables.

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