Most power quality problems begin right in the home or business. A spike (transient surge) may occur in the building's wiring when electric motors start.

Other problems may come from faulty wiring, loose connections, poor grounding and/or inadequate wire size. These conditions can cause voltage drops, momentary outages (blinks) or electrical noise.

Some of these problems come from outside the building. Lightning, vehicle-power pole accidents, trees and devices built into our system to prevent damage to equipment or injury to people sometime shut off the flow of electricity.

Power interruptions can cause data loss in computer systems. If you can't afford to lose the data, consider an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). UPS devices use electricity to charge a battery that cushions the computer from blinks. In case of an extended outage, the UPS gives the user enough time to save work and then correctly power down the computer.

Another simple step to prevent loss of large amounts of data is to save work from the volatile memory to disk every 15 to 30 minutes. When purchasing electronics, select models with battery or capacitor backup. This prevents time loss in case of blinks and interruptions.

Our power lines have lightning arrestors at frequent intervals. This is the first line of defense and works to lessen a catastrophic strike. At least two more levels of protection should be provided at the building.

The first step is to make sure the building's electrical system is properly grounded. If you're having Walton EMC install a large appliance motor protector, we can check and improve your ground to make sure it has enough conductivity to work with our device. Next, install a large appliance motor protector at the meter or service entrance panel.

The last step, which also protects against spikes, is a plug-in transient voltage surge suppressor (TVSS). Use a good TVSS on electronic equipment like television sets, stereo equipment, answering machines, computers and VCRs. Walton EMC, through our Real Protection program, carries a complete line of high-quality large appliance suppressors and plug-in TVSS.

Still, all this protection will not stop a direct lightning strike. Our Real Protection devices carry a $5,000 guarantee against damage to your equipment if lightning does get through.

The TVSS you choose should bear the words "Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor" or "TVSS." It should also have a UL Standard 1449 rating. Better units have a let-through voltage of 330 volts or less. Look for three stages of protection and 1 picosecond or less response time.

Other good features include three-line protection. noise rejection and damaged equipment replacement guarantees.