 | ||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Test For Quality Power
A quick power survey to assess your risk to power problems... |
| The column at the right lists scores for each of the power problems discussed. Add your total score to find out how much at risk you are. |
| More than 150: High Risk From 100 to 150: Above Average Risk Less than 100: Average Risk |
| 1. Experience with power problems Short of actually monitoring the power, experience is the best way to determine the frequency and magnitude of perceptible power problems at your site. | ... | . | ... | Power problem experience Chronic (>12 per year)....50 Frequent (>4 per year)....20 Infrequent (<4 per year)....10 |
| 2. Experience with mysterious problems Have you experienced data loss, file corruption or breaks in data transmission for no apparent reason? Does your computer experience mysterious reboots or lockups? Does your printer suddenly refuse to print? Do you have higher than expected hardware failure rates? If you are experiencing any of these problems or other intermittent problems, there is a very high probability that "dirty power" is the cause. | Mysterious problem experience Any intermittent problems....50 | |||
|
3. Importance of application to your business How much does system downtime cost you? How critical are your computer or LAN applications to your business? How many users become non-productive when your computer or electronic systems go down? | Application importance Mision Critical (business affected)....50 Critical (>10 users affected)....20 Essential (>5 users affected)....10 Important (<5 users afffected)....5 | |||
|
4. Office equipment, elevators and coffee pots Typically, 50% to 80% of all power problems are generated within your own building (Source: Electric Power Research Institute and others). The starting, stopping and noise generation of other on-site electrical loads such as elevators, air conditioners, fluorescent lights, copiers, laser printers and even coffee pots can cause system downtime, data loss and equipment wear. For example, something as innocent as a coffee pot can scramble data on a nearby PC when its heater cycles on or off. | Electrical equipment in proximity Elevators / electric motors....30 Air conditioners / air ionizers....30 Copiers / laser printers....20 | |||
|
5. Proximity to industrial plants Large electrical motors, arc welders and other heavy manufacturing equipment at nearby industrial plants generate swells, brownouts, surges and line noise that raise havoc with electronic equipment. | Industrial plants in proximity Arc welders....30 Heavy machinery / electric motors....20 | |||
|
6. Building age Although adherence to National Electrical Code ensures safety, it does not promise your electronic equipment will function properly. The age of a building is a good indication of whether the electrical wiring of the building can handle the demanding power requirements of LANs and other electronic equipment. | Building age Over 15 years....30 Over 5 years....10 Under 5 years....5 | |||
|
7. New microprocessor technology Typically, the newer the technology, the more sensitive a device is to power disturbances. As integrated circuit (IC) chip geometries get smaller, even smaller voltage fluctuations and line noise can cause data loss or damage to today's tiny, fragile ICs. PCs and other electronic devices are also becoming more sensitive to power problems as microprocessor clock frequencies increase. | Microprocessor technology Pentium / RISC....30 Intel 486....10 Intel 386 or earlier....5 | |||
|
8. Power Line Type and Length Compared to underground power lines, utility lines on poles are more exposed to power problems caused by lightning, wind, auto accidents, tree limbs, etc. (see "Causes of Power Outages" pie chart). Also, the longer the distance the electricity has to travel along the power line to your site, the more it is exposed to hazards and other disturbances | Power line type and length Above ground power lines....20 Over 200 miles to power plant....10 Under 200 miles to power plant....5 | |||
9. Bad Weather
The average number of annual thunderstorm days (if you're located in the U.S., refer to map at left) indicates your area's exposure to surges, blackouts and brownouts due to weather. Contrary to common belief, a direct lightning hit is not required to generate surges—a nearby strike can also cause surge damage.
| Bad weather (# of thunderstorm days per year) Over 30 days....30 Over 20 days....10 Under 20 days....5 | |||
10. Utility Demand Exceeds Supply
Like many areas in the world, the United States no longer has sufficient power capacity to meet the demand (see "U.S. Projected Utility Capacity" map). As demand exceeds supply, power quality suffers and utility scheduled "rolling brownouts" become a fact of life.
| Utility demand (% of capacity shortage) More than 10% shortage....30 More than 4% shortage....10 Less than 4% shortage....5 |
