What is the correct way to protect a computer from power serges using a powerbar?

Question

This is very basic, but the family is argueing about the correct way to use the powerbar into which the computer is plugged. The toggle switch on the powerbar is turned to the "on" or lit position. When we go away for several days, should we leave the switch in this position, or, thinking about energy saving and the environment, should we turn the toggle switch to the off or unlit position?

Supplementary, which position is it that actually protects the computer from power serges?

Answer 1

You will need a powerstrip with an actual surge protector. There are different jewel ratings for these. The higher the better.

If you are leaving town. You should unplug computers from the wall. Lightning can still possibly tear through any surge protector.

I hope this helps

Answer 2

The best way to avoid any power surge would be to unplug it from the wall. As for energy conservation - if your computer is off, and your monitor is off, etc - then no power will be used. (However, most computers if they are plugged in maintain a minimal amount less than .1W of energy just being plugged in).
As for the protection - yes, make sure it is actually labeled a "Surge Proctector" and not just "power strip" or "powerbar". Some of these are nothing more than a fancy extension cord.
Tripplite makes a fantastic product, Belkin is pretty good as well. Most important factor is the "jewel" rating given to the Surge Protector. The higher the rating, the more 'juice' it can absorb. A good rule of thumb is find a surge protector which offers you a "$$$ Guarantee" ... generally speaking if a company is going to back up thier product by offering you $25,000 should your equipment be damaged by a surge - it's at least likely that they put at least a little care into building thier product.

The surge protector aside, the UPS (or Battery Backup) solution is the best way to go. The prices are dropping quite readily on these guys and offer a much much higher level of protection.
The great thing about a UPS is that it acts as a Power Conditioner as well as a Surge Protector. Your equipment is designed to run at 110V (if in US). The UPS will maintain that should the power dip to lower or spike to higher. Quite often the power will just flicker for a quick second -- that can kill your equipment instantly (why a surge protector in the first place). What is nice abou the UPS is that should the power just flicker, instead of your computer instantly shutting off, it will stay on. This protects it from the power surge as well as any data lose from the computer just shutting off in the middle of what you were doing.

Answer 3

When leaving a computer for a few days, you should turn the power switch "off". This breaks the circuit from the power source and protects your equipment from power surges.

The best protection would be to use a "UPS" or Uninterrupted Power Supply. Sometimes called a battery. These units actually stand between your computer and the power source. They also give the operator of the computer a sufficient amount of time to save all work and shut down correctly in the case of a power outage.

Answer 4

The switch being on or off has nothing to do with the surge supression. First you need to make sure your strip has a surge supressor and is not just a splitter. If your strip has surge suppression, there will be a reset button, which you push whenever the built in circuit breaker trips.

If the switch is off, there should be no electricity getting to your electronics. Surge suppressors are designed to stop electrical surges while the electronics are in use. So turning the switch off defeats that purpose.