Most of the electrical appliances we have in our homes today will not be harmed due to sudden loss of power. Our main fuse box on the side of the house prevents power surges from getting past the junction box. Most of the time, the worst thing that will happen, is the power switch at the fuse box will shut off. Again, preventing any surge of electricity from entering the house and causing damage. The computer is the most sensitive item in the house that could easily be damaged due to a power outage in the home. My best recommendation is to purchase an APC UPS Battery Backup system. APC (American Power Conversions) have been around for years. I’ve never seen a computer fry when attached to one of these… I’m not talking about a little power strip. No, I mean a two to three hundred dollar APC, Back-UPS or Smart-UPS for a server. Spend the money; you won’t go wrong and your computer equipment will be protected. If lightning strikes near your home and the lights in any given neighborhood instantly go off, it would be a good idea to turn your computer off or any other appliance you are using, turn them all off as quickly as possible. Why? When a power surge happens, it can be more harmful than sudden power loss. This usually occurs when the power comes back on. That surge protector on your computer will protect it from losing its mind and frying the motherboard on you. Or worse, your hard drive. Better safe than sorry. We tend to take electricity for granted. Many believe they can install additional power switches where we can plug even more items into one switch. Too many appliances that draw from a single plug can also cause a surge. Our lights may dim when someone is using a drill in the garage; or when any appliance is turned on. We call this a brown out and this can be worse than sudden loss of power as well. Especially for the computer motherboard and hard drive. Dimming lights is not a good thing, unless you have a light plug that dims the overhead lights, but this is not the same as power surges. It means power is being pulled away from other appliances within your home. Power is normally stable and constant, and when you notice your lights dimming you need to find out why. In many instances, you should probably call an electrician. He can find out the cause, and correct it for you. It would be well worth paying him for his time and expertise because that is where fires start in homes, and usually at night. If you’re in doubt, the very least you should do is to install a surge protector on all appliances. Usually you can use one protector for several appliances, like your laptop computer, printer, desk top computer, monitor, and keyboard. Plug in your cell phones when in use, and unplug them after they’ve been charged. Click Here to Start Your Search for a Pre-Screened & Approved San Diego Electrician