Loadshedding and the effect it has on electronic equipment.

[Picard]

What is the effect? Can someone please share some knowledge and experiences.

And also some helpful advice.

EDIT:

Basically what I'm trying to find out is, if it helps to switch off electronic equipment before the power goes off.

Or if it only helps to switch off the power switches before the power comes back on again.

I understand that when the power comes back on again it is often accompanied with a power spike that can damage your equipment.

I have lost a router and a monitor earlier this year directly after the power came back on.

 

[biometrics]

I switch off the plug circuits on the db after it goes off and leave the lights on.

 

[savage]

Or if it only helps to switch off the power switches before the power comes back on again.

I understand that when the power comes back on again it is often accompanied with a power spike that can damage your equipment.

That yes. There is no problem with the power going off. The issue is when the power comes back on and there's a surge. It's even more serious if Eskom switches on, and the power comes through and then trips again at Eskom. They then switch on a second or third time.

This is all due to power surges, and that is what the equipment does not like. I've lost some rather big, expensive power supplies and equipment.

Nothing you can do about that unless 1) you install surge protection in your DB (with varying results - I loose equipment even with Class I & II surge protection), or like others said 2) Switch off at your DB, and only switch back on (one circuit at a time) once the power has returned from Eskom, and STABILIZED

 

[Segg]

I switch off the plug circuits on the db after it goes off and leave the lights on.

+1

But I also leave all sensitive electronics (Mostly home theater stuff) turned off at the plug when they're not used (I don't use them too often) and they don't get used whenever there is load shedding, regardless of the schedule. I've had some pretty big surges as other areas get knocked or come back (Noticeable from lights flickering, and UPS's freaking out)

The worst I saw was 2 weekends ago in the free state, power went on and off every 3 seconds, eventually it was out for 5 minutes, but after the second flicker I jumped up to switch off the main breaker and wait till the neighbors lights stayed on

 

[supersunbird]

I switch my PC off when I leave for work (its on a UPS anyway) and the router and switch is on a UPS.

When I am home during loadshedding I switch the plug sockets off at the DB, until 5 minutes after load returns.

 

[upup]

Someone at work installed something at home, and notice high unstable voltage during load-shedding, some genny causing havoc, and feeding back into the system.

 

[BigEars]

I switch my PC off when I leave for work (its on a UPS anyway) and the router and switch is on a UPS.

When I am home during loadshedding I switch the plug sockets off at the DB, until 5 minutes after load returns.

Wise move. ESKOM with constant rolling blackouts is making local substations work way too hard.
They were not designed to do that. The breakers in the substations arc after enough on/off cycles..
The spikes come from that. They were not made to be used as on/off switches. For emergency only.....
But hey, they did not think of that, again. The stupidity boggles the mind.

So expect a cascading effect when substation's start failing soon...that is not a Municipalities fault...they are following orders from ESKOM......

 

[savage]

Someone at work installed something at home, and notice high unstable voltage during load-shedding, some genny causing havoc, and feeding back into the system.

Precisely why not any tom, d!ck, and harry should be connecting these things More than likely started his genny and forgot to kill his mains switch. Hopefully the power came back on with his genny still running - the overload would have been a good experience for him.

 

[Alton Turner Blackwood]

Wise move. ESKOM with constant rolling blackouts is making local substations work way too hard.
They were not designed to do that. The breakers in the substations arc after enough on/off cycles..
The spikes come from that. They were not made to be used as on/off switches. For emergency only.....
But hey, they did not think of that, again. The stupidity boggles the mind.

So expect a cascading effect when substation's start failing soon...that is not a Municipalities fault...they are following orders from ESKOM......

Errr, let me break this down so that I can understand what you're saying;

You'd rather risk a total collapse of the grid than to have to replace an already ailing substation? I'm saying ailing because these things are designed to handle hundreds of MVA's. If a few of them are failing then its highly likely that its due to age.