Hisense shares tips on how to protect your electronics during loadshedding

Retail 2 July 2021

It seems that load shedding has staying power when we wish it wouldn’t. With it brings frustrations, work and life interruptions, while it also poses a risk to your appliances, costing you even more money.

Damage to electronics results from power surges, which are an increase in the voltage of an electrical circuit when the power is switched off then back on. While the voltage fluctuation is temporary, it can be strong enough to damage the components in your devices and appliances. The damage is made worse when there are frequent power outages.

Want to prevent damage to your appliances and devices? Here are some tips from Hisense, a leading global consumer electronics and home appliances company:

Unplug all your electronics

The best way to prevent damage is through prevention. When you know you are about to be load shed, unplug all your appliances and devices. Desktop computers are particularly vulnerable, so ensure you know the load shedding schedule, and shut them down and unplug them before the power goes off.

Get a UPS

A UPS (uninterrupted power supply) can provide backup power when your main power source is down. Depending on the size of the UPS battery size, it could supply power for minutes or hours, but you can use the time to either continue being productive or save files on your computer, before shutting it down and unplugging it.

Invest in surge protectors

A surge protector is an electrical appliance that protects your equipment against power surges. When electricity is restored after load shedding, a surge protector diverts any excess energy into its grounding wire.

You can buy plug adapters fitted with surge protectors, or get one for your DB board, which should be installed by an electrician.

Check your insurance

Check if your home insurance policy covers you for damage to your electronics as a result of power surges and if there are any specific limitations for more expensive electronics like laptops. This will ensure that if you do suffer any damage, you can claim and replace the damaged items.

If your insurance doesn’t allow this, it might be worthwhile getting more cover.

A friendly reminder… though you probably know this by now:

Charge your devices in advance so that you have enough power during load shedding
Get a power bank for your phone and tablet and ensure it’s fully charged before load shedding hits.
Get into the habit of saving files and documents you’re working on in case you’re unexpectedly load shed.

In addition, Hisense recommends that if you want to continue cooking without interruption, the Hisense Free Standing Gas Cooker is a sure way to keep the meals coming when there’s no power.