10 SIGNS A POWER SURGE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRONICS

Here are 10 signs that a power surge can damage electronics:

10 SIGNS A POWER SURGE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRONICS

1. Unexplained resetting or rebooting of devices: If electronics like computers, televisions, or other devices suddenly reset or reboot without any input from the user, it could indicate a power surge event that overloaded or damaged internal components. The surge may have corrupted files, disrupted normal startup processes, or overwhelmed protection circuits leading the device to force a restart.

2. Failure to power on: A failed power supply is a common symptom of surge damage. Power surges that overload transformer circuits or surge protection elements can render power supplies inoperable. This prevents any power from reaching internal boards and components, causing the device to not turn on at all.

3. Strange sounds or smells: Listen and sniff around electronics for signs of abnormal operation after a storm. A burnt electronics smell or crackling/ buzzing noises could signal physical damage from overvoltage or overcurrent events. Components may have melted insulation, come loose from solder joints, or failed short circuit.

4. Flickering or inconsistent backlight: Surge voltages can degrade or burn out LED and LCD backlight circuitry over time. This may cause uneven or fluctuating brightness, premature dimming, light leakage, or entire backlight failure. Touchscreen or display layers are also at risk if overvoltages reach control ICs. 

5. Intermittent or inconsistent Wi-Fi: Surge damage throughout a home network or inside a router could disrupt wireless signals sporadically. Components controlling radio bandwidth or signal levels may function intermittently or incorrectly after exposure to transient voltage spikes. Loss of wireless range, throughput, or connection stability may occur.

6. External physical damage: While surges often cause invisible internal component failure, in some cases their energy discharge may leave external marks. Look for burn marks, cracks, or deformation/melting of plastic casings that could point to an overvoltage incident severe enough to arc or explode through enclosures. 

7. Problems with specific ports: Surges can target individual data or power ports. Issues only occurring when using certain USB, Ethernet, HDMI, or charging outlets suggests localized damage. Signal loss, charging failure, video glitches, or recognition problems on input endpoints are signs of port circuit degradation.

8. Storage corruption or data errors: Files may become corrupted, memory modules fail testing, or file systems damaged from surges that disrupt memory chips, SSD/HDD controllers, or data buses. Data recovery services may help retrieve files in some cases of surge-induced storage failure or corruption. 

9. Early component failure: Though service lives vary, components failing much sooner than expected, through repeated or catastrophic failure, hints at underlying surge stress. Electronics may still function for a time but internal damage means a reduced usable lifespan before complete breakdown occurs.

10. Sudden sensitivity to environmental changes: Electronics that worked fine previously may now shut off, malfunction or act abnormally in response to temperature shifts, humidity changes, vibrations or minor physical bumps. Internal surge damage has weakened operational tolerances and stability margins, leading to new failure modes triggered by typical real-world conditions.

Power surges put tremendous stress on electronic components and circuits beyond their design limits. While protection devices help reduce risks, damage is still possible during severe storms. Be on the lookout for any abnormal operation or premature failures in costly electronics as signs repair or replacement may be needed. An uninterruptable power supply (UPS) can provide whole-home surge suppression to help prevent future surge losses.