As the temperature rises and summer starts to lead to BBQs and beach parties, we once again brace ourselves for power issues and brownouts and god forbid rolling blackouts.

For anyone who runs a NOC as we do, full of servers all generating heat and needing dedicated cooling and power conditioning. This is the time of year for action.

Testing your back up UPS battery systems, replacing batteries and units where needed, testing backup generators, and scheduling all your HVAC and generator maintenance.

And going over your strategies for power outages and continuity of service plans. Now is the time.

But what about the end users? People may not be aware that they often shorten the life of their computers and electronics buy not performing small checks and maintenance.

Does your Tivo have enough airflow where you have it to keep it cool? Does your PC on your floor under your desk have clear paths for air to flow? Is the power supply fan clogged with dust? To sometimes simply making sure that the comforter on your bed is not covering up the vents on your laptop when you are relaxing and surfing the net.

Electronics are very sensitive to their environment. Too much moisture or too much heat can make a very expensive purchase last years less than it should. Make sure they have room to breathe and are free of dust and they will last longer and give you your money's worth.

Home Uninterruptable Power supplies are now relatively cheap and are really a great idea. Your new 50 Inch plasma TV has no built in protection from a power drop or surge which can damage the electronics inside and will not be covered under warranty. Same with your new Dell Computer or iMac.  At very minimum a power strip with a surge protector is important to use with any of today’s electronics.

APC and Tripp-lite make affordable home UPS units from $199 and less.

http://blogs.msdn.com/mjeelani/archive/2004/12/07/275921.aspx