AC electric is a "noisy" signal with many variations.
- Blackout (total loss)
- Brownout (a brief decrease in V level. SAG). Demand greater than supply can decrease the voltage available to some devices.
- Noise (disruption of the signal) - lightning, RFI, industrial equipment etc can introduce noises into the line.
- Spike (very brief increase in V) Lightning, also first return of power after a blackout.
- Surge (longer duration) Extra V is dissipated through the circuit after high-demand devices are turned off.
Power conditioning (assuring high quality AC signal)
- Surge protectors - no protection against noise, brownouts or blackouts
- Battery Backup/UPS- battery power converted by an inverter and supplied to the device. APC PowerChute software; Standby UPS; Continuous UPS; voltage regulators
- Generators - home generators generally produce a very noisy and inconsistent AC signal - not good for electronic devices. There are computer-grade generators.
