Scitech Magazine’s Abnormal Power Interruptions Volume VXIII, issue number 4

First, we have brownouts. Brownouts are "periods of how voltage in utility lines that can cause lights to dim and overtax equipment" (Scitech). For example, you are studying in your room and suddenly, the bulb starts to lose its light or, it flickered. You are already experiencing a brownout. The mag also says that brownouts will not damage the light bulbs but can cause overheating to motors and transformers due to frequent use. Now, let us go to sags. Sags, as what I’ve understood about it, sags eats the power that a particular machine – let’s say the computer, needs to have in order to function. Of course, if there’s insufficient power, the computer will not even start. (Sag is also brownout which is a drop in voltage in an electrical power supply ~Wiki)

And now, the second pair of power disturbances. It includes spikes, which means an "instantaneous, dramatic increase in voltage" and a surge which is a "short term increase in voltage." Pretty much like the other. Spikes occur when a nearby lightning strikes or when a local power company switched transformers. It can destroy components and is also called an impulse.

Surges can also destroy appliances like air conditioners and other household appliances Surges are created when appliances have been switched off and then the voltage or electricity they usually get goes to the other lines until it reaches some objects that doesn’t need extra volts. When that happens, it can cause burnouts to power supplies and components and can even shorten the life of a bulb.

Lastly, a blackout (taken from Scitech) is the total loss of utility power for more than one cycle. It causes darkness due to electrical failure. We may differentiate a blackout from a brownout by examining the lights. When the light from a bulb just lessen its brightness for some time and comes back again to its normal light, that is called a brownout (just like the sag example above about flickering light). And if there’s a total darkness, that’s a blackout. To summarize things up, there are 3 main events in a power disturbance which are brownouts and sags, spikes and surges and a blackout. If this will happen all the time, lots of money will be lost because almost everything is powered by electricity.

-DEC

NOTE: taken from my other blog and transfered here

article written way back highschool days. :p