Why a broken power supply doesn’t mean you equipment is dead ?

As society becomes more environmentally aware and the ‘green’ message is driven home, consumers are starting to think a little more about their previous ‘throw away’ attitude to electrical goods, especially when things go wrong. Rather than sending a piece of electrical equipment to landfill just because the power supply fails, the new message is replace, renew, and wherever possible, recycle.

Replacement power supplies are cheaper and easier to use than you might think. If your electrical goods are covered by a warrantee, then the manufacturer will usually replace any faulty or broken power supplies. However, if your equipment is not covered by a warrantee then a replacement power supply from the manufacturer may be expensive. It can often be cheaper to purchase a replacement from a specialist power supply outlet.

When looking for a replacement power supply, the most important thing to consider is the VA rating, although the wattage of the equipment you are using is also a key factor. Both Watt and VA ratings have a use and purpose. The Watt rating determines the actual power purchased from the electricity department and the heat loading generated by the equipment. The VA rating is used for sizing wiring and circuit breakers.

In computer equipment, the Watt and VA ratings can differ significantly, with the VA rating always being equal to or larger than the Watt rating. The ratio of the Watt to VA rating is called the Power Factor and is expressed either as a number (i.e. 0.7) or a percentage (i.e. 70%).

To avoid any damage to a power supply, it is best to over-estimate the VA rating by between 15-20%. This means that the power supply you purchase will not have to work at its maximum to power the equipment, and so prevent it from overheating or burning out quickly. By working out your equipment’s power supply requirements and adding that extra 15-10%, you are giving yourself a ‘safety zone’ which could prevent further (potentially expensive) damage.

Which replacement power supply to choose depends on the purpose it is designed for and the equipment you are using. It is always advisable to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and if you’re unsure, to get expert guidance. A good power supply for computers must supply a steady, reliable source of power to every other component in the system, and it must do so without making too much heat or noise. If the power supply is incapable of providing the power needed, data corruption and possibly physical component damage could cause major damage to the sensitive parts of your computer.

A power supply's main connection is with the motherboard, and there are now two main standards for desktop computers. Older and motherboards use the 20-pin ATX connector. Newer motherboards use the 24-pin ATX connector. Before you choose a replacement power supply, make sure you know the specifications of your system and that you select a power supply with the right ATX connector.

Desktop or enclosed power supplies are an alternative to internal models in that they are designed to offer a universal power supply system to power computers, general electronics, automation, gaming machines and other small equipment. These are usually 100W enclosed type switching power supplies and can cope with international variations in input voltage. As with other power supplies, the most important thing to check is that it is compatible with the equipment you want to use.