• Scanners
• Laser printers
• Photocopiers
• Computers
• Fax machines
• Servers

These electronic items are highly sensitive. Their operation can be affected if anything disrupts the electrical current powering your office. Your computer might shut down unexpectedly or you suddenly lose data. Your fax machine malfunctions. Or lights flicker. These can all be signs of power quality problems. In fact, any distortion of electricity that damages an electrical device, or causes it to malfunction, is considered a power quality problem.

What causes spikes, surges and other power quality problems? The answers can be complex. Sometimes, they happen when a storm knocks a tree onto a power line or if PGE’s distribution equipment fails. But in many cases, the answer can be found in your own office. The culprit may be the wiring in your building, interconnected office equipment or the electrical connections powering the elevators or heating and cooling systems.