A friend of mine called me up because his computer was fried...almost literally. It turns out that something happened in the building which caused a huge surge throughout the building and fried his DVD, stereo, computer, and several other electronics devices. While I went to check out his PC, I spoke to some neighbors in the building, and they told the same story....

My friend told me that because of some laws or something, landlords rarely make improvements in buildings because they can't pass the cost on to the tenants, so they just let things stay as they are until.....your PC is fried.

Sooooooo, if you have expensive equipment (stereo, home theatre, computers, etc.), please do yourself a favor and make sure you have a REALLY GOOD surge suppressor, not just an extension cord with a single button to turn on/off all the devices. It should really be a serious surge suppressor, such as from APC, Belkn, Monster, Tripplite, etc. Look for the Surge Energy Rating, for starters. Many even have a guarantee up to $XXX if your equipment is damaged while attached to their device.

Spending $100 on 2-3 good surge suppressors is more less hassle than spending $3000-5000 to replace all electronics.