Being as the storms here in WV seem especially close to earth and the lightning strikes often around us, I unplug my machine every time I quit sewing. It is a small thing to do automatically versus chancing ruining my computerized machine. You never know when you go to bed if a big old storm is coming during the night. Just read the above and know just what she means as I had three expensive suppressors with modem protection since I moved here. All three took a hit and fried the modem part but saved my computer , so I had to replace each time to keep my modem from being destroyed. They now serve as great plug-in strips and I am now on wireless so no modem to protect any more.