9 things you should know about surge protectors

[Borg 386]

Whether you're just looking to add more outlets, or want to add a layer of protection between your gear and the outside world, you'll eventually want to buy a surge protector.

With an incredible range of prices and features, not to mention a barrage of questionable marketing promises, it's hard to figure out what's worth the money, and what's nonsense.

To help you sort through it all, here are nine things you should know about surge protectors.

9 things you should know about surge protectors - CNET

 

[margrave]

That article is mostly blather-loaded crud. I'll comment only on the last sentence:
Since most surge protectors are cheap, they're worth getting just in case.

That's plain silly. Many of the surge-protector strips are worth no more than a regular power strip. Sure, you're not wasting much money if you pay $5 for one of those. But don't fool yourself into thinking it offers protection.

Furthermore, it's not likely you need protection at all. Surges are common, but equipment can easily handle them.

If you want real protection against real threats, buy a rider on your homeowner's (or renter's) insurance policy. For little more than the price of a "surge protector" you entire home can be properly insured. It's only a few dollars a year.

Why is such a rider so cheap? It's because the insurance companies know that surge-related damage is rare. Very rare. A fact that "surge protector" makers work so hard to dispel.

 

[Layback Bear]

I use surge protectors on all my computer and what ever is plugged into them.
I can't prove they work and I also can't prove they don't work.

I can't even think about trying to prove to a insurance adjuster that a power surge destroyed you computer system. How would you prove it. That is why the insurance is so cheap. Because the insurance companies know you can't prove it. So they aren't going to pay and they know they are not going to pay.

So your choice is to trust a surge protector or a insurance company. Or you can use both if your paranoid like me.

 

[tjg79]

I don't think surge protectors offer much protection. I use a Smart-UPS (1500VA), because of power failures. I was surprised when I viewed the Smart-UPS management software and saw that it logged 20 plus power failures a month. I didn't realize it was that many. I live in the suburbs of Washington, DC., so it's not like I live in the sticks with a flakey rural power utility. Imagine the issues you'd develop if you pulled the plug from the wall twenty times while the system was running. The power failures all occurred during the weekdays around midday. In addition to protection from power failures, a Smart-UPS offers superior power surge protection over those power strip surge protectors.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

That article is mostly blather-loaded crud. I'll comment only on the last sentence:
Since most surge protectors are cheap, they're worth getting just in case.

That's plain silly. Many of the surge-protector strips are worth no more than a regular power strip. Sure, you're not wasting much money if you pay $5 for one of those. But don't fool yourself into thinking it offers protection.

Furthermore, it's not likely you need protection at all. Surges are common, but equipment can easily handle them.

If you want real protection against real threats, buy a rider on your homeowner's (or renter's) insurance policy. For little more than the price of a "surge protector" you entire home can be properly insured. It's only a few dollars a year.

Why is such a rider so cheap? It's because the insurance companies know that surge-related damage is rare. Very rare. A fact that "surge protector" makers work so hard to dispel.

Frankly, much of your post is "blather-loaded crud". I found the article to be quite accurate.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I don't think surge protectors offer much protection. I use a Smart-UPS (1500VA), because of power failures. I was surprised when I viewed the Smart-UPS management software and saw that it logged 20 plus power failures a month. I didn't realize it was that many. I live in the suburbs of Washington, DC., so it's not like I live in the sticks with a flakey rural power utility. Imagine the issues you'd develop if you pulled the plug from the wall twenty times while the system was running. The power failures all occurred during the weekdays around midday. In addition to protection from power failures, a Smart-UPS offers superior power surge protection over those power strip surge protectors.

With surge strips, as with almost everything else, you generally get what you pay for (brands with inflated prices, such as Monster being the exception). By a cheap surge strip and, for all practical purpose, all your going to get is an outlet strip; basically an over glorified cube tap.

Surges and spikes can, and do, cause damage to equipment. Prevention of damage is much better than trying to replace things with insurance. Insurance is for severe disasters, such has direct hits from lightning, for which there is no protection other than disconnecting all appliances, etc. from the power.

A good UPS will have good surge and spike protection and will also protect from low and high voltage conditions as well as from power outages. However, a low quality UPS can (and probably) provide less protection than a good surge strip.

 

[Outlander]

I thought it was a little light.....It's all about the Joules...seriously? It's about clamping voltage. You can have a million joules but if your clamping voltage is much above 250 your probably fried........

 

[jgiels]

Its all about Joules and what the state of the switching power supply is in. Voltage hits are effectively blocked by a switching power supply found in our power supplies. Though when there is a hit spike or surge while the power supply and its filtering caps are in a low state then the hit rides into the computer. Though often these hits are small its long tern effect on system ic's is like a small pick hacking away at the ic. Surge protectors most often use MOV devices and are sacrificial by design. That being said you also get what you pay for. I use a whole house surge protector on my main sub panel made by Intermatic its something around $100. There are more companies that sell them also. I feel something that will protect even the fridge and microwave. It seems everything uses electronic components.

My background is that of a computer powers systems specialist with large frame systems. Which we used Delta Wye tap switching transformers for voltage adjustment. These system would sense a low voltage state within one cycle and adjust tap within the next cycle. Switching at zero current.

Douglas