Surge Protectors-What To Look For

When it comes to surge protection we must clarify one issue first. Is there a difference between a surge protector or Surge Suppressor. No, they are one and the same. Surge Suppressor terminology is used more in technical circles.

A surge protector, if it does it job correctly will suppress power surges to a level that the connected equipment is protected.

Things to consider when looking for a surge protector.

Clamping voltage-A lower clamping voltage indicates better protection. There are three levels of protection in the UL rating- 330 V, 400 V and 500 V. In most cases, 400 V is too high to protect your consumer electronics.

Energy absorption/dissipation - This rating is given in joules. This is an important factor to look at because this tell you how much energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. Thus, the higher number indicates greater protection. You should have at least a rating of 400 joules. For greater protection 1000+.

Response time - All surge protectors have a small delay in response time. A longer response time simply means that your computer or other equipment can be exposed to a surge for a greater length of time. Thus, it's important that your surge protector can respond in less than one nanosecond for greater protection.

Indicator Light - This tells you that the surge protector is function. Simply translated, if the indicator light is not working on your surge protector, your surge protector is probably toast.

As you may be aware, most of the damaging power surges come through your information lines. Such as: phone, DSL or cable connection, rather than the power lines. But this is where the surprise may come.

These power surges can ruin your electronic equipment. Such as:

answering machine
computer
VCR
Tivo
HDTV or any TV for that matter (I became aware of this after a lightning strike arced from my neighbor's house, taking out his TV then ours years ago.) So yes, protect your TV.
Monitor
Printer

Radio Frequency Interference- can cause distortion or hissing in audio playback and streaming. But you can also get a surge protector that can protect your equipment, enhance your picture and sound quality.

In many cases, you are aware of the usual things, but in many cases, you don't think about your entertainment equipment. For me, the rule of thumb is very simple. Anything that is expensive to replace to be protected by a power surge protector.

Warranty

Be sure and check out the warranty before purchasing. Knowing that the company will back their product can be reassuring. In this case, if the surge protector did it job and it is now not working, well, it's time to buy another surge protector.

However, if you purchased the surge protector and it's not working, or the surge protector does not protect your equipment when a surge happened, then it's time to utilize the warranty given by the company.

Outlet Multiplier

I decided to include this important mention. An outlet multiplier will not and cannot protect you against power surges. Protection against power surges is not the purpose of an outlet multiplier.

It's purpose is simple, but needed. The outlet multiplier gives you extra plug-in opportunities.

Conserve Surge Protector

For those looking for a way to conserve energy, while protecting your electronic devices, look at the "switchable" surge protector.

Even though, a lot of the electronic manufacturers are cutting down on the amount of standby power their devices require, the expense of electricity is still not cheap. So how can you save. The conserve surge protector is the answer to your problem.

A conserve surge protector looks similar to a standard power strip, however, it comes with capabilities that are electronically smarter. The surge protector will have both "switchable outlets" that are controlled by a single remote switch and several "always on" outlets. This is how the outlets will work:

The switchable outlets will be controlled by a remote switch. Thus, when you turn the remote switch to the off position, all devices will power down.

The "always on" outlets are for devices that always need to have constant flow of energy, such as modems, DVRs, etc. Thus, these devices will always remain powered up, even though you powered down the switchable outlet.

If you're looking for a way to conserve energy while protecting your electronics from energy surges, the conserve surge protector may be your answer.

Return to Tech Accessories