Dedicated lines/surge protectors?

Subaru,
Glad to hear! Out here on the edge of the Rockies in Montana, we get some pretty fantastic lighting storms. It's not uncommon to lose power for an hour or so 5-6 times a summer. And since Bob Gagnon sold out Montana Power and Touch America to walk away with millions, a lot of the "juice" goes to other states.
Any way, I will talk to the power company about installing a surge protector at the new 100 amp sub-panel on the garage.
Joe
joeb

In addition to a Joslyn gas-tube-discharge primary arrestor providing whole house transient protection, I include an MOV (metal oxide varistor = model GEV130LA20B) wired in parallel across every AC outlet that I want to protect. I understand that AC outlets are now even available with MOV protectors built into them. This type of cascaded approach provides better protection than relying on any single device to dissipate all of the excess incoming energy that comprises a lightning hit, or even a large incoming voltage surge via upline grid switchgear. This cascading protection scheme is further augmented by the MOV's that are contained in my line conditioners (I use two conditioners - one for low current source components & one for high current amps). Just as dressing yourself in layers of clothing for better protection before exposure to cold temperatures, layers of transient protection provides better performance than having to rely on any single one method.

I have a dumb question that I thought would be fun to toss out here in this forum. I am looking at buying a house, yep, old and comes with problems, one of which I am about to tell you about. This places has some seriously funky electricity issues. During the inspection the lights kept flickering and finaly I paid attention to the light before and after. The damned place gets brighter After a moter (fridge, swamp cooler, etc.) kicks on. So I had the local yokal electric boy go check it out. He found a 20 volt up spike in the current. The stereo and computer should love this. He thought it was coming from Utah Pilige and loots lines and not with in the house.

For the sake of argument, lets assume that I don't muster an act of God and get the slugs at the Power company to fix this. Any good hard data on surge protectors or power conditioners that could handle this kind of a beating as a way of life?

Yes, I could find another house but they either ugly little boxes or so far away from work that may not be a viable issue. In that case I just get to take Utah Pilige and loot by myself.

Thanks for reading that much gibberish.

Bob,
What is your source for the GEV130LA20B? Was this one picked for sonics or because of reliable protection; or both?

I'm currently running my amp directly into the wall, and everything else through a cheap computer surge strip; but have been considering perhaps the JR/DIYCable or Vansevers conditioner/surge protection. It sounds like another option would be to add a device at the panel, a MOV to the outlet at the wall, and then just building a junction box with quality outlets. I don't know which option would sound best, but either would surely be an improvement over what I'm using now.

Hi Joe. It's true that power companies will rent you a whole house surge protector, and provide $10,000 for damages. But what if your system is worth more than that? Silly question at this forum. I would recommend a surge protector from a reputable company such as ZeroSurge. It is more cost efficient to get their box with four surge protectors: one for each dedicated line. One surge protector runs about $200, whereas a box with four is around $500. Getting protection from ZeroSerge and the power company will really give you peace of mind.