I have always used BackUps brand uninterruptable power supplies with built in surge protection. ANYTHING plugged into them is guaranteed to I believe 20 grand. If not 20, then it's more. Do they work? Never had an issue except replacing their batteries every few years, which is to be expected. They protect against surges, brown outs and blackouts. This all makes your stuff last much longer. I have a CRT TV that's been plugged into a BackUps since it was new. Still works as good as the day I bought it and it's 24 years old.
Surge protector
This morning we had a power surge. First one I ever experienced. It knocked out the sub woofer components of my GoldenEar Triton one speakers. In my ignorance I had them plugged into the wall rather than a surge protector. Soooo it blew the amplifiers in the sub woofers. It’s going to be a costly proposition: $500 for the amplifiers plus God knows how much the dealer is going to charge for coming to my house. (He’s very reluctant to do it, wants me to lug the 80 lbs speakers to the store.
Meanwhile, I’m having to listen to bass-less speakers for the foreseeable future.
So, the moral of the story is plug everything into a surge protector.
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@rvpiano said:
@rvpiano Said:
Sounds like lightning was not involved. Surge was caused by the Power Company’s equipment. An SPD, in most cases, will protect from a utility transient spike. An SPD (Surge Protection Device) will not protect from an over voltage surge that lasts more than a few microseconds to a few milliseconds. They are not designed to. Video, Eaton- Surge Protection Video, Leviton Whole House Surge Protection. . Eaton Power Surge Protectors Explained. . The foundation for a good SPD to do its’ job as designed is a low resistance electrical service Grounding Electrode System. Therein a low resistance electrical service connection to Mother Earth. IEEE recommends 5 ohms or less.
FYI: Before you buy a Whole House Type 2 SPD that connects to the main electrical service panel, and or electrical sub panel, read the manufacturer’s warranty fine print. Many say must be purchased from an authorized dealer. Must be installed by a Licensed Electrician. Home owner must file an insurance claim with their home owner’s insurance company first. SPD manufacture pays the remainder, if any, up to the warranty specified limit. |
I absolutely believe in whole house surge suppression, however I also know that they are not enough, so I have to reply when I read:
The issue is clamping voltage and speed. Whole house suppressors let much more voltage than the best surge strips. They are meant to save your house wiring as much as your major appliances. I know from experience of losing a laptop that they don't do very well for sensitive electronics. |
I want to point out something about the old Tripp Lite Isobar units. I have at least 3 of them running around my home. The one feature they lack is that they don't turn off when protection is spent, but the newer Tripp Lite models often do. Check the Wirecutter article quoted above for specifics because it's one feature they list. |
- 165 posts total