Brief spikes of power, more commonly known as power surges, can cause permanent damage to most electronic equipment like computers, televisions, fax machines, etc. that contain microprocessors and sensitive electronic components. A power surge, or transient voltage, is an increase in voltage significantly above the designated level in a flow of electricity. In a normal household and office in the United States, the wiring has a standard voltage of 120 volts. If the voltage rises above 120 volts a surge suppressor helps prevent the problem from destroying electronic equipment.
The most familiar power surge source is lightning, though it’s actually one of the least common causes. A more common cause of power surges is the operation of high power electrical devices such as air conditioners and refrigerators. These require a lot of energy to switch on and off components like motors and compressors. This switching creates sudden, but brief demands for power, which upset the steady flow of electrical current in the system. While these surges are not as intense as lightning surges, they can be severe enough to damaged electronic components immediately or gradually.
Electronic equipment functions properly when it receives a stable current at the right voltage. That is the surge suppressor’s job, not to allow too much electricity get to the electronic equipment. One problem though, a surge protector can burn out with one good surge. It is important to get a surge protector with an “indicator light” that tells you whether or not it is functioning properly.
Even if you connect surge protectors to all of your outlets, your equipment might be exposed to damaging surges from other sources. Telephone and cable lines can also conduct high voltage; for full protection, you should guard against these surges also. If your computer is connected to the telephone line via a modem, you should get a surge protector that has a telephone line input jack. The same is true if you have a coaxial line hooked up to expensive equipment, like your TV. Make certain your surge protector is plugged into a grounded, 3 wire outlet. The surge suppression capability for power, telephone and cable TV all depend on the grounded power system for proper operation.
There are three basic levels of surge protectors: A basic power strip, surge stations or strips, and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). An ordinary UPS will give you a high level of protection, but you should still plug the UPS into a surge protector. A UPS will stop most surges from reaching your equipment, but it might suffer severe damage. A surge protector connected between the outlet and the UPS will protect your UPS.
Price alone will not tell you how good a surge protector is. As a general rule, less expensive surge protectors or power strips won't offer as much protection as the more expensive ones.
Higher price doesn’t necessarily mean you will get the protection that you want. Next, check out the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) ratings. When reading the UL label look for three different ratings:
- Clamping voltage—this tells you what voltage will cause the surge protector to kick out. There are three levels of protection—330V, 400V, & 500V. Generally a clamping voltage of 400V is too high.
- Energy absorption/dissipation—this rating, given in joules, tells you how much energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. A higher number indicates greater protection. Look for a protector rated at least 200 to 400 joules protection; a rating of 600 joules or more is better.
- Response time—Surge suppressors don’t kick in immediately; there is a very slight delay as they respond to a power surge. A longer response time tells you that your equipment will be exposed to the surge for a greater length of time. Look for a surge suppressor that responds in less than a nanosecond.
Good surge protection is necessary to protect your valuable electronic equipment. Take your time and check the surge protectors to make sure they will offer the protection you need.
