Surge Protectors

By Paul Bianchina

Power surges spell risky business for your sophisticated electronic equipment. Surge protectors make it easy to prevent damage to your electronic collection. They are readily available to the consumer, fairly inexpensive, simple to install and virtually maintenance free. You don’t have to fall victim to the next power surge when you can prevent any possible damage with a surge protector.

A surge protector is necessary to protect electronics against "dirty" electricity. Electrical power has a standard voltage for most residential uses of 120 volts, and it remains relatively steady. But when that power makes a sharp and brief jump for any of a variety of reasons, the resulting sudden alteration in voltage can seriously damage delicate circuits.

It doesn't take much to damage electronic circuits. A surge is defined as a voltage increase that lasts for as little as three nanoseconds (one nanosecond is one billionth of a second), and significant damage can be done in that miniscule amount of time if the voltage surge is strong enough. A spike - which lasts for only one or two nanoseconds - can also do its share of damage, especially when several spikes occur repeatedly over an extended period.

Voltage surges and spikes occur for a number of reasons. Perhaps the most common is the sudden jump in voltage that occurs when high-power appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners first start up. The appliances need quite a bit of electrical energy to activate compressors, and that sudden and sharp increase in flow through the lines will be felt by your electronics.

What to Look For

As with just about everything, there is a high end and a low end to surge protectors, and you typically get what you pay for. Low-end surge protection units offer very little protection, and the circuits in the protector are prone to quick failure.

For quality protection, the first thing you want to look for is a surge protector that is rated by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), which offers you the assurance that the unit has been tested and rated to meet certain standards. Any UL-listed product will be labeled as a "transient voltage surge protector," which means that it meets or exceeds a set of minimum standards.

Surge protector performance is rated three ways - clamping voltage, response time and energy absorption. The first, clamping voltage, tells you what level of voltage surge has to occur before the surge protector activates and diverts the excess voltage to ground. With this rating, the lower the voltage number is the better the surge protector will perform - it takes less of a surge to activate it. For good protection, especially for computers, look for a protector with a clamping voltage of less than 400 volts.

Response time is the amount of time it takes for the surge protector to respond to the surge. Obviously, a fast response time is important, so look for a unit that will respond in one nanosecond or less. Surge protectors are not made to last forever, so the third rating, energy absorption, indicates how much energy the unit will absorb before it fails. For this rating, look for a unit rated at 300 joules or better, up to around 600 joules for even better performance.

What to Protect

Plan on definitely providing surge protection for your computer, which is one of the most delicate and sensitive of all the electronics you own. Surge protection units are available that offer four to six protected outlets in one protection "center," which makes it easy and convenient to protect not only the computer but the printer, fax, external modem, scanner and other home office components. Many of these units also offer surge protection for one or more phone lines. Expect to pay around $30 to $50, depending on the level of protection.

A surge protection strip or center is also a very good idea for your home entertainment components - TV, VCR, stereo, etc. While not as delicate as computers, providing good surge protection will certainly help extend the useful life of any of these components. Entertainment center surge protectors may also contain protection for a phone line and a cable TV line, and typically cost a little less than the ones designed for computer protection.

Whole House Protection

A surge protector can also be installed in your electrical panel to offer protection for your home's entire electrical system. Whole-house surge protectors, which are installed directly behind the electrical meter, must be installed by your electrical utility. Costs vary by protection level and installation requirements, so contact your electric utility company for specific information.

« Previous