Shopping Tips For Buying A Surge Protector

The thing people overlook or just don't know is that their home stereo system, personal computer, plasma television, DVD player, air conditioner and anything else with internal electronic components is susceptible to power surges and each requires a surge protector to prevent any damage to those components. The bad thing is you wouldn't know your equipment is being damaged as power surges are undetectable, until it's too late.

A power surge is a extremely punctuated spike in the current running through your electrical wiring. These spikes last from only a few milliseconds up to a couple of seconds and unless you have a surge protector acting as a buffer, then your electrical appliances are at risk. A surge in power needs something to ground to. When you don't have surge protection your equipment becomes the grounding element. This will burn up the delicate components within the electronic device.

Not only will a surge destroy your electronics, it can ignite electrical outlets that are overheated because of faulty wiring or because the outlet itself is not grounded. This also can extend to light switches, light bulbs, garage door openers, air conditioners, microwaves, or anything with electrical components. So what type of surge protection do you need?

Basically there are two types:

1. The whole house surge protector.

2. And the wall surge protector.

The whole house surge protector, often referred to as a service entrance surge protector, is mounted at the main electrical panel or at your service provider's meter. These will be either Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors (TVSS) or a Secondary Surge Arrestor (SDSA). This difference between the two is the newer style Surge Protection Device (SPD), the TVSS, is hard wired between the circuit board and your internal wiring that leads into the house, whereas the SDSA is connected between the incoming power supply and the breaker box. Both protect you from surges. Below are some specs to look for.

1. Depending on which type of whole house surge protector you choose look these suggested recommendations:

SDSA - This should be a tested product that meets the recommendations of IEEE C62.11. That's technical jargon that your electrician will know about. Message me if you would like to know more about this code.

TVSS - This should be a tested product that meets the recommendations of the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) 1449, 2nd Edition code. UL listings are more commonly used today to measure the capacity of a surge protection device.

2. Both devices should have fuse protection. A TVSS will require thermal fuse protection. The SDSA will itself be fused.

3.  The Clamping Voltage of the TVSS should be between 330 and 800 volts. The lower the better. This measures the trigger voltage to which the SPD reacts. Secondary surge arrestors do not have a clamping voltage rating as it is not tested by the UL 1449 code. It does not have a standard for measuring performance and is thus left up to the manufacturer's own testing.

4. Be sure that all wiring is protected. With a TVSS device, look for indicators for L-N (line to neutral), L-G (line to ground) and N- G (neutral to ground). Secondary surge arrestors will indicate L-N only.

 5. You want your phone and cable television lines to be protected. Both devices should be able to accomplish this.

6.  There should also be an indicator light that lets you know that the device is working. This will most likely be a green LED light. The power will still pass through if the device is not working properly so it is important to check this regularly.

7. Of course you want to purchase one with a warranty. Make sure it covers any damage to items under its protection.

8. Lastly, be sure it has a high Joules rating. This measures the amount of energy the device can handle before it is useless and needs to be replaced. There is no standard for measuring Joules so find something with at least 4000 Joules.

The wall surge protector is installed at the outlet and protects individual appliances. This is the most commonly purchased surge protection device and is sometimes referred to as a point-of-use surge protector. Here are some specs to look for:

1. All plug-in types of surge protection fall under the category of TVSS so of course you'll look for the UL listing on the package. Remember, it is UL 1449, 2nd Edition.

2. These also should have thermal fuse protection.

3. Same as above, you want it to have a clamping voltage of 330 volts. This is the best rating possible. You might have trouble finding one with 330V, but something with 400V is fairly easy to find.

4. Specific protection requires specific protectors. For instance, a computer surge protector should have a coaxial connector and a phone line connector for use with a modem or cable internet connection.

5. Be sure your wall surge protector shuts down and prevents electrical current from passing through to your equipment once it no longer works properly. These are made to sacrifice themselves for your equipment. They will lose their capacity to absorb surges over time. Once the surge protection has been expended, your equipment should no longer receive a power supply.

6. A wall surge protector with both a green LED light to indicate the outlet is properly grounded and a red LED light to indicate you are being protected from surges is optimal. If the outlet is not grounded, you will not receive the full benefit of surge protection.

7. Again, make sure it comes with a god warranty.

8. And finally, look for the Joules rating. 3000 Joules is sufficient protection.