Surge Protector Guide And Reviews

Ziotek's Flat Plug Surge Protector Offers Easy Wall Placement

2009-12-23T15:50:00.000-08:00

If you have a lot of electrical equipment in an office or TV room then space can often be at a premium. We've all had the unfortunate problem of trying to plug in a piece of equipment only to find that there isn't enough room between the TV cabinet and the wall or the desk and the plug socket. It's also helpful to be able to move furniture close to a wall so that there's more space in the room. This is the main reason behind the flat plug surge protector, which allows you to protect electrical equipment from power surges while making it more convenient to use.

Price: $27.29

When buying flat plug surge protectors the best place to start looking is right here at the Surge Protector Guide, because you’re more likely to find the right one for you. That's what I do. While it's certainly possible to find any type of surge protectors in your local electronics stores, you probably won't be able to find the same kind of range of options that you would on this site.

Ziotek's flat plug surge protector has all the essentials you need for quality surge protection. It's got a clean look and twelve outlets, eight of which are designed to house AC adapters. The AC adapter outlets also tilt down so that you can angle them in different positions. The Ziotek model also has a cable management system that lets you tuck away any bulky mess. There is phone line protection, which will cover landline modems and fax machines as well.

The response time on this device has been clocked at less than one nanosecond. It's got a max rating of 4320 Joules with a max current of 288,000 amps. For the technical minded the ratings are 15A/125VAC/1875W. With the phone line protection there is also EMI/RFI filtration. This is really a great deal.

Pivoting 12 Outlet Power Surge Block W/Flat Plug

List Price:	$27.29
Your Price:	$27.29
You Save:	$0.00(0%)

Clamping voltage of 330V.
4230 Joules rating.
8 pivoting outlets for use with AC adapters.
EMI/RFI protection.
Built-in cable management system.

Availability And Pricing May Vary. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

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	Pivoting 12 Outlet Power Surge Block W/Flat Plug

Prime Surge Protectors Offer Total Protection In One Device

2009-12-22T15:47:00.000-08:00

Prime surge protectors have been available for about twenty years now and I'm surprised I haven't mentioned their surge protectors before now. You've seem Prime products before. They're in all the K-marts, Wal-marts, Coscos and Krogers and have been since the early nineties. Prime has a reputation for building high quality electrical products and they give everything they have in all their designs, surge protection devices included. When you have electrical equipment plugged into your outlets, it is already vulnerable to power surges, even more so when these devices contain small microprocessors or chips. The electronics aren't meant to sustain high power fluctuations. In fact, surges can wear down the performance of your equipment every time it is hit until one day your electronics will no longer work. It often happens that a large surge can outright destroy gear in one hit. To combat that, you need to have a surge protector between your equipment and the power source.

Price: $34.78

A prime surge protector, or at least the one we're going to look at, is the perfect model for total coverage. It's got an amazing 3750 Joules rating which will cover everything you need to connect to your computer and you could also toss in a halogen lamp or two. Just plug it in the socket and you have eight outlets with total surge protection ready to stand guard over your computer or home theater system. The thing I love about it most is the auto-shut down feature. It the surge protector takes a big dose of electricity then it shuts off the power to your equipment at the wall. This is amazing because the surge will never get past the surge protection device to harm your gear.

And when they say it is the total package, it's because it covers all entry points where a surge in power can enter. RJ11 protection covers any of your phone landlines and modem connections, along with protecting your dish network if you use satellite television. There is coaxial cable protection for your cable modems and standard cable television coming in through coax lines. Another feature that I have come to like in surge protectors is the flat plug that allows you to push your desk or other piece of furniture closer to the wall if the outlet is behind it. This means that the cord of the Prime surge protector shoots down along the wall, instead of out into the room like most cords do. It also has a $400,000 Connected Equipment Warranty insuring protection for all connected equipment.

Prime PB004125 Elite Series Total Internet 8-Outlet 3750-Joule Surge Protector, Black

List Price:	$37.68
Buy It Used:	$29.99
You Save:	$7.79(21%)

RJ11 - telephone line protection for your satellite system, dial-up modem, and fax Machine.
RJ45-protection for your DSL network.
Flat Plug design saves space for furniture placement.
An Audible Alarm for Catastrophic Event Protection.
Coaxial Protection for CATV and Cable Modems.

Availability And Pricing May Vary. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

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	Prime PB004125 Elite Series Total Internet 8-Outlet 3750-Joule Surge Protector, Black

The AV Surge Protector By Monster

2009-12-19T21:03:00.000-08:00

There's no stopping the damage caused by a lightning strike. When it hits your power lines and surges through your home, you stand little chance of having any electrical equipment surviving, even with a proper surge protector installed. The hardest realization is that the most susceptible devices affected are coaxial cables, phone lines and Ethernet connections. You can take action to prevent the possible destruction of expensive audio and video equipment by installing a proper AV surge protector to all devices in your home. AV surge protection offers line protection to ward off surge threats and will save you more than just money on replacing lost gear; it will save you from the incurring damage that small surges can inflict over time that will ultimately lead to parts replacement.

Price: $29.26

They aren't designed to handle high energy passes, so they quickly burn out. With AV surge protectors you don't have to worry about cable protection as Monster has some of the best rated surge protectors available. The Monster Cable MP AV 800 PowerCenter AV 800 with Surge Protection provides you with 8 outlets and a flat plug that lets you easily use it behind objects that would otherwise have to stand away from the outlet. It also has a right angle plug that keeps it flush.

This AV surge protector from Monster is an exciting surge protection tool. You can't beat the color-coded outlets. They let you easily determine what device plugs in to an outlet as the cord labels are color-coded to match. It has low loss RF circuiting so that you don't lose performance due to noise on the line. It wholly eradicates all line noise. This is the perfect device if you are installing home theater surge protection. It doesn't come with phone line protection, but for me I don't use a home phone line. My computer runs off a cable line as does my television so I am more concerned with the coaxial connection than a phone. If you want total protection on your AC lines, this is the model for you. It has 24k gold contacts to help give you clean performance on all video and audio equipment.

Monster Cable MP AV 800 PowerCenter AV 800 with Surge Protection

List Price:	$49.99
Price:	$29.26
You Save:	$20.73(41%)

Dimensions: 1.40" H x 3.88" W x 10.13" L; weight: 2.30 lbs.
Color-coded outlets and matching cord labels.
8ft cord with flat right angle plug.
8 outlets, including three AC adapter transformer outlets.
Coaxial Protection with 24k gold contacts.

Availability And Pricing May Vary. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

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	Monster Cable MP AV 800 PowerCenter AV 800 with Surge Protection

The 2375J Surge Protector By APC

2009-11-17T19:19:00.000-08:00

APC is one of the original manufacturers of surge protectors and while their 2375J Surge Protector is definitely one you I would normally recommend you look into, it has been upgraded and the better model now is the 3400J. Of course the J stands for Joules and the 3400 is the rating, so you know with either model you are getting top notch surge protection. It has a capacity of 11 outlets where half of them are sized for transformers. It provides for cable and coaxial connections as well as phone lines.

Price: $31.79

Some of the more entertaining features are the rotating cord retainer which moves in an 180 degree movement. It has a faulty wiring indicator, perfect for using in older homes where the wiring hasn't been updated ( I should have bought one of these years ago). The 2375J Surge Protector doesn't have the recessed on/off switch that the 3400J model offers but it still does the job. The only benefit that I can see to the recessed button is accidentally hitting the switch. The newer APC 11 Outlet has shutters on the outlets that you can close if not using them, another plus. The 2375J has them too but they seem to be harder to open.

Overall it has a well thought out design. It comes with extra cables and cord wraps as well. You can rest assured with every level of confidence that you will be protected from any surges that your electronic equipment or cable or phone equipment encounters with either the 2375J surge protector or the 3400J model. You could easily get three years or more service out of this surge protector. A very inexpensive surge protector for the level of protection APC offers. It checks all lines coming into it simultaneously whereas most surge protectors only check one line at a time.

APC 11 Outlet 3400J Surge Protector

List Price:	$49.99
Price:	$31.79
You Save:	$18.20(36%)

180-degrees Rotating Cord Retainer.
Adjustable Cable Management.
Building wiring fault indicator.
Catastrophic Event Protection
Coaxial Protection

Availability And Pricing May Vary. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

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	APC 11 Outlet 3400J Surge Protector

Belkin International Inc. Recalls SurgeMaster™ Surge Protectors

2009-10-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

info taken from http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10024.html

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: SurgeMaster™ Surge Protectors

Units: About 68,700

Importer: Belkin International Inc., of Compton, California

Hazard: The molding of the plastic 360 degree rotating plug, which allows for easy cord movement, can crack or detach from the plug assembly, posing a shock hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Belkin has received seven consumer complaints about cracking of the plug molding. No injuries were reported.

Description: This recall involves the SurgeMaster™ Surge Protector, models F9G930-10, F9G930v10, F9G930-10-W and F9G930-10-SN, all manufactured in 2003. The model number and date of manufacture are located on the underside of the unit. Grey models F9G930-10-GRY and F9G930fc10G-CL are not a part of this recall.

Sold by: Independent distributors nationwide and the internet by www.belkin.com from September 2003 through December 2007 for about $50.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using these power strips immediately and contact Belkin for a new replacement unit.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Belkin toll-free at 800-952-1465 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.belkin.com/recall

Styling Your Office With A Black Surge Protector

2009-10-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

Fellowes 99090 Mighty 8 Surge Protector In Black

When you have lots of cords running into your surge protector it can often look cluttered and unattractive. While many computer cords are black, that's not the case for most surge protectors. But you can find a black surge protector to help conceal all those snaking computer cords. My wife found this one not too long ago and it has hidden the clutter of cords that hang down the back of her desk. It is important that you find one that can handle your computer's BTU or Watts listing. If you don't know that number you can always look for something in surge protection around 1300 Joules. That should be plenty of protection from any surge that might harm your computer.

Price: $12.98

There is the idea out there that surge suppression is a myth. Do not let anyone try and convince you of that malarkey. Anything that suppresses a power surge will always have its limitations but you can be guaranteed that power surges are real and that your equipment will suffer and stop working when it is attacked by so many spikes in voltage. When properly installed any number of computer surge protectors will do their job and protect your equipment. The only thing it cannot protect you from is a direct strike on your power line from a lightning blast. If it happens at a distance and the surge enters your line then you stand a good chance of being protected. But you can forget it if it's a direct hit.

Anyway, here is a black surge protector that I recommend: The Fellowes 99090 Mighty 8 Surge. It's very compact and has a contemporary look to match. It has eight outlets with enough room for five power adapters. The cord is long enough for most situations at six feet. It also has a manufacturer's warranty of $50,000.

Fellowes 99090 Mighty 8 Surge

List Price:	$19.99
Price:	$12.98
You Save:	$7.01(35%)

Engineered to put the outlets and power you need in the smallest possible footprint.
8 outlets, 1300 joules, and accommodates up to 5 power adapters.
UL approved and comes with a $50,000 connected equipment warranty and lifetime product warranty.
Other features include 6' power cord, right angle plug, and an on/off switch with 15 amp circuit breaker.

Availability And Pricing May Vary. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

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	Fellowes 99090 Mighty 8 Surge

Belkin 12-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector

2009-10-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

with Phone/Ethernet/Coaxial Protection and Extended Cord

Now that we've talked about what you need to know about surge protectors I think it's time we looked at some so you can get a better idea of what to look for. Every week I'm going to try to review a surge protector that I think is a quality tool for protecting your computer and other high-powered equipment in your home.

Price: $24.68

I'm going to start with the one I bought after my little disaster with my last power strip. Remember, a power strip will not necessarily stop power surges. It has to be equipped to do such a thing and it must have a high Joules rating. Joules measure the amount of energy a protector can absorb before it no longer is useful.

The one I picked up from a Best Buy near me was the Belkin 12-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector with Phone/Ethernet/Coaxial Protection and Extended Cord. I don't know that I needed something so high tech but being that I don't know much about computers anyway I figured I'd give it a shot.

This one claims that it can do the job for both home and office workstations which is important if your desk is loaded up with gadgets. This device protects everything connected to it, which means computer cords, printers, chargers for delicate technology like dual sim phones, fax machines, speakers, halogen desk lamps; you name it, up to twelve devices.

My guess is that it will work on any number of electronic devices like any entertainment system. I've got something different on mine but that's a review for another post. The best thing I found to be an asset about this Belkin Surge Protector is that it offers a $300,000 equipment failure guarantee should the protector be the cause of any damage. When you come as close as I did to losing your home, you want that.

Belkin 12-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector with Phone/Ethernet/Coaxial Protection and Extended Cord

List Price:	$49.99
Price:	$24.68
You Save:	$25.31(51%)

12-outlet surge protector with 10-foot cord ideal for high-end home and professional workstations
Ideal solution for computers, laser printers, and home-theater systems; includes connections to protect telephone, coaxial and Ethernet lines
Outlets include sliding safety covers; detachable cord-management clip for cable organization
Right-angle plug keeps cord close to the wall
Belkin Lifetime Warranty and $300,000 Connected Equipment Warranty

Availability And Pricing May Vary. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

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	Belkin 12-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector with Phone/Ethernet/Coaxial Protection and Extended Cord

Buying A Surge Protector Checklist

2009-09-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

So you want to protect your electronic equipment from a power surge and you want to find the right surge protector to do that. Perfect. You have found the right checklist to ensure the safety of not only your equipment, but your home as well. Below is a list to go through to see exactly where you need a home surge protector in your home and where it will benefit you most.

If you are already this far in your search then you know that a power surge can come from an external source outside your home, like a blackout. This can cause a surge through the line before the power goes out and will damage sensitive electrical components. It can also come from within from high powered items, called a brown out. This is best identified by your lights flickering in your home for no reason. And finally, you know that plugging your equipment into a basic power strip can cause it to overheat and start a fire, so you've identified the potential risks.

So let's run down the list of where you will need a house surge protector.

You have a desktop or another kind of computer system that requires many outlets
You do a lot of work on your computer and need to avoid sudden loss
You have a high-energy appliance like an air conditioner or washer and dryer that takes a large energy supply (a surge) to start it
You have basic power cords that you have a lot of equipment plugged into and the cord gets really warm over time
You experience power outages often and need to be able to shut down your equipment properly without losing power

Once you have identified where you need the surge protector, you can then figure which type is best for your needs. Let's use high definition televisions as an example. These TVs live longer when they use clean energy. That said you may want something like an APC surge protector that incorporates both power conditioning and surge protection to protect your plasma or LED TV for as long as possible. My suggestion would be to look into the Monster Power FS MP HTS 350 2-Outlet Stage 1 Flatscreen Powercenter HTS 350 With Clean Power unit. Yes, that's a mouthful but it's very affordable at $50.

You can also look for a home theater surge protector which covers all of your home entertainment equipment. You can easily find one at your local home improvement store. Whatever the equipment is you are trying to protect will have printed somewhere near the power source what kind of power input and output it requires. Then you can match that to the right surge protector with the UL rating found on the package.

Another example would be a whole house surge protector. This is a little harder to find on the market and you may have a bit of trouble finding one in your local stores, but if you contact your power company. These devices connect to your power lines at the breaker box or meter. This kind of protection is perfect for appliances and applications that are on their own circuits, like washers and dryers, home surveillance cameras, central air units, etc. Leviton is one company I would suggest to you; Panamax is another.

It's not a difficult task to implement surge protection, but few people even know that they need this kind of device for their computer, air conditioner or what have you. Going through this checklist should help you determine exactly where your trouble spots are and let you buy the surge protector that you need.

Surge Protector Information For Electricians

2009-09-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

By Alex Tomlin

If you are an electrical technician professional then you are often in the homes of everyday people. You have probably seen some sketchy power cord scenarios and want to know how you can help your client understand basic safety guidelines for properly handling electrical currents in their home with the proper use of a surge protector. This article will not only help them protect their electronic equipment from costly repair from failure but may also prevent a fire from occurring.

Perhaps the single most misunderstood thing about power cords is how power surges can disrupt basic functioning of equipment and cause expensive and permanent damage. Your average Joe isn't going to know that power surges happen often. They might understand the concept of a blackout and how a surge from an electrical storm sends more power than usual into their home, but they are unaware of how that excess power affects their appliances.

Explaining how this surge can overload delicate circuitry or components inside their personal computer, for instance, will open them up to the expensive dangers that await from not having their system run through a power surge protector. You might have to explain that the surge protector acts as a semi-conductor and diverts energy away from the main line to a grounding wire when it overheats. Doing this will clear up any confusion over the difference between basic powers strip and surge protectors.

Even then an average home owner may not be aware of brown outs and how a brown out is caused by having too many high energy appliances running at the same time. Let them know that when the lights flicker in their home for no apparent reason, that is a brown out. Also make them aware that the dip in power can create little surges in their electronic equipment trying to stay powered and that having the correct home surge protectors can prevent this loss of power and maintain a steady flow of juice to the line.

Let them know how a basic six-pronged power strip isn't equipped to handle to heat of a power surge and that the internal wiring is subject to melting in the event that it overheats. This can lead to the start of an electrical fire in their home.

It's an often overlooked subject in the electrician field, but one that could save homeowners hundreds of dollars in loss and could quite possibly save them from the loss of their home. It only takes a minute and you will gain their loyalty and repeat service for providing these basic safety tips on using top surge protectors for their home.

*Sidenote: Alex has been my best friend for nearly twenty-four years. He's been an electrician for almost as long. Even though both of our houses almost burned to the ground because neither of us was using a surge protector, and even though I had to show him that he needed one, he has been very adamant about informing people of the importance of using a surge protector as much as I. So I let him write a post on the subject for this blog.

How I Saved My Best Friend's Home With A Surge Protector

2009-08-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you how I came to learn about the importance of a surge protector. I once came home from running some errands one Saturday to find my house filled with smoke. I instantly reached for my cell phone and dialed 911 to alert the fire department. My wife took the grand kids to the neighbors and while waiting for the fire truck to show up I decided to go through the house and see what I could see. It wasn't a lot of smoke so I didn't figure there was a great big fire in the house. Long story short, I found my computer area smoking and when I pulled the desk from the wall the plug was melted and the outlet was ablaze.

Well by that time the fire department had arrived, I showed them the fire and they put it out without much concern. One of the guys started telling me all kinds of horror stories about how many homes they come across that don't know how to properly use surge protectors for computers. Typically it starts, as in my case, with someone running their computer equipment through a basic power cord that wasn't rated for the power level a computer requires.

Now I felt pretty stupid about not having a PC surge protector hooked up for my desktop and it was a costly replacement. But what disturbed me more than my own mistake was when I discovered my best friend, an electrician, to be among one of those people the fireman was talking about. Had he not installed a surge protector when I saw it, he might not have a home today.

Now I know that most people just aren't aware of how power surges emerge. You might already know that one source comes from things like electrical storms sending extra power through you home lines. This can run right into your electronic equipment and burn out electrical components. Maybe not right away but definitely over time. And that's the kicker. Power surges happen all the time.

But what's really scary is how a power surge is created within your home. If you've got any large energy sucking appliances in your home, like an air conditioner or a washer or dryer, these things require a large amount of energy to start them. When they suck power from an outlet it creates a surge in that appliance. If you don't have something like a Monster surge protector between that outlet and that air conditioner, the wiring can over heat and the next thing you know, you've got an electrical fire.

Let's stop there a minute and talk about this. A home surge protector isn't expensive. You can pick up a quality one for about twenty-five bucks. All you have to do is make sure the UL rating is enough to support the appliance in question. You can find some that will support an entire desktop computer station. These normally have about 6 outlets on them and plug right into the wall, just like a normal power strip.

But the difference is a power surge protector is built to take high levels of energy. Inside it is a semi-conductor that when it encounters a surge reroutes the energy to a grounding wire where the heat from the surge dissipates into the air, rendering any potential damage harmless.

Well that's where my best friend comes in. Alex had his computer running through a simple power strip and I just happen to be there one day when I saw it. I told him he should replace it and made him reach down and feel the power cord. Sure enough it was very warm. He went out that afternoon and bought a Belkin surge protector and saved himself from a possible fire. What are friends for?

Steps To Identifying The Need For A Surge Protector

2009-07-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

In order to protect your home electronics from power surge damage you need to know what steps to take to identify potential hazards and where to install a surge protector. Identifying key areas in your home where a surge protector will benefit you will prevent unwanted damage to vital electronic gear. In the following article we will go through and identify these key areas and identify exactly where the dangers are.

1. First identify the two main causes of power surges.

To know what a power surge is will greatly increase your awareness for the need and requirement of a power surge protector in problem areas. A surge can come in the form of external sources outside your home as in an electrical storm or from internal devices within your home as with a high-energy power item like an air conditioner.

2. Understand the consequences of a power surge.

When there is a surge of power in your home lines it can travel through the wiring of your electronic equipment and put a strain on important components. Over time this can wear out those components and lead to failure. LCD televisions and computers are especially vulnerable. LCD monitor repair is not cheap and in the case of a personal computer failing this can be costly to replace. There are computer surge protectors to prevent just such situations which can save you hundreds of dollars in loss or damage.

3. Identify areas of concern.

What kind of heavy equipment or high-energy equipment do you have in your home? Look at desktop computers, air conditioners, washers and dryers, anything that requires a lot of energy to run. These are the potential areas that can be affected. When these items are turned on they pull a specific amount of energy to them to get them running. This creates a surge. If your home uses a lot of these items you may want to look into whole house surge protectors which work off your circuit board.

4. Look at the power supply source.

Is your air conditioner plugged straight into the wall outlet with an adapter or does it share outlets on a power strip? If you don't have the proper UL listing on a power cord you are in danger of much more than equipment failure. A power source not equipped to handle a large energy burst can overheat and ignite the circuits. This can lead to a home fire in some instances. APC surge protectors are powerful enough to stop major surges and keep your equipment and wiring safe.

5. Understand what a surge protector does.

Surge protectors look similar to power strips externally. However, within them are heavy duty circuitry and semi-conductors called a metal oxide varistor (or MOV), that can take excess energy delivered to them and reroute it to another area, a grounding wire. This essentially disarms any potential disaster from a surge in power. In the case of a blackout you want to be able to keep certain devices, like computers, running. You don't want them to shut down suddenly as this can damage them. Using a battery backup surge protector will provide you the security you need to save any work you were in the middle of and also keep from damaging your computer. This kind of UPS surge protector, or Uninterruptible Power Supply is not so expensive that you can't benefit from using one.

Once you can identify the need for a surge protector in your home you will be able to eliminate 95% of the problems caused by surges. A surge protector isn't a failsafe in all circumstances but you will be safer than using a standard power strip.

Surge Protector Use Has Grown In The Last 50 Years

2009-06-15T06:13:00.000-07:00

Avoiding power surges is almost impossible with how we currently provide electricity to homes and the need for surge protector use has an even greater calling than it did 50 years ago. Surges have always been a regular occurrence, and as technology becomes more and more advanced requiring smaller and smaller components surges in electrical power will become more and more dangerous for our equipment. There is a greater calling for a surge protector now than ever there was. Before the technological boom we are experiencing now, power surges weren't as prevalent a danger. We didn't have cell phones, desktop computers, DVD players or iPods. Microwaves were as large as ovens and the technology within them was unsophisticated at best. Now we have microprocessors that are extremely delicate and as a result are more prone to become damaged in a surge. They can only handle a stable current passing through them.

Some appliances will never need surge protector use because they just don't have the technology in them. Lighting fixtures are a perfect example. The light bulb is an unsophisticated piece of equipment. Not even an LED light bulb requires surge protection. Although I say that now, it could be that eventually even the light bulb will utilize some kind of microprocessor to power it. Computers and other high tech appliances are where surge protection is needed most. The components within them will easily burn out over time as they are bombarded with power surges. Unless there is something between them and the power source to absorb these surges, then you will eventually have to replace them, or make expensive repairs.

The downside to surge protection is that eventually the surge protector will itself burn out. The MOV's, or metal oxide varistors, which conduct heat and attract the surges to the ground mechanism degrade with each surge. Once they no longer function, your equipment will be at risk. So why use a surge protector in the first place? Because of the protection it does afford while it functions. Many devices have indicator lights on them to alert you that they are working properly. As long as your indicator light is on, you are protected. Some surge protectors will have audible alerts. These will keep you more informed than having to remember to check the light regularly.

All of that said it won't make much difference if you have surge protectors on all of your power sources. Unless you know how to use a surge protector correctly and where to use it, you may as well not use one. Remember that your phone lines and cable connections are also vulnerable, as well as your computer modem. Coaxial connectors and phone jack inputs are available on most surge protection devices. Look for devices with these additions for all your surge protector use.

Do You Know You Need A Surge Protector? Test Yourself

2009-06-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

Below are three key questions to ask yourself as to why you need to install surge protectors in your home. If you own high energy appliances and electronics, then this is for you. Knowing the correct answer will help you understand the importance of using a surge protector.

1. A computer surge protector is:
a) a basic power strip that I can plug all my computer cords into.
b) able to redirect excess electricity to a grounding wire, preventing damage to my equipment.
c) a thick pair of rubber shoes you wear in an electrical storm.
d) something only large businesses should be concerned with.

The right answer here is B. While computer surge protectors looks like power strips (answer a), they actually have complex internal components that act as semi-conductors to displace extra heat in wires caused by power surges. You should use one for all your heavy-duty electronic equipment, like an entertainment system or large appliances.

2. A power surge can cause:
a) damage to the delicate electronic components in my computer over a long period of time.
b) my computer screen to get really bright for a second then go back to normal.
c) my iron to overheat and burn my shirts and maybe start a fire if I keep it on the fabric too long.
d) all of the above.

The correct answer is A. The damage from a power surge is not readily seen. It happens over time and it happens more often than people think. It slowly destroys fragile components in some electronic equipment, like computers.

3. A brown out happens when:
a) there is an electrical storm and the power goes out in the neighborhood.
b) there are too many electrical appliances running at the same time in the house.
c) I turn my computer off.
d) a surge protector trips its circuit breaker to prevent a fire.

The right answer here is B. If you've seen your lights flicker for no reason, that's a brown out. It's a dip in electrical power from too many things being on in your home at once.

Whether it's from an external power surge coming into your house or from turning on your air conditioner, power surges are dangerous and you can prevent any damage to your electronic equipment and prevent any threat of fire if you use a whole house surge protector.

Privacy Policy

2009-06-10T08:13:00.000-07:00

Your Privacy
Your privacy is important to us. To better protect your privacy we provide this notice explaining our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. To make this notice easy to find, we make it available on our homepage and at every point where personally identifiable information may be requested.

Google Adsense and the DoubleClick DART Cookie
Google, as a third party advertisement vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on this site. The use of DART cookies by Google enables them to serve adverts to visitors that are based on their visits to this website as well as other sites on the internet.

To opt out of the DART cookies you may visit the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following url http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html Tracking of users through the DART cookie mechanisms are subject to Google's own privacy policies.

Other Third Party ad servers or ad networks may also use cookies to track users activities on this website to measure advertisement effectiveness and other reasons that will be provided in their own privacy policies, Surge Protector Guide has no access or control over these cookies that may be used by third party advertisers.

Collection of Personal Information
When visiting Surge Protector Guide, the IP address used to access the site will be logged along with the dates and times of access. This information is purely used to analyze trends, administer the site, track users movement and gather broad demographic information for internal use. Most importantly, any recorded IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information.

Links to third party Websites
We have included links on this site for your use and reference. We are not responsible for the privacy policies on these websites. You should be aware that the privacy policies of these sites may differ from our own.

Changes to this Privacy Statement
The contents of this statement may be altered at any time, at our discretion.

If you have any questions regarding the privacy policy of Surge Protector Guide then you may contact us.

Terms And Conditions

2009-06-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

Web Site Terms and Conditions of Use

1. Terms

By accessing this web site, you are agreeing to be bound by these
web site Terms and Conditions of Use, all applicable laws and regulations,
and agree that you are responsible for compliance with any applicable local
laws. If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from
using or accessing this site. The materials contained in this web site are
protected by applicable copyright and trade mark law.

2. Use License

Permission is granted to temporarily download one copy of the materials
(information or software) on Surge Protector Guide's web site for personal,
non-commercial transitory viewing only. This is the grant of a license,
not a transfer of title, and under this license you may not:
1. modify or copy the materials;
2. use the materials for any commercial purpose, or for any public display (commercial or non-commercial);
3. attempt to decompile or reverse engineer any software contained on Surge Protector Guide's web site;
4. remove any copyright or other proprietary notations from the materials; or
5. transfer the materials to another person or "mirror" the materials on any other server.

This license shall automatically terminate if you violate any of these restrictions and may be terminated by Surge Protector Guide at any time. Upon terminating your viewing of these materials or upon the termination of this license, you must destroy any downloaded materials in your possession whether in electronic or printed format.

3. Disclaimer

The materials on Surge Protector Guide's web site are provided "as is". Surge Protector Guide makes no warranties, expressed or implied, and hereby disclaims and negates all other warranties, including without limitation, implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement of intellectual property or other violation of rights. Further, Surge Protector Guide does not warrant or make any representations concerning the accuracy, likely results, or reliability of the use of the materials on its Internet web site or otherwise relating to such materials or on any sites linked to this site.

4. Limitations

In no event shall Surge Protector Guide or its suppliers be liable for any damages (including, without limitation, damages for loss of data or profit, or due to business interruption,) arising out of the use or inability to use the materials on Surge Protector Guide's Internet site, even if Surge Protector Guide or a Surge Protector Guide authorized representative has been notified orally or in writing of the possibility of such damage. Because some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on implied warranties, or limitations of liability for consequential or incidental damages, these limitations may not apply to you.

5. Revisions and Errata

The materials appearing on Surge Protector Guide's web site could include technical, typographical, or photographic errors. Surge Protector Guide does not warrant that any of the materials on its web site are accurate, complete, or current. Surge Protector Guide may make changes to the materials contained on its web site at any time without notice. Surge Protector Guide does not, however, make any commitment to update the materials.

6. Links

Surge Protector Guide has not reviewed all of the sites linked to its Internet web site and is not responsible for the contents of any such linked site. The inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by Surge Protector Guide of the site. Use of any such linked web site is at the user's own risk.

7. Site Terms of Use Modifications

Surge Protector Guide may revise these terms of use for its web site at any time without notice. By using this web site you are agreeing to be bound by the then current version of these Terms and Conditions of Use.

8. Governing Law

Any claim relating to Surge Protector Guide's web site shall be governed by the laws of the State of Virginia without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

General Terms and Conditions applicable to Use of a Web Site.

About Me

2009-06-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

I once came home to a smoke-filled house to find a power strip plug on fire at the outlet. My computer was fried as was a desk lamp and printer. Had I been aware that there was a difference between a surge protector and a basic power strip I could have avoided this. It was an expensive lesson and now I'm trying to make others aware of this threat with my little blog.

J.T. Boone