Privacy Policy. Please check back soon. HomeServe Logo Icon. The email field is required. Sign up! Check icon. October 22, by Team HomeServe. A Comprehensive Guide A lightning surge protector is one way to protect your equipment and your investment.
Hiring for Wiring? What do we use cookies for? You can have all the Joules in the world, but if your clamping voltage is too high, you could still get surge damage. Clamping voltage refers to the amount of voltage that will cause your surge protection to kick in. High clamping voltage is like having a drunk guy on guard duty. By the time he realizes there is an intruder, it might be too late.
A UL listing ensures V or lower clamping voltage, which will do the trick. Very alert, and ready to protect your stuff from surges. These bad boys are the pathways to divert extra surge away from your equipment. Cheap surge protectors will have one line of protection, which could cause a problem when large surges happen. With multiple lines of protection 3 is ideal , the extra voltage can be handled quicker, protecting your stuff better.
An easy way to think of it is driving in rush hour traffic with 1 open lane vs 3 open lanes. Remember, smaller surge protectors will usually only have one line because of space limitations, so if you need 3 lines, look into the larger Joule rated products. On the inside of a surge protector, MOVs Metal Oxide Varistors are the punching bag that absorbs extra voltage before it is diverted away from your gear. In the event of a huge power surge or spike, voltage overload could start an electrical fire, even if you have surge protection.
Check to make sure that your MOVs are fireproof, for the ultimate in surge protection. In others, it continues to work without any surge protection leaving your equipment vulnerable. Most good surge protection power strips will include an indicator light to allow you to monitor wether the surge protection is still working or if the board needs to be replaced. These boards are rated for joules and offer protection for 11 outlets, phone lines to protect phones and modems and coaxial to protect TVs and cable boxes.
Another good option is the Belkin BP This outlet strip offers a joule energy rating with 12 outlets, 4 of which can rotate to allow secure connection of large power adapters. It also provides telephone and coaxial protection. These devices act as a battery backup system for your equipment while also providing some basic surge protection.
A UPS can keep your computer powered on and running when the power goes out in your house. As such, you can expect similar performance in terms of surge protection. The main advantages of using a UPS come from power delivery problems other than surges. A few examples of such problems are:. Without a UPS, the above problems could lead to your computer turning off immediately causing potential damage to your operating system from incorrect shutdown or even just loss of unsaved work.
If you run your computer off a UPS the UPS will detect such power conditions and immediately switch to battery power without your computer being affected. Keys to determining the amount of protection needed include the type and value of the equipment to be protected. You may be wondering "how many joules of surge protection do I need? Obviously, the higher the value of your equipment, the higher the surge protector joule rating required. A unit with up to joules of surge protection is adequate for these small electronics.
A surge protector with to joules will provide sufficient protection for power tools and office equipment such as printers, copiers and routers.
Consider the highest joule ratings— and above—for home theater components, gaming consoles and any computer that stores important data… anything from customer lists to financial information to irreplaceable photos and personal records. In areas with frequent lightning storms, a higher level of protection is required.
Problems at the utility company can also create power spikes.
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