Surge Protection

So I don't think we often mention this, but for our electrical equipment I had to ask this to protect as much as possible. I know we can discuss backup power supplies, but I wanted to ask more on just the plug side.

I wanted to see which surge protector people are using and which ones we think are the best performers along with quality.

Quality I mean that it is not flimsy, internal quality of parts and the specifications.

By performers I mean the electrical side, but also I have seen protectors that coaxial, ethernet and phone lines can be added as well. Hard to find those specs though.

Some reading I have done I came across Belkin

https://www.belkin.com/us/p/P-BE112234-10/

But no mention of that Ethernet port; i.e. Gb or 100?

APC is another one

APC Performance SurgeArrest 11 Outlet with Phone (Splitter), Coax and Ethernet Protection, 120V - APC USA

So just wanted to start and see what people are using. In some cases a big backup battery does not fit the area of usage so some need just a good powers trip surge protector.

Let's see.

You should probably check out the Tripp Lite Isobar surge protectors. Not only are they about the best you can buy, they even come with insurance. :)

I am using a Tripplite TLP1008 ELTV and a Cyberpower B1006T without issues. 30 bucks and 16 bucks respectively, about 4 years ago.

Computer stuff into the Tripplite; TV and stereo stuff into the Cyberpower.

Can't really say how well either works. Power goes out here only a couple of times a year.

Clamping voltage, joules rating, response time, yada yada ad infinitum. Research till you turn purple.

I pity the fool who tries to collect for damages to equipment while connected to any of these things. You are asked to jump through an endless supply of hoops and your claim will likely be rejected-----but only after you've long since torn out your remaining hair.

Found this interesting article from HERE

"Of course, high price doesn't promise quality. To find out what the unit is capable of, you need to check out its Underwriters Laboratories (UL) ratings. UL is an independent, not-for-profit company that tests electric and electronic products for safety. If a protector doesn't have have a UL listing, it's probably junk; there's a good chance it doesn't have any protection components at all. If it does use MOVs, they may be of inferior quality. Cheaper MOVs can easily overheat, setting the entire surge protector on fire. This is actually a fairly common occurrence!"

I think the consumer surge suppressors are a sham.

1. You probably won't ever benefit from one because the power lines are clean enough and the equipment is robust enough to deal with anything short of a direct lightning strike. And only high-priced industrial protection will save you from that.

2. If you want economical protection, add a rider to your homeowner's insurance policy. (You might already have coverage, but check first.) It's REALLY cheap ... because the insurers know something that you don't: damage from electrical surges is rare. And if it does happen, just let the insurer pay for it. Simpler. Cheaper. Better. Scam-free.

AirPower4ever said:

So I don't think we often mention this, but for our electrical equipment I had to ask this to protect as much as possible. I know we can discuss backup power supplies, but I wanted to ask more on just the plug side.

Well, here's the deal, though. The absolute best surge protector is an Uninterruptible Backup Power Supply (UPS). That's because your computer is never connected directly to the AC power line. A UPS uses an electronic converter to convert the incoming AC to DC to supply power to charge the batteries and provide DC input to the electronic inverter. The inverter then converts the DC back to AC to supply power to the computer. So if you get a power surge it is very, very, very unlikely (like .05% chance) to get past the AC to DC converter. Then there is the battery to act as a buffer. Then it would have to also get past the DC to AC inverter. That's just not going to happen unless a lightening bolt comes through your window and hits the UPS unit directly.

Another issue to contemplate is brownouts - when the AC voltage drops. This can also wreak havoc on a computer power supply. The UPS will handle the brownout by interrupting power to the AC to DC converter when the AC voltage gets too load. The DC to AC inverter will then draw its input power from the battery until the brownout passes and the AC to DC converter kicks back in. Surge protectors won't protect you against brownouts - unless maybe they have low voltage protect circuit breakers in which case they will just completely interrupt the power supply to the computer - which is also not a good thing.

Like others, I also have CP1500PFCLCD in use on my systems.

I've added pure sinewave UPS to my network switch and all computers. I also have a whole-house surge protection Robot Check

My internet is fiber, but it does swap to copper ethernet. I have an APC ethernet ground connected there, leading to the house main ground. Similarly with all my other electronic equipment: surge suppressors, large gauge grounds properly connected for all.

I am very happy with my cyberpower units. They run $200 each, but provide about 15-20 minutes of runtime and integrate nicely with the OS.

A few years ago, my neighbor's house was struck (either directly or nearby) by lightning. My house, ~150 feet away, suffered damage. My amplifier lost one of it's two HDMI video ouputs. The projector (which was connected to that output) lost the connected HDMI input. I lost a network printer (the network interface). Some other oddities here and there, but it was possible to trace how they had all been electrically connected.

Sure, a direct strike may still cause damage, but at least I've mitigated collateral loss as much as possible. (FWIW, if you think your house has received a damaging strike, call the local Fire Department. They should use a thermal imager to scan your walls. There is the chance that the lightning may have caused a slow-starting fire in the walls. The TI will show the path the electricity took and reveal anything smoldering.)

The UPS battery backup has been the most useful addition. Those momentary power blips that used to cause so much angst? A thing of the past.