Understanding Surge Protection Devices
What are Surge Protection Devices? Surge protection devices, also known as surge protectors or surge arrestors, are devices that are designed specifically to protect electrical devices and appliances from voltage spikes known as power surges. Surge protectors work by diverting excess electric current to the ground during a power surge, which prevents the surge from passing through to connected devices. Surge protectors are considered an essential component for protecting sensitive electronics in homes and businesses from the damaging effects of power surges.
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Surge protection devices, also known as surge protectors or surge arrestors, are devices that are designed specifically to protect electrical devices and appliances from voltage spikes known as power surges. Surge protectors work by diverting excess electric current to the ground during a power surge, which prevents the surge from passing through to connected devices. Surge protectors are considered an essential component for protecting sensitive electronics in homes and businesses from the damaging effects of power surges.
How do Surge Protectors Protect Devices?
Surge protectors work through the use of metal oxide varistors, or MOVs. MOVs have a nonlinear resistance and become electrically conductive when the voltage exceeds a certain threshold. Inside a surge protector, one or more MOVs are connected between the power lines (hot, neutral and ground). Under normal voltage conditions, the MOV offers very high resistance and does not interfere with normal operation.
However, when a power surge occurs and the voltage spikes above the safe threshold, the MOV rapidly switches to a low resistance state. This shunts the excess current directly to ground before it gets a chance to pass through to connected devices. By diverting the surge, the MOV protects electronic equipment from seeing what could have been a potentially damaging voltage spike.
A Surge Protection Devices designed for networking equipment helps secure routers, modems, and switches by preventing voltage spikes that can cause internet disruptions or equipment failure.
Types of Surge Protectors
There are several different types of surge protectors available depending on the level of protection needed and the types of devices being protected:
Basic surge protectors - These are the most basic type and are ideal for protecting small appliances, TVs and consumer electronics against minor surges. They do not offer full protection but are very inexpensive.
AV surge protectors - Slightly more robust than basic protectors, AV surge protectors are designed specifically for protecting audio/video components like surround sound systems, gaming consoles and cable/satellite boxes.
Data line protectors - As the name suggests, data line protectors are used to shield network cables, phone lines, cable lines and any equipment with data ports. They protect against surges that can travel in via connected lines.
Industrial strength protectors - For critical equipment in commercial settings, industrial strength protectors with heavier-duty components are necessary. UPS systems also fall in this category as they condition power in addition to surge protection.
Whole home surge protectors - Installed at the main utility box, whole home systems shield the entire home's internal wiring from incoming surges at the source before they reach outlets or switches. This is the best overall approach.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Surge Protector
There are a few key factors to consider when selecting the right surge protection device:
Joule rating: Indicates the surge protector's energy absorption capacity. Higher is better with at least 250-400 joules for essential equipment.
Response time: Measured in nanoseconds, this is how fast the MOVs react to divert surges. 5 nanoseconds or less is ideal.
Clamping voltage: This is the maximum voltage that will pass through to connected devices during a surge. Lower the better at 400V or less.
Protection modes: Look for protectors that offer protection against all three modes - line to neutral, line to ground and neutral to ground.
Warranty: Reputable brands offer lifetime performance warranties or product replacement warranties of 5-10 years.
Cable/phone line ports: Necessary if connecting data cables or phone lines to safeguard equipment.
Number of outlets: Consider the number of devices to be protected and outlets needed.
Using surge protectors correctly and selecting high quality ones according to the above factors is key to safeguarding electronics against common power surge damage. This makes surge protection an indispensable part of any home or workstation setup.
Beyond Surge Protectors - Whole Home Protection Systems
While surge protectors provide effective point-of-use protection, the best approach for complete surge coverage is installing a whole home surge protection system. These devices connect directly to the main breaker box where incoming utility lines enter the home. By shielding the entire internal wiring system ahead of outlets and switches, whole home surge protection stops surges at their source before they have a chance to reach any device in the building.
Some key advantages of whole home surge protection systems include:
Covers all electronics, appliances and wiring for total home coverage. Individual surge protectors are not required.
Automatically diverts surges to ground at up to 200,000 amps of surge current handling capacity.
Installed once by an electrician and provides continuous spike protection for the lifetime of the home.
Early stream surge and spike detection prevents power anomalies from ever entering the home.
Effectively stops surges from phone/cable/satellite TV/internet lines as well entering via shared meter banks.
Additional features like filter networks provide cleaner overall power and voltage regulation.
While carrying a higher upfront cost than basic surge protectors, whole home protectors offer unmatched comprehensive protection and asset protection over the long run. They eliminate the risks of overloading individual outlet protectors during severe storms or direct hits. For maximum investment security in sensitive home electronics and appliances, whole structure surge solutions are ideal.
Surge protectors play a key role in defending electronics from power anomalies often experienced today. Using the right type of protector suited to device requirements and installing a whole home system provides the safest path for preventing costly equipment failures due to surges. With proper surge protection in place, sensitive home and office electronics can be reliably safeguarded from voltage spikes on power lines.
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Ravina Pandya, Content Writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravina-pandya-1a3984191)
