Monday, November 29, 2010

Understanding Surge Protectors

By Chandler Weld


Surge Protectors are used to safeguard electronic devices from unexpected power surges. Its mechanism is to control the transmitted voltage to an electric device through obstruction or grounding of any power surge that is at a dangerous level.

How They Work

Usually, multiple electronic devices are plugged into a single surge protection unit. This helps eliminate the need to unplug devices to save energy from standby power. But remember the very basic purpose of a surge protector is to protect your electronic devices from being damaged by voltage spikes, which are usually never noticed when they occur.

Surge protectors divert the excess power into the grounding wire of an outlet through a valve that is pressure-sensitive and can open when it detects a surge. They do this only when there is a power surge that goes beyond the safe level. After the diversion, the voltage is returned to a safe level. After this is done, the devices connected to the protector are powered once more by the standard current.

Types of Surge Protectors

There are many kinds of surge protectors for protecting your devices from excessive voltage, but only two that you should familiarize yourself with. These are the primary and the secondary types of surge protectors. The primary types are frequently used with electrical lines that run into a building, and they safeguard the building from enormous power surges. Those that are used inside the building are called secondary protectors, because they can withstand lower voltages than the primary protectors.

Why a Surge Protector is Important

Electronic devices inevitably have downtime because of the wear and tear caused by old age or poor quality or maintenance. Even with an electrical grid, which is not perfectly reliable, there are more than three hundred power surges annually that are potentially damaging. HVAC equipment and home appliances are susceptible to damage by these power surges. A surge protector is always needed to safeguard against such instances because electronic devices don't usually have their own protection. Without them, they could incur fatal damages and you might end up buying new replacement devices which would be very costly.

Appliances like air conditioners, computer and home theatre systems are very expensive and need a form of insurance that will prevent the steep costs of repair and replacement. The long-term benefits are considerable savings on power and money, and of course, your own peace of mind.

Solutions

There will always be unforeseen problems such as incoming surges of power, an occasional inrush of current, and conduction of outdoor moisture due to local lighting. There is a maximum resistance of 25 ohms at maximum resistance for the NEC. Surge protectors are the solution against these circumstances.

You can obtain the best quality surge protectors online. When buying a surge protector, make sure you look over the specific features that come with the product, adaptability of the unit, and services requirements as well as warranties. It would be worthwhile searching for a warranty that covers a data recovery clause, particularly if you have a computer system.




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