Thunderstorms and Computers

[greengoose1]

An apt name for this time of year I think from listening to Train. We do a thread on this every once in a while to enlighten and remind that thunderstorms and lightning do not mix no how no way in any manner. If combined the computer always loses.

Let's see, surge protection, input lines (not just power), backups, and procedures are a few things that will need to be covered. Any more items?

[SuperSparks]

A UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) is an essential bit of kit in thunderstorm prone areas (and very useful anywhere else too). Even if the lightning strike doesn't zap the computer directly, it can still take out the mains electricity supply, which can wreck hard drives. Having a UPS not only offers unsurpassed surge protection, it will keep the computer running for long enough to shut the machine down safely. A small good quality UPS will cost around the same as a hard drive, so we aren't talking megabucks here.

[DrMDJ]

OK, so say I'm looking to buy a UPS to protect a particular PC and its associated peripherals. What are the key things, or features, or specifications I need to be concerned about? How do I know which ones are acceptable and which ones aren't, which ones will meet my needs?

Even when it comes to basic surge protectors, you see things like joules numbers and clamping voltages. What's good or bad? What's important or meaningfull in the selection process?

[greengoose1]

Got to thinking if the lightening strike took out the input power line circut breaker/fuse box a nice little generator wouldn't be bad to have. :)

[DrMDJ]

LOL. My first thought is that if we get to the point where we start getting generators so that we can keep our computers going then what we need to get more than a generator is to get a life. :eek: :D

[usil]

It would be a good idea to make sure that the UPS also has protection for the phone line. I have seen too many times where the modem got fried from a storm.

[DrMDJ]

Absolutely Usil. Electricity will follow (or try to) any path it can. My rule of thumb is that I provide protection for any wire (electrical or not) coming in to the PC. Either the wire itself goes through some sort of protective device or the place from where the wire is coming gets the protection.

[greengoose1]

A generator would ensure life around here by also keeping the fridge and freezer at the correct teperature. Thus ensuring life. :D

Hi usil, Sure didn't take long for you to show. Great. (I betcha your daughter has her mother's looks does she not? LOL)

That router is a one time surge protection device is it not? Cheaper than the computer, aye? But even though there are devices for the phone line all of the protection devices will not stop a direct hit. But a question would be, just how much of a spike would they stop?

[P3-450]

I dont live in a thunderstorm area so Ive never really thought about having a UPS.

What i have now is just a normal surge protector where I plug in my computer and other stuff nearby.

If by chance there was a lightning storm, what would happen? How far will the surge protector go before it blows something?

[JPnyc]

I just power down the desktop, and boot up the laptop until the storm passes.

[DrMDJ]

That's cheating. :D

[greengoose1]

I dont live in a thunderstorm area so Ive never really thought about having a UPS.

What i have now is just a normal surge protector where I plug in my computer and other stuff nearby.

If by chance there was a lightning storm, what would happen? How far will the surge protector go before it blows something?

That is the sixty four dollar question. Consider that E (voltage)=I (current)X R (resistance). Now look at the tolerances in the specs of the miniature and micro components used in todays hardware. It won't take much. If E goes up then on the other side of the equation I will go up as the normal operation resistance stays the same. But if resistance starts to heat and the components burn or with enough voltage can explode. That is the point you fried your computer. The above formula is a DC formula not exactly what you would use if you are considering alternating voltage. But it illustrates the idea.

[JPnyc]

That's cheating. :D
Wait'll ya play cards with me......... ;)

[Train]

Protecting our PC.

Surge protection, this is a normal musut have and if they are under $30, they are probably just outlet box on a peice of extention cord. A person has to really pay attention to the specifications here.
This item will help protect you from spikes in the power line.

UPS, has a battery in it and can help protect agains spikes and in cases of brownout [ voltage drop] take power from the battery to hold the voltage constant.

Lightning, there is nothing that can protect you pc. The best thing to do is to unplug everything from the tower after shutting it down. Yes, even the phoneline, speakers, those funny wires that go to the TV or what ever they go to. Otherwise, those wires leave a potential path for the lightning to travel over.

Most common item to get zapped is the dialup modem, because folks fail to unhook that wire.

The worst case I have seen, well the case was the only thing salvagable.

[DrMDJ]

Surge protection, this is a normal musut have and if they are under $30, they are probably just outlet box on a peice of extention cord. A person has to really pay attention to the specifications here.Thus my earlier question, namely what are the important and proper specifications one should look at (for UPS and surge protection)?

[BIG JOHN]

Some good info from the Symantec site: BJ

Whether caused by blackouts, faulty wiring, or a bolt of lightning shaking hands with your wires, power surges can be damaging - even deadly - to your computer. When the voltage on a power line running into your house exceeds the amount the line can handle, the electricity looks for other routes. Often it chooses the cord running into your computer or other appliances. Your computer is then overloaded with electricity -- zapping its memory or melting the components inside.

Preventative Options
Surge suppressors and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) are two options for power surge protection. To use, simply plug them into the wall outlet. Your computer, modem, phone or other components then plug into the device. Both surge suppressors and UPSs have pros and cons, mainly regarding cost and efficacy.

Surge Suppressors
Surge suppressors are the basic form for protecting your computer against errant electricity. The suppressor maintains a constant flow of power to the computer, suppressing damaging voltage surges. The suppressor may operate by absorbing the surge, blocking the surge, or a combination of the two.

Surge suppressors are the less expensive choice for protection. But many of the surge suppressors available in retail stores are little more than a power strip. When browsing your choices, compare ratings. The $10 power strip probably won't adequately defend your $2,000 computer. A quality surge suppressor costs $25 - $50. Remember your initial investment, and spend as much as you think it's worth to protect.

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
UPSs go one step further than surge suppressors by preventing surges and keeping your computer running in the event of a power shortage so that you can shut it down properly, preventing damage and data loss. UPSs contain an internal battery that charges itself when there is power, in preparation for when there is not. When shopping for a UPS, it's important to choose one with the right VA (volt-ampere) rating for your equipment. The average desktop requires 200 - 300 VA.

There are two basic types of UPSs:

Standby UPS. In the event of an outage, the UPS switches to a battery that delivers full power. The battery is charged by electricity during normal operation. With this type of UPS, there's a millisecond lag during the switch between electricity and battery, but it usually doesn't affect the computer. The standby UPS provides the minimum level of surge suppression at an economical price.
Online UPS. This type of UPS eliminates the lag during switchover, maintaining power steadily. The online system also diverts a steady stream of electricity to charge its battery. The online UPS is considerably more expensive than the standby.

UPSs are an excellent way to protect your system against power surges. They are more expensive than good surge suppressors, starting around $75 - $100, but they offer better protection and more options.

Protecting Your Computer
When you begin searching for the right surge protection, remember that retail methods are not invincible. A higher end UPS will protect your computer against most of the surges home computer users encounter. But if your house is struck by lightning, there's probably little that any surge protector or UPS can do to buffer that voltage.

As you are browsing the different options, strengths, and costs available, check the specifications on the packages and see how the devices measure up on the following:

UL 1449 rating. This is the guarantee that the surge suppressor meets the specifications of Underwriters Laboratory. The suppressor should meet or exceed the UL 1449 rating. If it's not marked on the surge protector, look for another device.
Clamping voltage. This is the point at which the surge protector starts suppressing electricity. The lower the clamping voltage, the better the protection. Look for one with a clamping voltage of 400 volts or less.
Response time. This is the time it takes for the suppressor to act. For the best protection, look for a suppressor that provides a response time of less than 10 nanoseconds.
Energy dissipation. This is the amount of electricity a suppressor can absorb before it blows. A good suppressor can absorb around 200 to 400 joules before it fails and passes the surge to the electrical ground.
Three-way protection. This is the number of wires the surge suppressor protects. The cheaper suppressors guard against surges in only the current-carrying wires. For added protection, use a three-way protection suppressor, which protects from surges that come through the ground wire.
Extra jacks. Because strong power surges can follow any path to your PC, you need to be sure that all components are protected. Look for a model that has jacks for your phone and coaxial cable jacks if you have a cable modem.

Damage Control
In spite of good equipment and best intentions, calamity sometimes strikes. If you are prepared for it, you can minimize the impact a power surge has by backing up your computer. While you may not save your hard drive, you might save the information on it such as documents, spreadsheets, financial records, email, address book, calendar and other important data. Backing up your computer protects all the hours of work you've spent in front of it. While you can buy a new hard drive, you can't buy new account information or irreplaceable email.

[jmtjet]

The safest thing to do is to unplug everything. Computer, monitor, cable modem(disconnect the cable also), everything and wait till the storm passes.

If we are going away for the day I still unplug-just in case. :)

[Søul]

I live in Wisconsin and we get pretty good storms here so this topic has been very helpful. Thanks.

Questions:
From what I gather after reading through the thread is that a surge protector, no matter how advanced, isn't enough protection. Your recommending that ALL phone or cable connections must also be disconnected. Correct?
In my house there's 3 computers running off of the same cable line via a router. Should I really be disconnecting all of the cables when a storm passes? If this is the case, why spend money on an expensive, (over $10), surge protector when you have to unplug everything to keep your computer safe? I've just unplugged my PC in the past and haven't had any disasters...yet.

[usil]

Hi usil, Sure didn't take long for you to show. Great. (I betcha your daughter has her mother's looks does she not? LOL)

Yes she does, and we are all greatful for that :D

[hongman]

I have been thinking of getting a UPS for some time now, but I was put off by the price. But you (sparks) say that a decent costs nearly the same as a HDD - care to point me in the right direction! Thanks.

I dont really suffer storms or stuff here. I can only remember a few power cuts and maybe one or 2 suspected surges... but more often than not its becuase I have forgotten to charge my electric key so everything dies!!

Also, I have seen surge supressors with guarentee on them. Something like 'Guaranteed to take X amount of volts/amps/whatever and have automatic insurance of £10,000!'

Has anyone claimed from these, and are they generally better?

[Nix]

If this is the case, why spend money on an expensive, (over $10), surge protector when you have to unplug everything to keep your computer safe? I've just unplugged my PC in the past and haven't had any disasters...yet.

From a laymans view (mine) a surge is a small increase in the current.

A hit from lightning does not classify as a surge.

eg sticking you tounge on a 9 volt battery gives you a tingle of the tounge :p , sticking your tounge on the end of a lightning bolt............ :eek:

[eddds40]

I do live in thunderstorm area Mid Plains USA. Y modem is the one that get's it in most cases. I feel that running a UPS is essential in this area. I dont think it has to be a large watt capacity as have had smaller ones running when house had a bad hit. Had a case where it got the fridge & TV + other applicances in a house it did take out the UPS also, But PC was unhurt. This was a 300 w power ups. Same storm did a complete on another PC in area.

[greengoose1]

One reason for a surge suppressor is all the spikes that come into your computer without lightning. These happen on a 24 hour basis 7 days a week. We use a lightning strike as the worst case scenerio. The spurious spikes from lightning if small enough will not get through.

Another bad example would your transformer on a pole outside of your house. There is a heck of a spike when one of those fail.

What we do then is try and protect as best we can, being aware that with a direct hit by lightning you will probable be calling the insurance company. Is you computer insured for replacement value?

[DrMDJ]

Gonna rattle the cages again on this (being the devil's advocate, or maybe it's "devil incarnate", that I am)... So unless all UPSes or surge protectors are created equal, what specs/features should one look for?

[greengoose1]

Gonna rattle the cages again on this (being the devil's advocate, or maybe it's "devil incarnate", that I am)... So unless all UPSes or surge protectors are created equal, what specs/features should one look for?

Don't want to steal all the thunder here, :D :D, but how about heavy duty braided copper wire wraped on all input lines with the other ends attached to a rod in the ground.

We will have to come up with a set I think as what is on the market is given the minimum manufacturers specs that can be gotten away with but will sell from what is written on the box. But I don't believe there is a really good set of speced out surge protectors that will do the job except for a direct hit. At least I have not seen any. The good ones help but that is it.

[DrMDJ]

PS. I know there was some info in BJ's post related to my question(s). But do people agree these are the things/values to look for, shoot for?

[NielsRb]

My computer is connected through 2 good surge protectors, but that's not enough.

The only sure protection is, as has already been mentioned, is disconnect everything.

I lost a modem and the motherboard because I forgot to disconnect the telephone line during a thunder storm.

[SuperSparks]

I personally like APC UPS's, though there are a number of other good brands as well. There is a wealth of useful information on their site to help in chossing the right model:

http://www.apc.com/products/category.cfm?id=13

And there is a selector here:

http://www.apc.com/tools/ups_selector/index.cfm

As to what to look for when choosing a UPS, the main choice comes down battery capacity. How large a battery capacity you choose depends on several factors, primarily the equipment connected to the UPS and the amount of runtime you require after a power failure. For an average PC with a single monitor, where just a few minutes of runtime is needed to enable a safe shutdown, then a 500VA model will be plenty. On surge protection it does vary between model ranges, and it is usually given in Joules - more is better. Another factor to consider is that the higher end models will have good communication and monitoring facilities along with the ability to initiate automatic shutdown - very useful for anyone running an unattended server, for example.

Hongman, and other UK members, this is where I bought my UPS's, they have a good range and start at reasonable prices for the smaller models:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Un_Interruptable_Power_Supplies_55.html

[hongman]

Thanks Sparks.

I think I might invest in one of those inline ones (the top one in your link), lack of space and all means that getting a 'tower' UPS is also not practical here...

Is that enough for me needs (spec below)? 350va?

[hongman]

Ha! According to the UPS Selector, the APC Smart-UPS SC 620VA 230V is the cheapest for my needs, giving me a runtime of 11 mins and having 61% of the capacity used. Still, its setting me back (potentially) £130!!

Is this right?

EDIT: How long are these batteries going to last under 'normal' use?

[SuperSparks]

The batteries are supposed to be changed every 3 years. They are sealed lead acid batteries and aren't that expensive to replace. The actual UPS itself should last for years and years.

The "Smart-UPS" range is at the top end (they're very good, it's what I use), you could get a 500VA "Back-UPS" for half that price from Overclockers. You lose some surge protection (300J vs 480J) but that isn't really so much of an issue in the UK. But for basic UPS protection they are just fine and very reasonable priced - it's only got to save you one wrecked hard drive and it's paid for itself.

[hongman]

thanks, that definately something to bear in mind.

ok, so whilst we are going into details, where and approx how much would a replacement battery cost? What i mean is, if i were to get an APC UPS, would i have to replace it with an APC battery, or are they generic?

[hongman]

Out of curiosity, how many times has your UPS saved you (that you know of)?

[SuperSparks]

It's saved me twice that I know of. But I don't have a key meter, and I don't leave the PC's switched on when I'm not around. I suspect I would have been saved several more times if I did.

Officially, you are supposed to use the proper batteries, but I wouldn't mind betting that it's easy to get generic replacements from Maplins, though I've never specifically looked.

[Ridgerunr]

A couple words about surge suppressors. As said,stay away from the $9.95 "specials". Case in point: Client had a problem with monitor either not coming on or phasing out to blank screen. A lot of footwork done on this one. Solution found with a simple voltmeter. 6 connectors on the surge strip. First one(next to wall cord) tested 114v. #2=96v, #3=75v, #4&5=52v, #6(monitor plugged to this one) =15volt! Bottom line? The cheapo's are garbage! :rolleyes: If you need to go with a suppressor rather than a UPS for whatever reason, be sure to get a 'name' brand in the $30 to $40.00 range. And be sure it has a joule rating of at the very least,270 to 1,000. Or spend a bit more for one with a rating of 1100 and up.

[hongman]

Thanks peeps :)

[Train]

If you have a refrigerator, freeze, air conditioner, on the same line as the PC, I can guarrantee that everythimg they start up, you have a brown out situation. And when they shut down, they spike the circuit.

I do have a mobo that those spikes destroyed, as a momento, sitting right above my monitor. Oh, the cpu and ram were gotten also.

And should you get that spike feedback throught the mains {main panel box} , you PC can still be damged.

Or if you have a place on the same feeder lines, that has large electrical motors, you can have the same situation coming in from the transformer on the pole that feeds your house.

[SuperSparks]

Yes indeed, Train raises some very good points. Getting zapped by lightning, even in prone parts of the world is still a rare event, but getting zapped by mains spikes is not. Most people don't realise how dirty mains electricity is, and that is another very good reason for a good quality surge protector or UPS.


Let us discuss protection ratings. I have a number of electrical engineering qualifications, so I probably know more than most folks about what a Joule is and how it relates to other electrical units. But saying that my UPS's have a "Surge energy rating" of 480 Joules doesn't tell me anything very meaningful, and it presumably means even less to the average person who hasn't studied electromagentism. So how do we decide on what is an adequate protection rating? How does xxxx Joules relate to what we might experience in the real world with a lighning strike or mains spike?

[Train]

What is an electrical surge?

A surge is a transient (i.e., momentary, impermanent) increase of current, voltage or power on an electrical system. The increase can be quite large – many times the norm – or quite small – 10 percent over the norm.

The larger, more destructive surges, generally caused by lightning, can reach thousands of volts. Lightning doesn’t have to strike the earth to cause damage. More common cloud to cloud strikes, even a mile away, can produce enormous magnetic fields that induce surges onto power, telephone and cable lines. Unchecked, such surges can quickly destroy wiring, appliances, telephones, and other electronic devices.

Smaller surges may be caused by disturbances on the utility’s transmission lines. Commonly, surges originate within the home from the operation of appliances such as refrigerators/freezers, washing machines, air conditioners, dishwashers, lighting dimmers, and power tools.

Surge protectors: what they are, how they function:

Surge protectors limit surge voltages by discharging surge currents to ground. Proper grounding is the strongest prerequisite for proper surge protection. The key components in almost all surge protectors are metal oxide varisters (MOVs). Under normal conditions, MOVs offer high resistance to currents, preventing normal currents from discharging to ground. Under surge conditions – typically 115 percent or more of normal current – the MOV’s resistance drops within nanoseconds (a nanosecond is one billionth of a second), creating a path with far less resistance than the facility’s wiring for the current to flow to ground.

Two stages of protection necessary to effectively guard against electrical surges:

Surge strips are commonly believed to be sufficient protection for electronic equipment such as televisions and personal computers. Surge strips, however, are not capable of suppressing a powerful surge, such as one caused by lightning, and most do not include any protection for telephone or coaxial cable lines. Although no product can protect a home against a direct lightning strike, the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers recommends whole house surge suppression as the most effective way to protect against damage in the home.

Whole house surge suppression devices protect the home where the electric, telephone, and cable lines enter the home. These devices serve as a first line of defense against surges and are installed directly at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box to protect all incoming lines.

[Train]

Now if you are in the market for suge protection, here are some thing to take into concideration.

1. UL 1449 LISTED
Look for an (Underwriters Laboratory) UL 1449 compliance rating for safety. The 1449 rating should be listed on products that conform to rating standards. A UL listing for "power tap" is not sufficient.

2. PEAK SURGE CURRENT
The peak surge current also may be referred to as maximum transient current or maximum current. The bigger the number, the better the protection. With surge protection at the meter or circuit panel, 36,000 amperes or higher are needed. Without surge protection at the meter or circuit panel, 54,000 amperes or higher are needed.

3. UL 1449 SUPPRESSED VOLTAGE RATING
The UL 1449 suppressed voltage rating is sometimes referred to as clamping voltage. The lower the number, the better the protection. As a general rule, 330 volts provide an adequate level of protection.

4. Energy Rating (Joules)
The joules testing method is not standardized; therefore, purchasing decisions should not be based on this rating alone. However, the higher the joule rating the better the protection. A rating of 600 joules or higher is considered adequate.

And some other things to concider.

Does the surge protector device protect other items from surge damage, such as TV cable or the telephone lines.

Does the surge protector come with a warranty for connected equipment? Many devices carry insurance on connected equipment of $25,000 or more.

Does the device allow for all equipment to be plugged into it, such as AC adapters or wall transformers, printers, monitors, and sound systems?

Does the surge protector protect against electrical noise such, as ElectroMagnetic Interference (EMI) or Radio Frequency Interference (RFI)?

Does the surge protector have an indicator light to show fault conditions, as well as a power-on indicator?

Do not go just by the joules ratings there have been manufactors who have used what I concider the wrong mov's just to raise that rating.[/b]

[greengoose1]

Dug out this table of terms.



Ampere
Quantitative unit of measurement of electrical current. Abbreviated as Amp or A.

Clamping Level
This generally is used to describe the voltage level, which causes the surge diversion device to start to divert surge energy. A related, but more important parameter is the Suppressed Voltage.

Response Time
The time it takes a surge protection device to switch from its "off" condition to an "on", diverting mode. This occurs when an incoming surge voltage exceeds the clamping threshold level of the MOV or other suppression component.

Common Mode Voltage
A voltage, that appears on the phase and neutral wires of the power system when compared with the system ground wire.

Current
Current, expressed in units of amperes, or simply amps, is the flow of electrons through a conductor. AC, or alternating current, is a current in which the flow of electrons reverses periodically.

Joule
A joule is a measure of the energy contained in an impulse or conversely it is a measure of the absorption capability of a surge protection device. (1 joule = 1 watt x 1 second)

Let-Through Voltage
The residual transient voltage that would appear across equipment after an upstream surge protection device has operated. It is important to remember that the "let-through" voltage is the sum of the voltage drop across the surge protector itself plus the voltage drops that appear across the wiring that connects the protector to the power lines. The protector clamping voltage is only one part of the let-through voltage and frequently is of secondary importance to the wiring drop.

Resistance
A property of electrical conductors or electrical insulators, which characterizes their ability to conduct or resist the flow of electricity.

Service Life
The number of surges of given magnitude that can be suppressed by the suppressor, a measure of reliability.

To continue for an average computer setup with printer and scanner about an 1100 joule rated surge protecor will work.

And you can use the table above to make sure you cover all the specs.

It is not uncommon because of the arc over at the electrical entrances that the individual outlets can have 6,000V and 3000 amps present when the spike hits. And we have not said anything about inductance and distance.

And what about the effect of large machinery loads being turned on and off in an electrical grid. these spikes will hit you too.

If you were to connect a circle graph to your electical supply and ran it for twenty four hours you would be amazed at the number of highs and lows you received.

[hongman]

WOuld I be right, in theory, that if you dasiy-chained 2+ surge strips or even UPS's you would get better protecttion? Ignoring the impracticality of it, say one bought 2 UPS's/Surge Strips I am thinking along the lines of if daisy-chained, the first one would take the 'big' buffer, then the second one would sort out any 'excess' that made it through...

Would I be right in presuming this?

[DrMDJ]

So how do we decide on what is an adequate protection rating? How does xxxx Joules relate to what we might experience in the real world with a lighning strike or mains spike?Yes indeed.

We can see from this thread that generalized statements as to what's adequate for certain things can vary. In BJ's post Semantec saysA good suppressor can absorb around 200 to 400 joules before it fails and passes the surge to the electrical ground.Yet Train's source saysA rating of 600 joules or higher is considered adequate.That would seem to be a not so insignificant difference.

[DrMDJ]

WOuld I be right, in theory, that if you dasiy-chained 2+ surge strips or even UPS's you would get better protecttion?Acording to Tripp Lite...Can you daisychain surge suppressors?
Yes, but it is not recommended. By connecting all the surge suppressors into one, an overload may occur and trip the circuit breaker. Also surge suppressors protect against AC surges and spikes by way of MOVs (Metal Oxide Varistors) and these devices should not be put in series.

[DrMDJ]

Now as Train mentioned...If you have a refrigerator, freeze, air conditioner, on the same line as the PC, I can guarrantee that everythimg they start up, you have a brown out situation.But basic surge suppressors, and even UPSes, do not offer any protection from this if they employ fixed (as opposed to dynamic) clamping levels via the MOVs train mentioned.

[bmillerx]

I lost a computer when lightning struck the phone lines. A UPS is the only way to go unless you unplug everything . I have seen lightning blow surge protectors away along with the computer power supply.

BC

[Train]

What this

Can you daisychain surge suppressors?
Yes, but it is not recommended. By connecting all the surge suppressors into one, an overload may occur and trip the circuit breaker. Also surge suppressors protect against AC surges and spikes by way of MOVs (Metal Oxide Varistors) and these devices should not be put in series.

is telling me that if you do that, then you are actually reducing your protection. Like capacitors in series. Not a good thing.

[hongman]

Oh ok, thanks.

I wasnt thinking of doing, just wondered what qould happen if I did :D

[NielsRb]

I did it, now I'm undoing it.

[Train]

Types of UPS here (http://www.clary.com/about/type.html) and here at his page (http://www.mhpower.com.au/nikobe/html/UPStypes.html) will give a BASIC idea of what to look for in the various models of ups's.

Now the surge protector use MOV's to do the protecting. Now with time, due to being activated by spikes, they tend to break down. So, I replace them every 3 to 5 years. Depending on the part of the country I am living in. and the general area. And as there are a lot of motors in thi local, 3 years is the max I use a surge protector before I replace it.

Now, remember, there is no standard test for the joules measurement as I posted in #40.


4. Energy Rating (Joules)
The joules testing method is not standardized; therefore, purchasing decisions should not be based on this rating alone. However, the higher the joule rating the better the protection. A rating of 600 joules or higher is considered adequate.

[shiva_42]

I am not an electrical engineer, nor do I play one on TV. I am; however, an experienced amatuer radio operator. That being said...

The "online" type of UPS's typically are conditioning the line voltage constantly as they are operating. Some time ago, some of the UPS brands indicated that they produced "sine wave" output... meaning a conditioned electrical wave as perfect as possible. In addition, these had much faster reaction (clamping) times than their offline cousins. It's difficult for me to accurately estimate exactly how LITTLE protection I need, so I tend to buy as high up the price scale as I can afford, figuring too much is way better than too little. For what it's worth, I have used both APC and Tripplite, and believe APC to be the superior product in most price ranges. Protecting the phone line is a must, as it is simply an open door for electrical problems if left unprotected. But, if you fear a direct hit, heed the following:

I had an antenna on a 60' pole outside my office, with the antenna lead running into a socket on the outside, with two sheets of plexiglass and an air space between that connection and the inside connection running to my transceiver. A lightning storm came through the area, so I unplugged my inside antenna connection from the matrix. My tower was struck with (I believe) a direct hit of lightning. The bolt ran down the antenna lead, jumped the plexiglass matrix, ran across the (possibly damp) windowsill, and arced 28" into the dangling antenna lead and literally blew up my radio.

Moral of the story? If you fear a direct hit... unplug EVERYTHING and cross your fingers. You CAN'T be too safe.

Of course, I leave all my computer stuff running all the time, even though I'm in the midwest, and I have an older model APC online UPS running full time, and have been saved a couple of times in the last few years.

Replacement battery averages about $35.00, and I replace it every two years or so.

[Leurgy]

I lifted this from another discussion on Surge Protectors and the insurance they claim to provide. I think it came from this forum but unfortunately I don't know who wrote it or when. I copied it and saved it for future reference and here it is:

As far as that insurance is concerned, think about this: manufacturers rate a surge protector's protection for the bare minimum that they KNOW it will protect against. There's no way that a surge lower than the rated protection will ever get through to your equipment. It's all physics. If it gets through, it HAS to be greater than the protection rating, one way or another. Well, they're not going to pay for anything that was damaged by a surge greater than the protector was rated to handle, so anything that was big enough to get through the protector would void the coverage.

What if it's defective, and fails to protect against a normal surge? Well, there's always some kind of LED or other type of light that gives an indication of whether or not the breaker is working. If that light isn't on, it's unusually dim, or it flashes, then there's something wrong with the breaker. Since the surge protector gives you a visual indication when it's not working properly, the manufacturer sure isn't going to pay for anything you were brave enough to plug into it.

In other words, there's really never a time when you can collect anything. Maybe once in a blue moon someone makes it through the system, but I've never known anyone who has actually succeeded. It basically just lets them put something attractive on the package.

If you recognize that as yours please feel free to take credit.

[greengoose1]

Now that is interesting and I don't remember it. Thanks for posting it Leurgy. :)

[Train]

Bistro or Kallikru posted that. Boy that has been awhile back, but good to see it surface again.

[jerryctx]

Someone asked about the "insurance" offered by UPSs. Generally, they expect your homeowner's insurance to cover most damages and they cover the deductable. My experience is that they pay (the deductable) with few questions.

I came late to this thread and have only scanned most of the posts so forgive me if I'm beating a dead horse:

1. How much protection do I need? As much as you can afford since you can't predict where lightning will strike. No suppressor or UPS will prevent damage if lightning hits the power pole just outside your house (much less a direct hit on the house in which case your computer is probably the least of your worries).

2. Can I daisy chain suppressors and/or UPSs? No, no, NO. Resistance increases creating heat which can damage the equipment, possibly even creating a fire hazard (although I've never heard of such a fire).

3. If a suppressor costs less than ~$50 US, it probably is close to worthless.

4. I use a UPS because short duration brown-outs are common on all power systems. If it happens while your system is updating the hard drive, nasty things can happen. Since installing a UPS, I haven't had to re-install Windows, nor have I had any unexplained file corruption.