• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Surge Protection.

Sitka

Sitka

Active Member
My experience with surge protection.

I live in Puerto Rico, it is noterious for power grid problems, both storm related (Hurricane Maria) or other outages due to maintenance failures. Awhile back we had a power outage that lasted several days. I got by with a gas powered generator to run some stuff. When the power was finally restored we were hit with a power surge. At first, I didn't detect any problems - my TV, AVR, Tube amps, etc was all working fine, they were protected by a couple of Furman power conditioners/suppressors that saved my gear. But our fridge was not - it was fried. Replacement was about 2K. I put the new fridge on another Furman.

A power surge can happen anywhere - a lightning strike nearby can trash your gear. Years ago in MT., we had lightning strike across the street, hit a transformer on the pole, I had sparks shooting out of an electrical outlet in the bathroom! Guess I'm a little paranoid about this issue.

Anyway, I just had the electrician install a whole house Square D SPD (surge protection device) at the meter. Hopefully this gives blanket coverage for everything electrical in the house, cost was under $100.

Anyone else have power surge problems/experience?
 
Register to hide this ad
Yes, early on at my home had some touch sensitive lamps control units burned out, and a palm tree next to the house fried. I have thought of a whole house surge protector, but have instead relied on small surge protectors for most appliances including frig. If a lightning strike hits my roof, it will find the electrical wires in the attic, and follow them down to active outlets and fry whatever is plugged in "and pulling current", by-passing a whole house surge protector. The service lines for my neighborhood are buried, so lightning cannot hit a utility pole and follow the service line to the house. If that was the case, I would have a whole house SPD.

If I was in a surge zone, I would have all electronics on UPS, since SPDs are not guaranteed to stop all surges. But if a surge hits a UPS, the UPS will get fried but "I think" the surge will not get through to electronics plugged into it.
 
Sitka said:
My experience with surge protection.

I live in Puerto Rico, it is noterious for power grid problems, both storm related (Hurricane Maria) or other outages due to maintenance failures. Awhile back we had a power outage that lasted several days. I got by with a gas powered generator to run some stuff. When the power was finally restored we were hit with a power surge. At first, I didn't detect any problems - my TV, AVR, Tube amps, etc was all working fine, they were protected by a couple of Furman power conditioners/suppressors that saved my gear. But our fridge was not - it was fried. Replacement was about 2K. I put the new fridge on another Furman.

A power surge can happen anywhere - a lightning strike nearby can trash your gear. Years ago in MT., we had lightning strike across the street, hit a transformer on the pole, I had sparks shooting out of an electrical outlet in the bathroom! Guess I'm a little paranoid about this issue.

Anyway, I just had the electrician install a whole house Square D SPD (surge protection device) at the meter. Hopefully this gives blanket coverage for everything electrical in the house, cost was under $100.

Anyone else have power surge problems/experience?
Click to expand...
I live in central Mississippi. Power here, is actually rather stable. Perhaps that is a side affect of being about 20 miles from a giant nuclear reactor. We do get very nasty storms, which often result in power fluctuation. I tend to use Tripp-Lite surge protectors. they seem to work well. I also have various models of UPS, by both Tripp-Lite and APC. Both are excellent. :)
 
Oh yea, been successfully surge/spike protecting all my house`s electronic/electrical devices for decades, starting at the meter can type, followed up with a L1 & L2 (20) amp breaker protected HQ SPD load center installed one by me.

With end point HQ surge/spike protectors for all seven room`s of my house`s A/V systems.

All 120 volt household appliances plug into Belkin outlet mounted surge spike protected 6 socket power tap SPD devices screwed to the outlet`s cover screw hole.
All SPD devices have been subjected to countless strong nearby lightning strikes (as recently as 4 yrs. ago to a tree 10 ft. from the corner of my house`s attached garage converted to a electronic repair workshop in 1989) and the occasional manmade spike/surge rich power blips.

Cheap OEM provided under rated wireless security camera`s SMPS wall wart failures has been the only electronic/electrical losses since full power protection implementation, even no failures of 4 room`s stereos, that remain powered up 24/7/365, some for over 20 yrs.
Yes, you could say I`m a big advocate of properly protecting my house`s electronic/electrical devices using non Audiophile marketed surge/spike protection devices (Tripp-Lite, Panamax, Furman, & Belkin) utilizing 3 layer protection ^^^ as outlined in the IEEE White paper labeled: "How to Lightning Proof your (home/business) dwelling".

After over 3 decades living at the upper end of FL`s infamous "Lightning Alley", local intense electrical storms don`t concern me at all, with no turning off or unplugging any normally operating electrical/electronic devices.
 
elvi said:
MOV's, for the win..

Simple part, and vendors make you pay big bucks for a protector.
Click to expand...
Little bit more circuitry involved for the better quality SPDs, with none of my in use power protection products ever marketed with the jacked up priced audiophile jive quality promises, I just use SPDs made by many decades long in the business of power & and signal surge/spike protection companies that are priced quite reasonable.
 
Sitka said:
Anyway, I just had the electrician install a whole house Square D SPD (surge protection device) at the meter. Hopefully this gives blanket coverage for everything electrical in the house, cost was under $100.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom