Are you Surge Protected?

Ask yourself a simple question, “Are my prized electronic devices such as Computers, Home Entertainment Systems and Audio Equipment protected from harmful power surges or lightening strikes”? If the answer to this question is yes, then how old are the surge protectors, are they still functioning and are they providing enough protection? If they answer is no, then why not?
Modern home entertainment and audio equipment can be expensive to replace if anything goes wrong with it. Most people probably never give a thought to protecting it from power surges on the electricity supply lines, or worse still, from lightning strikes during a storm. A single surge protection plug that costs on average between £4-£7 can protect equipment worth hundreds or thousands of pounds. A 4-way surge strip with 4 AC Outlets can also be bought for as little as £5 or £6, so it makes sense to make a small investment to protect against electrical damage to expensive items.
The function of a surge suppression or surge protection device is to detect and act against harmful surges in voltage on your mains power supply. These sudden increases in voltage are often referred to as voltage spikes, and can occur at any time. Good surge suppression devices will direct any excess voltage harmlessly to ground and away from the connected equipment.
Any surge protection product will have a joules rating to indicate how much energy the device can absorb when a power spike has been detected. Most commercial surge suppression products will have a joules rating measured in hundreds or thousands of Joules, and even with a simple surge plug you should be looking for a rating of at least 200 joules and preferably over 1000 joules.
The common method employed by these devices to absorb the excess energy is by means of an MOV (Metal Oxide Varistor), which comprises two semiconductors that have a variable resistance. When the voltage increases the resistance decreases, thus providing a path of least resistance to ground for voltages in excess of what you would expect from a good power supply.
A surge protection device will be designed to direct energy to earth when the voltage reaches a certain level, and this level is known as the Clamping Voltage. For a 240v supply, this voltage will normally be something over 300 volts. Additionally, the time it takes for the surge suppression device to recognise and act upon a voltage spike is known as the response time, and although some manufacturers quote this time on their product literature and packaging, in reality a surge device utilising an MOV will always have a fast response time because that is the nature of an MOV.
Replacing ageing multi-socket power strips should become a priority if you consider your home entertainment, audio equipment or networking equipment to be important. Surge suppression strips are relatively inexpensive and will give peace of mind that when a power spike occurs, your equipment will provide the necessary Surge protection.
This article on Surge Protection was written by David Christie, MD at NSTUK Ltd, Website http://www.ipexpress.co.uk .

Do the General Public take Surge Protection Seriously?

When it comes to Surge Protection, I am of the opinion that a large percentage of the Public are unaware of the dangers of not providing surge protection for expensive electronic devices such as TVs, Home Entertainment Systems, Computers and Hi-Fi Systems.

A lot of homes probably have outdated power strips that provide little or no protection against power surges or in extreme cases, lightening strikes. The cost of providing some rudimentary protection is minimal when compared to the cost of replacing the electronic items themselves. The average retail purchase price of a 4-way surge protection strip is around £6, depending on the length of extension cable required with it. Individual surge plug adapters come in at an average price of £5.50. The price increases if you also require AV protection, which is designed to protect equipment connected to your phone line or coaxial cable connection.

Voltage spikes caused by fluctuations in the mains power supply from the power company are the main cause of damage to electrical devices. A surge protection device will harmlessly short the excess voltage to ground and away from sensitive equipment. Any surge suppression device will have a Joules rating associated with it. As a Joule is a measure of energy, this rating indicates how much of the energy caused by a voltage spike can be absorbed. The joules figure quoted on any surge strip or surge adapter can be confusing and misleading, but I would look for a figure in excess of 250 Joules and hopefully significantly more than that.
Surge suppression devices normally incorporate a Metal Oxide Varistor to divert any excess energy safely to ground. An MOV is a simple device comprising two metal oxide semiconductors that have variable resistance. When the voltage is high then the resistance in the MOV is low, therefore harmlessly directing the additional current to flow to ground. As the voltage returns to normal levels, the resistance in the MOV also increases, thus allowing normal current to flow to any attached electrical devices. The point at which the MOV will divert current away from connected devices is know as the clamping voltage, with common ratings being somewhere between 300-500 volts.

The time it takes for surge protection device to respond to an increase in voltage is known as the response time, which is normally measured in nanoseconds, whilst research has shown that voltage spikes take significantly longer to reach their peak voltage.

Now back to our original statement about the number of households with inadequate surge protection. It is important that the message goes out to the public about the advantages of using surge suppression equipment, and the possible consequences of not investing in it. A few pounds investment could save hundred or thousands of pounds in damaged equipment. Even if the devices are covered under an insurance policy, there is also the inconvenience of being without your treasured home entertainment system while an insurer processes the claim.

On a final note, surge protection devices that commonly use MOVs, have a limited lifespan depending on how many voltage spikes they experience and the severity of them. Good surge suppression products will have an indicator light to provide a visual indication that surge protection is being given. If those visual indicators suggest that the device is faulty or worn out, then it is time to replace the device. No real time period can be put on the life expectancy of a surge strip, because it is really down to the quality and reliability of the mains power supply itself. If you are not using surge protection, then I would seriously recommend that you consider It soon.

This article on Surge Protection was written by David Christie, MD at NSTUK Ltd, Website http://www.ipexpress.co.uk .

Are your Home Electronics Devices Protected against Power Surges?

You may have a number of expensive home electronic devices in your home, including a TV, Home Entertainment System, Audio Systems, PCs. Are you protected if a power surge occurs on your mains electricity supply?

If you need additional power outlets you go off to your local hardware store and purchase a power strip with maybe 3, 4 or 6 outlets. Do these surge strips have surge protection features enabled, or are they merely extensions?

A typical 4-way surge protection device might cost you £10-15 in your local highstreet store, but online you can purchase a surge strip for as little as £5-6. That is not much to pay when you consider that it might protect your pride and joy, that brand new 46 inch HD TV, or your £1500 home entertainment system you treat yourself and your family to.

Sudden increases in voltage on your mains power supply come without warning and if they are of sufficient magnitude they could severly damage unprotected electronic devices. A surge protection device will harmlessly route the excess voltage to ground, normally through the use of a MOV (Metal Oxide Varistor). The MOV typically consists of two variable resistance strips which decrease in resistance as an increase in voltage occurs. The least resistance path is to ground, so the energy is dissipated harmlessy.Once the voltage returns to normal, the resistance of the MOV increases and current flows normally to your attached equipment.

Some surge protection equipment even has additional outlets for telephone line and cable connection, therefore protecting any equipment connected via the telephone or cable.

It really is worth the investment of a few pounds to protect your most treasured home consumer electronics products.

This post was written by David Christie.
For great value surge protection products, take a look at http://www.ipexpress.co.uk/Surge-Protection-and-Tools/b/681039031