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FAQs on Surge Protectors
Click on your question below to see the answer:
NOTE
The electronic equipment found in most homes of today is sensitive to lightning, which
can destroy your expensive computer system and digital big-screen television. Anything
with microcircuits is at risk, including security systems and portable phones. Lightning
traveling through phone lines can melt your modem. To make matters worse, a single flash
of lightning can consist of several discharges, increasing the odds for damage. To
protect against a power surge, it is necessary to stop the surge from entering the house
wiring at the main panel. This can be accomplished by installing a whole-house surge
suppressor and using individual surge suppressors, or suppressors, at points of use that
protect each device or appliance at its outlet.
Regardless of the quality of your whole-houses surge protector, it cannot be effective
unless it is connected to a good grounding system. An ideal grounding system will
typically consist of one or more approved grounding rods and clamps. Be certain that the
grounding wires are buried deeply enough not to be cut by your lawn mower or otherwise
disconnected from the grounding system. Check local code for grounding-wire depths.
A surge occurs when the power line voltage goes higher than nominal, and stays
there longer than 10 milliseconds. The three main forms of power interference
include: voltage dips, electromagnetic interference and surges.
Most surges occur when devices with motors - hair dryers, refrigerators, water
pumps - shut off. Suddenly the energy these devices were consuming is diverted
elsewhere in the form of excess voltage. Surges also happen when the electric
company switches power from one geographic area of the grid to another as supply
and demand in the region changes. Thunderstorms and lightening are the most
dramatic and destructive causes of power line problems.
Only 40% of the problem is generated outside the home or office by events such
as lightening, utility grid switching, line slapping, mis-wiring, etc. 60% of
all electrical surges or transient voltage activity is generated within the home.
Surges are caused by elevators, air conditioners, vending machines, copiers,
large computers, even lights turning on and off will cause rushes of power and
transient voltages back up the line.
Yes. Today's computerized appliances and electronics can be damaged or destroyed
by over-voltage surges or spikes. This includes computer equipment and peripherals;
electronic equipment such as stereos, TVs and VCRs; household appliances including
washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, microwave ovens, food processors,
blenders, and can openers; and other electronic devices such as fax machines,
telephones, and answering machines. Any electronic device that contains a
microprocessor is susceptible to damage from transient voltages.
Yes. Many electrical devices have electronic timers, clocks, or remote controls
(TV, VCR) which remain in operation even when it is not in use. Also, some appliances
cycle off and on at random like air conditioners, water heaters, pumps, or
refrigerators and they could be on during a surge.
There are several reasons why power quality has become such an important issue:
No. Circuit breakers are only designed to protect against over-current, not a voltage
spike or drop.
Suppressors work by absorbing some of the electrical surge and diverting the rest to
ground. The top brands use sophisticated components that allow them to react quickly
(surges often last just millionths of a second) yet endure high voltages. Surge
suppressors are not lightening arresters. They may not survive direct lightening strikes
or sustained line over-voltages (broken neutral).
The first line of defense against incoming high-energy, high-voltage transient surges
is the Whole House surge protector. These devices shunt away the energy of the initial
surge and reduce it considerably before it reaches electrical appliances. In many cases,
this level of protection is enough to protect hard-wired appliances such as dishwashers,
heating systems and florescent lighting.
The Point of Use surge devices supply the second line of protection by further reducing
the surge to an acceptable level for sensitive electronic devices to which they are
connected. The combination of Whole House and Point of Use surge protection provides the
best possible protection.
The problems caused by disturbances in the power line may not surface immediately. They
can cause the gradual breakdown of electronic circuitry. Any piece of electronic equipment
that behaves in an erratic fashion may need a surge protector. However, new equipment
should be protected when installed.
Maybe, though they do handle the most frequent and destructive ones. More sophisticated
technologies, i.e. hybrid power conditioners and uninterruptible power systems are available
to handle complex power problems.
Some of the surge suppressors incorporate protection circuitry for the telephone line. There
are two sockets on these products. By plugging a phone line through the sockets, you can
minimize the effects of a surge coming into your equipment through the phone line. Facsimile
machines, cordless phones and answering machines are especially sensitive, and computers with
internal modems can be completely destroyed by spikes on the phone line.
The Point of Use surge protectors are designed to protect sensitive electronic equipment and
major appliances in the home. Point of Use suppressors are usually devices that plug into the
wall outlet and can handle surges up to 6,000 volts. To encourage members to install quality
surge protectors Tanner Electric Cooperative offers Home Guard surge protectors that you can
choose to either purchase or lease. The devices are either in outlet or strip form and come
in basic, phone, or cable options. Additionally, there is a satellite surge protector and a
heavy duty strip protector. The outlet surge protectors are ideally suited for use behind a
refrigerator or microwave where accessibility is limited.
The Whole House surge protector is designed to protect homes against transient surges that
enter through the home's service entrance, but does not protect from surges created internally
in the home when motors turn on and off. Whole House protectors are devices that are installed
at the service entrance (meter or electrical panel) and can handle surges up to 20,000 volts.
Tanner Electric Cooperative offers only the meter socket style (200 amp service) Whole House
surge protector, at this time.
Surge suppressors should perform to a specific standard (UL 1449). It is important that the
surge suppressor is "listed" as performing to this standard. Avoid suppressors with
labels worded like:
Ten percent of the purchase price of a solid state system is a good value for insurance against
power disturbances.
According to one of the country's largest casualty loss insurers, over 63% of all loss-pay-outs
on electronic equipment are due to power problems. Consumers can guard against these problems
and prevent costly repairs only through the use of good quality surge suppressors.
The Point of Use Home Guard products carried by Tanner Electric Cooperative come with a warranty
of up to $5,000 on sensitive electronic devices properly protected. The Whole House protectors
are warranted for 15 years and up to $10,000. The Whole House warranty covers only the
"white appliances" in the home: washer, dryer, stove, refrigerator, freezer,
dishwasher, and HVAC unit.
Additional information on surge protectors available through Tanner Electric Cooperative
Other considerations:
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