Opinions on Power Protection

[hafa]

westom, I'll not comment further, as you persist in attacking me personally. You've not won any converts here by insults and put-downs. I for one will continue to ensure that all of our customers are properly protected with quality UPS units, which do work very well, both in terms of theory and practice regardless of your ranting.

 

[westom]

westom, I'll not comment further, as you persist in attacking me personally.

You do not have basic electrical knowledge. That is not an attack. That is a fact. Posted again and again are basic electrical facts you do not know.

Even posted was a damning fact: disconnect that earth ground rod and the UPS will still report ground OK. Is that a personal attack? Of course not. It is what you should have known before posting.

Provided are so many sources that say why plug-in protectors are not effective. Many of them are your own citations. You did not read or grasp them. Why? Again - a fact. You do not have basic electrical knowledge to even appreciate why HowStuffWorks is nothing but myth, scam, half truths, and lies. Your own www.eeel.nist.gov citation - Figure 8 - shows what the effective protector must do - earth surges at the breaker box and electric meter - at single point earth ground. Is that a personal attack? Of course not. That is your own citation saying different from what you have posted.

Please learn how electricity works before making recommendations to others. Your recommendations, due to insufficient electrical knowledge, are just not accurate. You have even confused safety (equipment) ground with earth ground as myth purveyors so often do to promote obscenely profitable scams. That's also not an insult. That is reality.

 

[Bobnova]

I prefer to go with what i have observed personally and the observations of others: Surge protectors are immensely useful.

 

[Redstone]

It is amusing to see w_tom use his own comments as an independent authoritative source. Did a quick Google search and this guy is on an anti surge protector crusade on a bunch of forums. Wes, if you are going to continue walls of text look into some of those lowly english literature classes you look down upon. Your grammar and sentence structure needs serious work. In your own words, That is not an attack. That is a fact.
This is so close to getting locked

 

[Cant.Touch.This]

I had to search out of my own curiosity, seems you're right Redstone.

I don't see how using a surge protector, as opposed to none, would be any worse...

What exactly is westom recommending?

 

[westom]

I don't see how using a surge protector, as opposed to none, would be any worse...
What exactly is westom recommending?

Answer reposted:

Informed homeowners need only one protector - a 'whole house' protector - so that everything is protected even from direct lightning strikes. Only more responsible companies sell effective solutions - which does not include Belkin, APC, Tripplite, or Monster Cable. Responsible companies include General Electric, Intermatic, Polyphaser, Leviton, Siemens, Keison, and Square D. The effective protector from Cutler-Hammer sells in Lowes and Home Depot for less than $50.

A surge was earthed through two powered off computer via adjacent power strip protectors because that protector was too far from earth ground and was too close to the appliance. We traced a surge path by literally replacing semiconductors. Only those with knowledge could do that. It is how we learned. Incoming on AC mains black (hot) wire. Shunted into the computer's motherboard by an adjacent protector (that bypassed protection in the computer's power supply). Destructively through network cards into a third computer. Destructively to earth ground via that modem and the telephone wire.

Just another example of what happens when a protector is too close to appliances. When surge energy is permitted inside the building. Either a plug-in protector gives surges even more paths to find earth destructively via appliances. Or you spend tens or 100 times less money to earth one effective solution.

Quoted were so many professional sources who recommend 'whole house' protectors - not 'magic' plug-in protectors.

Protection is always about where energy dissipates. Listed were the solutions AND the so many reasons why. An effective protector means energy does not enter the building; does not threaten any appliances. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground.

Your telco's computer is connected to overhead wires all over town. Suffers about 100 surges with each thunderstorm. And must never suffer damage. So telcos put protectors where wires enter the building. Where the connection to earth is as short as possible (because every foot of wire to one foot too long). And up to 50 meters separated from that computer. Why separation. Better protection means the protector is farther from the appliance (electronics) AND as short as possible to earth ground.

You purchase that same solution for your home for about $1 per protected appliance. Because even plug-in protectors need protection only provided by earthing one 'whole house' protector.