What is a Surge Protector?
A surge protector is an electronic device that limits transient overvoltages to a safe level, thus protecting equipment from damage or disruption. A surge protector may also be expressed using the following terms: SPD (Surge Protective Device), TVSS (Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor. An arrestor (used by utility companies and communication companies) is also a surge protector, but is typically employed in a different part of the electrical system than a surge protector.
Today s expensive home electronics rely on solid state circuits. Each chip can contain millions of transistors. While these chips are small and powerful, they are also extremely vulnerable to power surges or spikes. These power surges can shut down your equipment, cause a loss of memory or damage the internal circuitry. Even when power surges do not result in obvious damage to your equipment, they are taking their toll and can eventually result in the failure of the equipment. You can protect your home electronics by installing surge protectors. A surge protector is a device that re-directs power surges through an alternate path of least resistance, protecting valuable electronic equipment. Surge protectors should be installed on any equipment that contains a microprocessor. Surge protection devices are available for microwaves, refrigerators and other household appliances, televisions, VCRs, stereos, phones and fax machines, and personal computers and accessories. What to look for: •
A surge protector is an electrical device commonly used to protect computers and related computer components from power surges. To fully understand what a surge protector does, you must first understand what a surge is. The typical electrical wiring found in homes (in the United States) and offices carries a standard voltage of 120 volts. If a spike or surge in the voltage occurs, causing the voltage to surpass the norm, damage can occur to the computer equipment. Electrical surges can occur from a number of sources, namely: lightning and the basic surges that occur while turning on the motors and compressors for refrigerators and air conditioners to name a few. A spike is a brief increase in the voltage intensity and a surge is an increase that endures a bit longer than a spike. In either case, the voltage increases generally endures for less than a second. Surge protectors can prevent many of the problems resulting from spikes and surges. A surge protector, often set up in strip or b
A surge protector, also known as a surge suppressor, is a device that made to protect electronic equipment from unwanted power surges or “spikes.” It takes only a small amount of voltage increase to damage most of today’s sensitive electronics. These voltage irregularities are caused by many factors such as lightning, large appliances powering on, home wiring problems, and the problems with a local power provider.