Surge Protector Help

This thread seems to have gone wildly off topic! Westom, if you want to discuss the superiority of industry-grade surge-protection (and its uses in the home!), feel free to do so, but maybe consider starting your own thread. We're trying to provide the OP with some constructive suggestions as to how best to protect his equipment from everyday power spikes. Unfortunately, you seem to have done little more than confuse him!

OP, some are quite pricey yes, but I would argue it's a price worth paying. I tend to hear the Belkin ones are quite good (contrary to the quality of their network kit!). Would this not suffice?:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=UP-047-BE&groupid=702&catid=55&subcat=

Phone line protection will basically mean that you'll plug a wire from your BT master socket into the surge protector (same as the one above), and then feed all your phone extensions from there. If location's a hassle, I wouldn't worry about it. The only time a phone line protector would come in handy is if some cowboy somewhere manages to run a large voltage back into the phone network by doing some dodgy DIY on his phone line.

None of the consumer solutions above will protect against lightning strike.
 
Thanks tim...yeh i was wondering why i was been recommended £500+ surge thingys.....
Well i was actually looking at that one at a competitor and it was £30+ so i dismissed it but seeing that price i think i will go for it....i will contact OCUK tomorrow and see when there next stock comes in.
Thanks mate
Is this one any good:http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=UP-005-BE&groupid=702&catid=55&subcat=1209
as i could grab that for my ps3,tv,laptop and 1 hdd
or am i best off with a more expensive one?
I have just seen this one:http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=UP-053-BE&groupid=702&catid=55&subcat=1209
This a good surge rating thingy?
 
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Not sure about that first one. Notice it has less than half the protection of the one I posted. Then again, I'm not sure on the exact amount of protection, quantitively speaking, one requires in London these days. Might be worth doing some research. You could look for reviews and stuff.

That second one looks a bit gimmicky. It's basically just an extension lead with a switch on each of the plugs so you can turn them off individually.

I think you still need to decide how many pieces of equipment you want to protect though, as there is a difference of 4 outlets between your two linked products.
 
I'm sure the second one is fine for protection, but you're paying a higher price for the silly 'energy-saving' nonsense. Getting one of the standard ones would be better value I would think.
 
Ok how about the one i linked? the 623
I have also found another one which is a 8 way surge supressor is that right?
I have sent you a message using email from your trust.
 
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The 623 is the same as the one I linked to you originally, except with 6 outlets instead of 8. If you can find somewhere to buy it, this could be what you're looking for.
I think those who have posted here have given you more than enough information now to make an informed purchase. It might be time to start doing a bit of your own legwork!
 
I've had 2 belkin surge protectors just die on me, so I'd actually recommend against them. They're overpriced for the quality you get, especially the larger models. Of the OcUK stock, I'd say APC were the better models.
 
I think im going to go for the 623....i did do some i sent you a link with one i found so you didnt have to...did you get it?
I can get the 623 for 12.99 which seems good so thats looking like the one im going to get
 
Biz.Kid09 said:
The belkin ones are pretty expensive :(.....but could i get one of the surge cubes? (1 plug) then plug a extension lead into it?
What do you mean by protecting my phone line?
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Belkin has specs similar to those others. View numbers. Hundreds of joules? Destructive surges are typically hundreds of thousands of joules. All those protectors are near-zero protection - profit centers.

Protectors are typically so undersized as to fail even during surges that cannot damage other appliances. How often daily are you replacing dimmer switches, clock radios, and RCDs? Repeatedly if other posts here were accurate. A surge typically too small to destroy tens or 100 appliances only damaged the protector? Yes. View its numbers. Near-zero protection.

Now I am not sure what you mean by this works but that does not after the wall switch is power cycled. If you believe you are suffering damage due to surges (and that means the appliance does not work again), then you need what actually does surge protection - the Keison.

The Belkin is the same near-zero protector circuit (a £2 power board with some 5p protector parts for how much profit?) as in other power strips. Where does it even claim protection in its numeric specs? It does not.

If suffering surges, then other less robust appliances (ie dimmer switches) are failing. Therefore earth before that energy can enter your rooms. That is the only proven solution - especially when myths and overt lies are eliminates that promote Belkin, et al. Destructive surges are hundreds of thousands of joules. How many joules in that Belkin? Near zero. But many will recommend it because it costs more money? The Belkin is only the same protector circuit selling for a higher profit margin.

Did you know protectors adjacent to appliances can even make damage easier? Myths assume that protector is a ‘magic box’ that makes evil disappear. Only the technically informed would know what protectors really do from experience, from IEEE papers, and other sources with numbers. If protection is required, then Keison or equivalent is required. One protector for everything that actually does protection for about £1 per protected appliance. Belkin does not even claim that protection - view its numeric specs.

Again, what exactly is no longer working? What is permanently damage?
 
Wow i am confused :p
What on earth are you talking about?
Nothing isnt working? and nothings damaged?
I was just asking for some recommendations for a cheap surge protector for my tv,ps3,netbook and external hdd
not a expensive industrial thing
Thanks anyways i think?
 
tim80bwi said:
if you want to discuss the superiority of industry-grade surge-protection (and its uses in the home!), feel free to do so, but maybe consider starting your own thread. We're trying to provide the OP with some constructive suggestions as to how best to protect his equipment from everyday power spikes.
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Quite the contrary. That Belkin recommendation is one of the most expensive. What do high reliability facilities do to have superior protection? Install the protector that costs about £1 per protected appliance. And that actually does surge protection. The Belkin does not claim that protection.

Everyday surges? Another overt lies. All appliances contain protection that makes 'everyday surges' irrelevant. How many times a day do you replace dimmer switches and clock radios? Neither have nor are required to have the protection routinely found in computers.

All appliances contain protection. The informed homeowner is only concerned with a rare anomaly that occurs typically once every seven years - and frequently less often in the UK. Only that rare anomaly overwhelmed protection inside household appliances. And the only solution for that (and all other lesser transients) is one 'whole house' protector.

Electricity did not change because people are educated from retail sales brochures. That is the only reason anyone would recommend the Belkin. Show me. Show us this Belkin numeric spec that lists protection from each type of surge? Does not exist. Belkin only protects from a type of surge that is typically not destructive. That is more than sufficient to claim 100% surge protection in its brochures. Then sell a £2 power board with some 5p parts for £30+. Total profit made so easy when the majority 'know' without even viewing those numeric specs.

That Belkin is promoted by the exact same process that proved Saddam had WMDs. Hearsay. No facts. And 'it must be true because so many believe it'.

Well proven solution costs less. Even makes direct lightning strikes irrelevant - as was true even 100 years ago. And costs less money. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground. That reality never changed. What did change is recommendations based in hearsay - in direct contradiction to science and even the manufacturer spec numbers. Where is that spec that claims protection? Never posted because it does not exist.
 
So westom, are most houses already outfitted with that sort of protection or is it rare? What steps (briefly) would you take to ensure your electrical items were protected?
 
Biz.Kid09 said:
Wow i am confused :p
What on earth are you talking about?
Nothing isnt working? and nothings damaged?
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You said something about powering off, then on. Then only one thing was working.

OK, you had no damage. But the protector failed. As I posted. A surge too small to overwhelm protection inside every appliance will destroy the grossly undersized protector. That gets a majority to recommend that protector.

The cheapest protector is the one that costs about £1 per protected appliance. That protects from the rare surge that can overwhelm protection inside every appliance. Destructive surges occur typically once every seven years. To promote ineffective protectors sales, the naive are told surges occur daily. Your concern is the rare surge that can actually overwhelm protection inside every appliance. That means only one protector for everything. One example is Keison.

That Belkin is a profit center. Don't take my word for it. View its specs. Show me the numbers that list each type of surge and protection from that surge? Belkin makes no protection claims. Why bother? So many just know it must work only because surge protector and surge protection sound alike.

If you need surge protection, well, protection is only and always about where energy dissipates. Which is why informed consumers install the Keison or equivalent products. And (just like BT), waste no money on ineffective plug-in protectors.

Show me those numbers? Where are those numbers that even claim protection. How does hundreds of joules in a Belkin stop surges that are hundreds of thousands of joules? Damning question.
 
alexhull24 said:
So westom, are most houses already outfitted with that sort of protection or is it rare?
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Because surges are so rare in the UK compared to the world), then most readers here have never even heard what has always been done for over 100 years. However BT's wire are connected everywhere in town. Would suffer about 100 surges with each thunderstorm. And their computer must always work normally during every thunderstorm.

Therefore BT installed the much less expensive solution that means no damage from 100+ surges during every storm. A 'whole house' protectors makes the very short connection from each incoming wire to earth ground.

Homeowners suffer maybe one surge every seven years. So one 'whole house' protector is earthed at the breaker box so that all surges are made irrelevant. That is the Keison suggestion. That is always done anywhere that protection is required. That is necessary to even protect the Belkin.

Essential to protection is the distance to earth ground. For homeowners, the effective protector connects less than 3 meters to the earth ground rod. BT goes farther. Because BT cannot suffer any damage, their protectors are also up to 50 meters away from electronics. Separation between protector and electronics increases the protection. Just another reason why one 'whole house' protector is so effective and why the Belkin does not claim protection in its numeric specs.

How often is your neighborhood suffering surges? A number that required at least a decade of history. Are you suffering frequent surges? How often are digital clocks and dimmer switches being replaced? Everything including the dishwasher and electronics timer switches need that protection.

What most needs protection during a surge? Fire alarm system.

All appliances contain significant protection. The less expensive 'whole house' protector is earthed so that internal appliance protection is not overwhelmed. And so that plug-in protectors do not fail prematurely - during surges too small to harm appliances. How often do you need any protection. What is your neighborhood history over the past decade?

Most homes have no protection. Worse, the one essential component always required for protection – is you home earthing sufficient? Many do not even have that which is essential to surge protection.
 
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Oh...Is the Keison even a surge protector it just looks like a block? lol
I cant show you numbers as i dont know what i need to show you.
Looking at the prices of the Keisoni dont think everything im plugging in it adds up to that
 
My neighbourhood gets bad surges probably every 5 years or so, based on feedback from customers to the PC shop I work at.

The biggest problems with surges seem to arise when power is returned after an outage, I don't know why. The area also seems to suffer from poor quality power to a lot of houses. By this, I mean the AC is not a very pure sine wave, but suffers distortions that cause things like PCs to become unstable as the power supplies (typically cheaper ones) try to correct this. A UPS before the PC corrects this issue, at least for the PC. Other appliances seem less sensitive to it. Perhaps this is caused by poor wiring to the houses, which is all overground in this area, and very old.
 
Biz.Kid09 said:
Looking at the prices of the Keisoni dont think everything im plugging in it adds up to that
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Dispose of those myths. No magic box is protection. If you are plugging into a protector, then it can even contribute to surge damage. Yes, can even make damage easier. Need I post the IEEE paper that discusses that?

Why does BT want their protector up to 50 meters distant from electronics? Increases protection.

Protection is always about where energy dissipates. Always. That magic box will dissipates near zero energy. Protection means that energy does not even enter the building. Once inside the building, then energy hunts for earth ground destructively via your appliances. And then the adjacent protector gives that energy even more paths to find earth destructively via appliances.

Protection is about where energy dissipated. Either surges - even direct lightning strikes - are harmlessly absorbed in earth. Or nothing stops a surge from going hunting.

Why does Belkin not claim protection in its numeric specs. I should only have to ask that question - and then you know everything about the Belkin. But I did not stop there. Reams and reams of reasons why say why the Belkin is so obscenely overpriced and does not claim protection. And why the technology used everywhere when surge damage cannot happen is the Keison.

You must be able to plug, move, replug, and move appliances anywhere in the house. And need not ever worry about surges. Need not even touch or see the protector. If any wire from your computer or DVD does not go through the Belkin, then any protection it might provide is compromised. Another exemptions in their warranty. A warranty so chock full of exemptions because it does not claim protection. Therefore must not honor the warranty.

The warranty says any wire from an appliance not connected to the adjacent protector voids the entire warranty. A wire from DVD player to stereo amp that does not go through the Belkin voids the warranty. But then Belkin does not claim surge protection.

Effective protection means surge energy is not inside a building - which is what only 'whole house' protectors do - ie Keison. Where does energy dissipate? Same reason why BT want their protectors effective – ie up to 50 meters separated from electronics and as close to earth ground as physically possible.
 
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