warding off the SURGE

[Merlin]

I know there is no fool proof way of making sure an electrical storm doesn't damage your PC but what is the best way to protect against those pesky surges. I know surge protectors work but I have also heard they anly work once so how do I know if its already worked its once. I don't want to wake up at 3 am with thunder in the background and a racing heart cuz I can't remember IF I turned of the PC and the PSU.

[stev]

The better surge protectors are the ones with the higher joules rating and clamping rate. Don't be fooled into thinking that the more money you spend, the better the surge protect is going to be. It really based on the devices capability.

One of the toughest brands out there in the industry is a brand called ISOBAR. It's made by Tripplite. We use them exclusively at the work place. http://www.tripplite.com/products/suppressors/index.cfm

One time I had seen an ISOBAR device plugged into a line that was wired wrong for 110V. The juice was actually wired in at 220V. The ISOBAR gave up it's life totally, but the computer server never was damaged in the least of way. Seeing that first hand got my attention.

http://www.tripplite.com/products/suppr ... isobar.cfm

This is the model I have: http://www.tripplite.com/products/produ ... ductID=105



- Tripp Lite's ISOBAR is the world's #1 selling premium suppressor series with more than 14 million satisfied customers and a safety-tested history of 20+ years
- Robust surge suppression with sine-wave tracking protects against the heaviest of surge conditions, exceeding IEEE category A&B specifications and reducing 6,000V test surges to harmless levels less than 35 volts
- Multi-component suppression circuits combine torroidal chokes, ferrite rod-core inductors, HF/VHF capacitors and multiple layers of metal oxide varistors into exclusive isolated filter banks that remove EMI/RFI interference, even noise from other pieces of connected equipment
- 6 outlets arranged in three filter banks prevent system crashes, reboots and performance problems common as noisy peripherals are powered off and on
- Network grade surge suppression rated at 2350 joules / 97,000 amps
- Widely spaced outlets accommodate up to 4 large transformer plugs without blocking outlets
- Lighted power switch confirms power on/off status
- 6 foot AC line cord with space-saving angled input plug
- Keyhole mounting tabs allow permanent installation
- 120VAC, 50/60Hz electrical compatibility
- Clamping Voltage (RMS): 140V
- $50,000 Ultimate Lifetime Insurance (USA & Canada Only)
- Lifetime product warranty
- UL1449 listed - surge suppression (330V let-through), UL1283 listed - EMI protection, UL1363 listed - power tap, cUL approved to Canadian standards
- Ideal for premium protection of personal computers with peripherals, network and CAD / CAM / CAE workstations, internetworking accessories, telecommunications systems, point of sale equipment, audio / video and home theater systems in any home, office or industrial application.

- Prevents unsafe conditions during extreme extended overvoltages and catastrophic occurrences (your lightning strikes!)

[ScottLovesDogs]

Count this as a very hearty seconding of Stev's post. In fact, the machine I'm typing this on is connected to the wall socket via a Tripplite Isotel Ultra. Looks just like the one in Stev's picture, but also has modem sockets on the end, three stages of isolation (cleaning up the AC sine wave) on the six outlets, and three indicator lights under the rocker switch, one of which will let you know when the unit has taken its limit of surge and must be replaced.

Tripplite is a company that has been around for a very long time, long before PCs and Macs were and has always had a rock-solid reputation. You can't go wrong. I remember them from my days in the beginning electronics class in the eighth grade in Jr. High School. They were an old company then, and that was the 1968-1969 school year.

[stev]

If that last post was overkill (pun intended), then the Tripplite Protect-It line would be fine to use as well.

http://www.tripplite.com/products/suppr ... tectit.cfm

This one may be ideal for your use @ 1/3 the price of the ISOBAR:
http://www.tripplite.com/products/produ ... ductID=131



SUPER7 surge suppression strip includes 7 AC outlets, 7 foot AC cord, 2350 joule protection level, diagnostic LEDs, 3 dedicated transformer outlets, lifetime warranty and $75,000 connected equipment insurance.


- 7 outlets
- 7-ft. cord with space-saving right-angle plug
- Surge suppression rating: 2350 joules
- Clamping voltage (RMS): 150V
- EMI/RFI noise filtering
- Can accommodate up to 3 transformers without blocking remaining outlets
- $75,000 Ultimate Lifetime Insurance (USA & Canada Only) covers connected equipment
- Diagnostic LEDs indicate protection present & ground present
- Keyhole supports for wall mounting
- Lifetime product warranty
-Personal computers, CAD/CAM/CAE workstations, network nodes, fileservers, point-of-sale terminals, audio/visual devices, and more.

[ScottLovesDogs]

Oh, yes, since I live in Florida, on the northern edge of "lightning alley," and have experience: You are right, there is no way to protect against a direct hit from lightning. Period. I just run around unplugging everything (including our beloved refrigerator!) when a storm threatens. Will do the same prior to going to bed if the weather looks bad for the night (fridge should keep quite cold for 8 hours). Check http://www.nws.noaa.gov for your forcast, radar, and satellite data.

Keep in mind that even if everything is unplugged, there can still be large induced surges in equpment if there is a close strike as the magnetic field accompanying a lighting strike is huge and it expands and then contracts rapidly, thus inducing current flow in conductors nearby.

[Apoptosis]

I use a couple ISOBAR6ULTRA model surge protectors for Legit Reviews before the battery backups, which also have surge protectors. I've had them for years and they work great. They are expensive though as the 6-outlet housings are right around $99. Never lost anything to a surge since I've started using these in 2002.

Here is a picture of one of them on the test bench.

tripplite.jpg (66.75 KiB) Viewed 4390 times

[Merlin]

So this would be good ? http://www.tripplite.com/products/produ ... uctID=2636 after having just spent $129.00 on the PSU $30 is about all I can spare.

[ibleet]

I guess I have been very lucky. I have been using cheap APC SurgeArrest Professional for over 10 years and haven't had a single issue.

Maybe I live in a "surge-free" area.

[Merlin]

The one Apop pictured is ,from my recent and limited knowledge, close to the best you can get. It is the 1000w PCPower and COOLING model. Heck it even offers a $50,000 replacement guarantee if a surge gets past it. I am sure that most of us could use the $15 dollar model made by the same people which itself has a $10K guarantee. I like the $30 desktop model I posted a link to because you can set your monitor on it and plug all the other stuff into the back. I never have found a good place to put those other strip style ones. I am sure that a surge protector from Trip-Lite actually protects at the Joule rating they list while others may not, sort of like not all 500W listed PSUs actually put out 500W. Thanks for the recommendations guys I will get one VERY soon.

[stev]

Keep in mind that even if everything is unplugged, there can still be large induced surges in equipment if there is a close strike as the magnetic field accompanying a lighting strike is huge and it expands and then contracts rapidly, thus inducing current flow in conductors nearby.

Yes, unplugging equipment helps greatly, if and when you have plenty of warning.

Yes, the hardware/appliance can still be zapped, even through a 12-inch thick block of concrete. We had lost a TV and VCR like that as the lightening strike hit a tree in the back yard and the devices were totally unplugged.

I once lived in a "lightning alley." It was so pronounced, the road is actually called "Rattle Run Road" for that very reason.

My folks and people who live along that road have lightning strike detectors in the home. When a storm starts zapping some distance away, the detectors go sounding off. Some of the pricey detectors can cut power to appliances via a hardware protected relay. This way, you don't need to be home to unplug things.

A few weeks after being married a storm in our area came in. Out of habit, I ran around unplugging things. My wife that I was ...

It's good to see the readers here as well as Nate having a few of these ISOBARs.