Surge Protector: A Simple Mechanism Description

A surge protector [AKA surge suppressor] is an electrical plug-in device designed to distribute safe electrical voltages to other electrical or electronic devices. Surge protectors resemble power strips in appearance; however, they are more sophisticated and deliver a constant, continuous power supply.

In addition to connecting multiple devices to a single power source, surge protectors provide protection from frequent problems that plague conventional utility power. The most common of these problems are surges (temporary increase of voltage) and brownouts (temporary decrease of voltage). These disturbances slowly degrade many power supply units and cause premature equipment failure. The rising demand on our nation's power grids is causing more brownouts than ever before (Gamble; Power Protect Your Computer).

The Inside of a Surge Protector

Toroidal Choke Coil: The toroidal choke coil is an electromagnet wrapped in wire. It filters out line noise as the hot wire passes through it.

Metal Oxide Varistors (MOV's): An MOV has three parts: a piece of metal oxide material in the middle and two semiconductors joined to the hot and ground wire. As a protective connecting unit it shifts unsafe voltage levels to the ground wire.

Neutral Wire: The neutral wire is common in modern wiring practices for safety. It is used in conjunction with the hot wire and the ground wire.

Hot Wire: The hot wire holds the passing current which contains excess voltage.

Fuse: A fuse is a resistor used to protect the wiring from getting too hot. Fuses "blow or burn out", thereby preventing the electrical current from traveling further.

Ground Wire: The ground wire protects users from getting an electrical shock. It receives excess voltage from from the MOVs. Most surge protectors contain a parallel circuit design whereby the extra voltage is fed away from the standard path to another circuit. Another design is a series circuit where the electrical current is slowed; moreover it detects high voltage, stores the electricity, and releases it gradually (Harris).

The majority of the electrical currents diversion is done through the metal oxide varistor or MOV. The MOV acts as a pressure-sensitive valve: based on the level of voltage, the electrons in the semiconductors behave differently either creating lower or higher resistance. When the voltage is correct, an MOV doesn't do anything (Harris).

Specifications and Quality Considerations

Energy Absorption: Surge processors are measured in joules (the amount of energy they can absorb). The higher the number, the better the protection: 200 joules provides basic protection, 400 is good and 600 or high is superior protection.

UL1449: Standard rated by Underwriters Laboratories as the minimum protection standards for surge protectors. It rates suppressors by the amount of voltage passage they allow.

Protection Indicator: LED indicator as to metal-oxide varistors functioning. MOVs do not last forever ? one lightening strike can fry them out.

Line Conditioning: Most surge protectors contain this feature. It filters out line noise using a toroidal choke coil to "condition" the current.

Power Switch: There are manual on/off power switches as well as circuit switches. Circuit switches are useful for keeping some components running while others are shut off.

Circuit Breaker or Fuse: A fuse is a resistor that can conduct current below a certain level. If the current is higher than acceptable, heat burns the fuse and cuts off the circuit. Breakers are more economical than fuses as they do not have to be replaced.

Protection Guarantee: Read the terms and conditions carefully! It is important to understand your consumer rights in the event of damage to devices your surge protector neglects to protect (Kozierok).

According to data published on Hewlett Packard's website, recent statistics reveal 63 percent of all electronics casualties are the result of a power related problem. Most affected are devices using computer chips and high-speed microprocessors. Unprotected computers can suffer hardware degradation and extensive damage when exposed to power surges (Power Protect Your Computer).

The cost of a surge protector varies greatly depending on user needs. Basic models sell for as low as $10 but one should be cautious as to the capabilities these units offer.

NOTE: It is important to connect all peripheral equipment to the surge protector for complete protection. This includes phone jacks, modems, cables, and any other external devices that will receive electrical current.

All visuals have been removed from this article to comply with the publishing rules for this site.

Additional Resources

Gamble, T. "Storm Season" www.bestbuy.com 15 Sep. 2004 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat31600050019&type=category

Harris, T. "How Surge Protectors Work" www.computer.howstuffworks.com 15 Sep. 2004 http://computer.howstuffworks.com/surge-protector2.htm

Kozierok, C.M. "External Power Problems" www.pcguide.com 15 Sep. 2004, http://www.pcguide.com/ref/power/ext/probs.htm

Power Protect Your Computer, www.hp.com 15 Sep. 2004 http://h71036.www7.hp.com/hho/cache/764-0-0-225-121.aspx

T.L. McMullen
Equity Zip Financial
No More Fret - I'm Out of Debt!"
888-300-EZIP (3947)
http://www.equityzipfinancial.com - Guaranteed Credit Repair
http://www.equityzip.com - Brixdale Inverse Mortgage

---

Setting up a Network -- Wired or Wireless?

To Wire or Not to Wire Wireless networks are en vogue, but your installation won't be successful unless you chose the right type of network and set it up properly. Wired... Read More

Nvidia Geforce 7800 GTX Review

Nvidia has done it again, with it's newest video card, the geforce 7800 GTX. If money is no object and you demand the best, this is the video card for you.The 7800 GTX,... Read More

A Guide to Refurbished Laptops

Computing freedom, independence, and mobility don't have to come with a hefty price tag.Manufacturers refurbish laptop computers that have been returned. The laptop might have a scratched screen or other minor blemish. In... Read More

Computer Hardware Preventive Maintenance Software

Computers often break down at the worst of all times. These problems can be averted, or at least minimized with preventive maintenance. Several methods of keeping computer hardware in good working order deal... Read More

LCD Monitors: A Catching-On Technology

If you've been in the market for a new computer monitor fairly recently, you might have noticed just how many more LCD monitors you see in the stores now.It's obvious that the main... Read More

Buying a New Computer

Someone recently asked me "I teach senior citizens in a community based free computer lab. They often ask what to look for when buying a computer, what software they need for email, basic... Read More

The Benifits of Assembling Your Own Computer

Thinking about getting a new computer, but with all the choices out there are you getting a little overwhelmed? Well why not look into building your own computer? By building your own computer... Read More

Sony vs. Olympus: Digital Voice Recorders

Digital voice recorders have become increasingly popular over the last few years, as they offer a relatively cheap and reliable alternative to older cassette voice recorders. Digital voice recorders use memory - much... Read More

DVD Media

DVD is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for storing data, including movies with high video and sound quality. DVDs resemble compact discs: their physical dimensions are the same-12cm... Read More

Used Laptop Computer: Your Quick Purchase Inspection Guide ? Part 4

Used laptop computers are everywhere these days. How can you sift through the mass of available used laptop computers to narrow your search down to the right laptop for you? This fourth and... Read More

ESR Meter - The Capabilities To Check Beyond Electrolytic Capacitor

There is something good about esr meter because besides electrolytic capacitor it can be use to measure other type of capacitors such as the non polarity capacitor. From esr meter specification, it is... Read More

Getting A New Laptop At A Great Price

With all the wheeling and dealing that seems to take place on the internet at all times of the day, it can sometimes get confusing just trying to find your own deal. Finding... Read More

Bluetooth Can Be Cracked!

Nothing is completely safe today. Adobe has recently released a patch for a security hole in different graphical software, so why should Bluetooth be safe?... and Bluetooth isn't safe off course! ;)Two researchers... Read More

Investing On A 1D Bar Code Reader

Whereas 2D bar codes offer more security and safety for their subjects, 1D bar codes, as read by 1D bar code readers, are more practical for wide scale operations. The reason? Bar codes... Read More

Hard Drive Selection

Perhaps the biggest mistake people make when building their computer(s) is to underestimate the importance of the hard disk drive (HDD). In our modern society, bigger is synonymous with better, so when you... Read More

Used Laptop Computer: Your Quick Purchase Inspection Guide ? Part 1

Used laptop computers are everywhere these days. How can you sift through the mass of available used laptop computers to narrow your search down to the right laptop for you? Here are a... Read More

Learn to Find Cheap Laptop Computers on the Internet

Cheap laptop computers are coming to a store near you. In fact, there are many there already. That's because, like any newfangled electronics device, laptop computers were once the cream of the computer... Read More

Toner Cartridges - How They Work

In the past computers and their accompanying printers were huge. Toner reservoirs and toner cartridges were used instead of ink cartridges like the ones in use today. Toner cartridges were difficult and messy... Read More

Testing Flyback Transformer - How to Test and When to Replace It

Nowadays, more and more monitor comes in with flyback transformers problems. Testing flyback transformers arenot difficult if you carefully follow the instruction. In many cases, the flyback transformer can become short circuit after... Read More

Unclogging Epson Print Heads

Tools needed:1 - 10cc Injector1 - 4" - 5" of fish tank air line tubing (Wal*Mart fish department) Windex (No Drip works best)We are going to flush the print head out with the... Read More

RFID for Beginners

RFID technology is used frequently today and has been around since the 1920s, but not many people know about, or understand it. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification and is used to store... Read More

Surge Protector: A Simple Mechanism Description

A surge protector [AKA surge suppressor] is an electrical plug-in device designed to distribute safe electrical voltages to other electrical or electronic devices. Surge protectors resemble power strips in appearance; however, they are... Read More

Alternatives to Tape Backup

You may ask, isn't tape an anachronism in the age of optical disks, removable hard drives and a plethora of whiz-bang, random-access storage media? In many ways it is, but because of the... Read More

How to Shop for Inkjet Printer Cartridges

Keeping Shipping Costs DownWhen shopping for inkjet printer cartridges online keep in mind that postage can add significantly to the cost of a single inkjet cartridge. In some cases the cost of postage... Read More

Video Encryption

What is Video Encryption?Video Encryption is an extremely useful method for the stopping unwanted interception and viewing of any transmitted video or other information, for example from a law enforcement video surveillance being... Read More

The Printer Cartridge Wars: Generic or Remanufactured Cartridges Right for You?

OverviewAs "generic", "remanufactured", and "new compatible" inkjet printer cartridges and laser toner cartridges creep deeper into the printer accessories market, the choices become varied and often confusing. It is estimated that by the... Read More

Which Notebook Computer Has Your Name On It?

Notebook Computers Are Sexy!Granted, the notebook computer may just be the sexiest accessory this side of a Baywatch Extra! But are they worth the extra money? Should your next PC be a notebook... Read More

Does Size Really Matter In Our Digital Age?

Well, we've all seen the advert, but that's not what I want to talk about, so get that out of your head straight away. No, let's think about what many call the "Queen... Read More

Dell Inspiron 600m Notebook Computer

After twelve years of owning desktop computers, I finally opted for a laptop so I would no longer be chained to my desk. After months of research and weighing various makes and models,... Read More