On Mar 29, 8:53 am, "HeyBub" wrote:
#3 is not necessarily "low-cost." The el-cheapo surge protectors use MOVs to
clamp the spikes. Problem is, these MOVs, which act like fuses in reverse,
only work once (or a few times). After that, you're unprotected with no
indication of the possible peril. Better is a moderately-priced surge
protector, ~$50, that has sopisticated electronics instead of MOVs.
Look for the ones that guarantee to protect attached loads.
The guaranteed is so chock full of exceptions as to not be honored.
One APC guarantee even say protectors also from any other manufacturer
void the guarantee. This has been demosntrated by testimoney
elsewhere and repeatedly.
Protectors, including ones that Bud recommends, use MOVs. When
typically undersized, then the naive think a protector did something.
One never read manufacturer datasheets; instead promote the myth he
heard: MOVs act like fuses. Such reasoning is called 'junk science'.
When a protector is undersized as fails catastrophically, then
protection already inside the appliance saves that appliance. When
undersized, sometimes these scary pictures occur:
http://www.westwhitelandfire.com/Art...Protectors.pdf
http://www.hanford.gov/rl/?page=556&parent=554
http://www.zerosurge.com/HTML/movs.html
http://www.nmsu.edu/~safety/programs...tectorfire.htm
Little difference between a grocery store protector or one with
expensive paint sold for $100+ in Circuit City and Best Buy. They are
same protectors; use same circuits.
Take a $3 power strip. Add some $0.10 protector parts. Sell it for
$20 or $100. Notice why Bud posts incessently? Plug-in protectors
are so grossly profitable that promoting myths is essential - customer
is only a mark.
Bud has just posted:
François Martzloff , who was the author of the NIST guide on
surges, says that overvoltage is the most frequent cause of
failure of surge protectors.
Minor point: failure is created by overcurrent which is why surges
are rated by their current; not voltage. Bud forgets to mention:
Martzloff also says the adjacent plug-in protector can even contribute
to appliance damage. Conclusion from that Martzloff IEEE paper:
Conclusion:
1) Quantitative measurements in the Upside-Down house clearly
show objectionable difference in reference voltages. These occur
even when or perhaps because, surge protective devices are
present at the point of connection of appliances.
Martzloff discusses how plug-in protecotrs can create damage "even
when or perhaps because" a plug-in protector is present. Why
sufficient size it? Its not there for protection. But if undersized
- if it only works once, then people such as HeyBub will promote junk
science myths.
Effective protector shunts even lightning strikes to earth - and
remains functions. Just another reason why 'whole house' protectors
costs tens of times less money.
Responsible organizations, manufatures and industry authors (that
even Bud quotes) define protection not in guarantees and not in the
protector's price. Protection is defined by its earthing. Again
Martzloff:
Lightning cannot be prevented; it can only be intercepted or
diverted to a path which will, if well designed and constructed,
not result in damage.
High-current surges ... are best diverted at the
service entrance of the premises.
That is a 'whole house' protector or hardwire that connect Cable TV
wire 'less than 10 feet' to earth ground (not protector required).
Bud claimed a protector absorbs the surge. Reality - 500 joule
protector shunts maybe 5,000 or 10,000 joule surges elsewhere and
remains functional. They don't protect by absorbing. They shunt.
Joules measures the life expectancy of a protector. It says little
about how much energy is shunted elswhere. Like high tension power
wires, the MOV conducts current elsewhere as long as that current is
not too great or too long. Something new from Bud: he is finally
admitting this.
Protectors - power strip, UPS, and 'whole house' - all feature
MOVs. How do you know? Look at its numeric specifications. When
selling a scam - the plug-in protector - then installing too few
joules gets the naive to promote them as HeyBub demonstrates. Why do
many not understand the 'whole house' protector? One reason: 'whole
house' protectors are properly sized. They shunt direct lightning
strikes to earth AND remain functional. They must not vaporize.
Naive would never realize how often protection was provided because
the 'whole house' protector does not create those scary pictures - is
not so grossly undersized.
Bud hopes you don't read and comprehend all 62 pages in his
citation. Visit Adobe page 42 (paper page 33) in Bud's citation:
http://www.mikeholt.com/files/PDF/Li...ion_May051.pdf
Figure 8 is a TV damaged by 8000 volts because the MOVs (a power strip
protector or UPS) were too close to appliances and too far from
eathing.
Protectors use MOVs. Protectors promoted only for higher profits
are undersized - ie those above scary pictures. Yes, MOVs degrade -
and must not vaporize. As Bud now admits, a protector degrades when
its voltage changes by 10%. It degrades - remains functional - must
not be so grossly undersized as to smoke, vaporize, or
catastrophically fail - those scary pictures. But failures including
those in scary pictures are how expensive and ineffective plug-in
protectors are promoted to the naive.
A protector does what? Even the IEEE says what is THE protection -
earth ground:
IEEE Green Book (Standard 142) 'Static and Lightning Protection
Grounding' :
Lightning cannot be prevented; it can only be intercepted or
diverted to a path which will, if well designed and constructed,
not result in damage.
IEEE Red Book (Standard 141):
In actual practice, lightning protection is achieve by the
process of interception of lightning produced surges,
diverting them to ground, ...
Why ground? Because earth is the protection. Effective protector
shunts (diverts, clamps, connects) a surge to earth. A protector does
not stop what 3 miles of sky could not. And yet that is what a plug-
in protector, without earthing, must do ... in direct violation of an
IEEE recommendation. IEEE recommendations are only in Standards.
Even Martzloff says a plug-in protector can even contribute to
appliance damage - as this author saw when studying damage and by
performing autopsies of the destruction many decades ago.
No earth ground means no effective protection. Guarantee is simply
another myth to promote ineffective protectors. How to avoid those
scary pictures? Don't use ineffective protectors - ie not dedicated
earthing wire. Install and earth one 'whole house' protector. How to
make surge protection even better? Enhance that earthing system.
Earthing - not the protector - is protection. Earth (not a
protector) is where a surge gets absorbed - as noted above by
Martzloff, IEEE, and MOV manufacturer datasheets. Who denies this?
Promoters of ineffective plug-in protectors who may also deny the
scary pictures.
A protector sold in a grocery store does same thing as one with the
mythical guarantee and excessive dollar price. No 'less than 10 foot'
connection to earth? It may even contribute to damage of the adjacent
appliance as Figure 8 page 42 from Bud's own citation demonstrates.