On Mar 21, 11:47 am, mac davis wrote:
We have a lot of small power fluctuations here and have surge protectors on most
things..That sounds like a much better way to go!

Small power fluctuations are ignored by every surge protector AND
are made completely irrelevant by protection inside every appliance.
Get specs for each protector. Not the color glossy sales brochure.
What are numbers for each type of surge? Notice the let-through
voltage: 330 volts. Minor voltage fluctuations never get to 330
volts.

Notice a severe shortage of facts in many protector specifications.
It does not do the many things they got you to believe in a sales
brochure. Brochures make many half truth claims.

Protectors are for making even direct lightning strikes irrelevant.
Any protector that fails even during a direct lightning strike was not
effective. Protectors for direct lightning are also for lesser
transients. So that transients do not overwhelm protection found
inside every appliance. That is what the one 'whole house' protectors
does. But only more responsible manufacturers sell 'whole house'
protectors.

As true for every protector, it will only be as effective as the
quality of and distance to its earthing electrode. Just another
reason why that Cutler-Hammer product sold in Lowes for less than $50
is so effective. An effective protector means protection for all 120
and 240 volt appliances.