On Sun, 29 Sep 2013 08:14:11 -0700 (PDT), westom
wrote:

On Sunday, September 29, 2013 1:12:47 AM UTC-4, Ashton Crusher wrote:
I've been buying the cheapest power strips I can find for 30 years and
have never had a problem with a power "surge" and I leave my system on
24/7. I did have lightening strike once and it blew the **** out of a
radio and computer and clock, fried a couple breakers, etc. No surge
protector would have stopped that motha.

The computer club guy was discussing protectors that do not claim to protect from destructive surges. Plugin types that costs dollars to make while selling for tens or 100 dollars. He is right about best protection damped out in the first six feet. But only if a completely different device (also misleadingly called a surge protector) exists there.

One incoming wire already connects to earth. So a destructive surge is damped out in the first feet. Other AC wires are only earthed if a 'whole house' protector makes that low impedance (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection to single point ground. Only then are surges made completely irrelevant in the first feet. If that completely different device ('whole house' protector) does not exist, then surges are inside hunting for earth destructively via appliances.

Destructive surges occur maybe once every seven years. In your case, apparently once in thirty years. Those cheap power strips did exactly what they claim - no protection from destructive surges. Why do so many recommend replacing power strip protectors every couple years? Because advertising says so. Most who recommend plug-in protectors are educated by advertising. And not by hard facts.

Daily surges that so many fear are only noise - made completely irrelevant by protection already inside every appliance - even dimmer switches. Effective protection means destructive surges (even direct lightning strikes) are damped out when connection low impedance (ie 'less than 10 feet') to earth.

Routine is protection from direct lightning strikes when a protector connects low impedance to earth. And the numbers that say so. Direct lightning strikes are typically about 20,000 amps. So a minimal 'whole house' protector is 50,000 amps. Because unlike power strips, one 'whole house' protector is protection for all types of surges including direct lightning strikes.

"No surge protector would have stopped that motha". Correct. Any protector that stops, blocks, or absorbs a surge is a scam. Why is a 'whole house' protector so effective? It works like a wire. It connects hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly to earth outside the building. Then even power strip protectors (that only claim to absorb hundreds of joules) are protected.

Another probably has posted the usual cut and paste myths. With text to keep you confused. Page 33 (Adobe page 42) figure 8 shows how plug-in protectors even earth a surge 8000 volts destructively via any nearby appliance. Nothing protects once a destructive surge is all but invited inside. Somehow adjacent protectors must somehow block or absorb a surge. Nothing stops or blocks destructive surges. Therefore every facility that cannot have damage always connects destructive surges to earth outside the building - either by a wire or via a 'whole house' protector. Only then is one surge every seven years or one surge every 30 years made irrelevant. That superior solution (because is does not stop surges) also costs tens or 100 times less money.

Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate. Either harmlessly in earth (damped out in the first six feet). Or destructively via appliances. Surge damage is determined by decisions made by a homeowner. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground - since nothing an stop a surge.

Why do companies with better integrity manufacturer 'whole house' protectors? Do you want protection. Or do you want to enrich them for selling a $3 power strip with ten cent protector parts for $25 or $80? Better is to put your money into real world protection. That means a 'whole house' protector (a completely different device) from companies such as Leviton, Syscom, Siemens, Polyphaser, Intermatic, ABB, General Electric, Square D, or Cutler-Hammer - to name but a few. An effective Cutler-Hammer solution was selling in Lowes and Home Depot for less than $50. Then grossly undersized power strip protectors need not create house fires.

I *knew* this bait was just too tempting for W_Tom to refuse. The
idiot can't even figure out how to use a newsreader.