On Friday, May 20, 2016 at 2:12:14 PM UTC-4, westom wrote:
On Friday, May 20, 2016 at 12:07:56 PM UTC-4, trader_4 wrote:
And given that MOVs degrade with each surge, which would you rather
have take the hit from a surge? The $20 plug-in or the one in the
$1000 TV? In reality, both will likely have some of the surge current,
but anything that gets shunted by the plug-in, is that much less into
the TV.

Only near zero protectors do significant degrading.

Baloney. All MOVs degrade based on the energy of a given surge and the
number of times it's exposed. It's true a bigger one can take larger
hits, more hits, etc, but the effect is universal. And if "zero" is the
issue, then how do those MOVs inside appliances work? They are closer to
"zero" than the ones that are 10x inside the plug-in surge protector.




In reality, those near zero protectors can also fail catastrophically. A near zero protector must disconnect protector parts as fast as possible to avert a fire. And leave that surge still connected to attached TV or washing machine.


Yeah, I knew we'd be on to the fires soon enough.



A 5000 volt surge is approaching TV or washing machine electronics on a black (hot) wire. A consumer foolishly installed a plug-in protector without any properly earthed 'whole house' solution. So that surge is at the washer hunting for earth ground. That surge is all but invited inside to hunt destructively for earth.


That 5000V surge would likely arc over somewhere before it ever got to
the washing machine. But regardless, if it gets to the washing machine
receptacle, the washing machine is better off with the plug-in there,
then without it, because the surge is still there. With the plug in,
all the lines are voltage clamped together, there is no huge, damaging
voltage.


A protector with a 330 volt let-through voltage shunts that surge onto white (neutral) and green (safety ground) wires. Now 5000 volts is incoming on the hot wire. 4670 volts is incoming on the green and white wires. That protector shunts current onto more incoming wires. Where is the protection? Protected are profit margins in that near zero protector manufacturer.

The protection is that the hot, neutral and ground at the washing machine
are clamped to 330 volts, instead of seeing 5000 volts.



If anything needs that protection then everything needs that protection. One can buy a power strip protector for $10 from Walmart. Or pay up to $100 for an equivalent protector from Monster. They are profit centers; 'magic' boxes marketed to the naive.

Informed consumers earth a 'whole house' solution for about $1 per appliance. Then a direct lightning strike is not inside hunting for earth ground destructively via a washer, TV, or any other appliance. Then hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate harmlessly outside in earth. Then even near zero plug-in protectors are protected - are less likely to create a house fire.

The $1 per appliance is a myth. Even if you have 30 appliances, that's
just $30. A decent whole house surge protector is $100+ and that doesn't
include installation. Typical homeowner is going to need an electrician,
so figure it's more like $300+, if you're lucky.