On 5/20/2016 11:01 AM, westom wrote:

Protection is always about where energy dissipates. If a protector is adjacent to an appliance, it can only protect by 'blocking' or 'absorbing' that energy. How does its 2 cm part 'block' what three kilometers of sky could not? It doesn't.

Of course it doesn't Protectors do not work by "blocking" or "absorbing"
a surge.
(But both service panel and plug-in protectors do absorb some energy in
the process of protecting.)

How does its hundreds of joules absorb surges that can be hundreds of thousands of joules? It doesn't.

Of course not. Protectors do not work by "absorbing".

And as has been pointed out many times, in an expert investigation the
maximum energy that can make it to a plug-in protector is quite small -
35 joules and usually far less even with the worst probable surge on
power service wires.

But it is all too complicated for westom's simple minded beliefs.

And does not have to. A surge too tiny to destroy appliances can also destroy near zero plug-in protectors.

And his stupid idea that appliances have intrinsic protection higher
than a plug-in protector
If they did, the manufacturer would list them under the UL standard for
surge protection - an advertizing advantage.


Plug-in protectors are only useful if used in conjunction with properly earthed 'whole house' protection.

The maximum energy that can make it to a plug-in protector is quite
small - 35 joules, and usually far less, even with the worst probable
surge on power service wires. And no service panel protector.


MOVs are effective when connected low impedance (ie less than 10 feet) to what actually does protection - single point earth ground.

It is westom's religiious belief in earthing.

Unfortunately the IEEE surge guide (starting page 30) explains that
plug-in protectors do not work primarily by earthing. But since that
conflicts with westom's religious belief he ignores it.