What are the benefits of surge protectors? Check them out!

Surge protectors and power strips are not the same thing! How they differ and why you need a surge protector.

Surge protectors and power strips are very different technologies, but sometimes people confuse them. Learn the difference, as only one of them will protect your devices from a power surge!

Find out what a surge protector does and how it works.

What is a surge protector?

To understand how a surge protector works, we must first define what it's protecting your electronics from--an electrical surge.

Think of electricity as water flowing through a pipe. Water moves from one end of a pipe to the other due to water pressure--water moves from high to low pressure.

Similarly, electricity moves from areas with high electric potential energy to areas with low electric potential energy. Wires are connected from one end to the other in this case.

This electric potential energy is measured by voltage---or more specifically, by the difference in electric potential energy. A surge occurs when the voltage exceeds the norm for at least 3 nanoseconds.

The electricity will surge through the wire if the voltage is too high --the difference in electric potential energy between one end and the other is too large. The wire is heated in this way, and if it gets hot enough, it can burn and become useless.

One job of the surge protector is to detect excess voltage and divert it into the grounding wire. The reason why all surge protectors have a grounding pin (the third prong on a plug) is that they must be plugged into a properly grounded outlet for them to work properly.

How do electrical surges occur? Lightning is often blamed for electrical surges, but that's not completely true.

Electrical surges can and do occur because of lightning, but lightning is less common than other causes. You may not be better off buying a surge protector to protect your electronics from a thunderstorm.

While a good surge protector can handle a surge caused by a distant thunderstorm, a near or direct strike from a lightning bolt will void it. Therefore, the best way to protect yourself from thunderstorms is to unplug your electronics.

Most electrical surges are caused by devices that consume a lot of power. You may sometimes notice that your lights flicker when your air conditioner turns on and off, depending on your home's wiring.

When these devices are switched on, they use a lot of electricity, which puts a lot of pressure on the grid and can cause surges.

Are Surge Protectors Necessary?

Surges can happen at any time, so you don't need to worry about when to use a surge protector. Use it all the time. What you should plug into a surge protector is the real question.

For your desk lamp or your standing fan, a surge protector is not necessary, but you should have one for expensive devices with microprocessors, like computers, televisions, stereo systems, and media centers. A surge protector is essential for anything electronic and expensive.

Consider this scenario: if all the devices connected to your outlets were destroyed by an electrical surge, which device would you miss the most? Put them in a surge protector. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

On a lighter note, surge protectors can be useful for reducing cable clutter and improving electronics organization. As all of the cables end up going to the same destination, it is much easier for you to handle them neatly.

Choosing the Best Surge Protector For You

What Is an Electrical Surge?

You may find it difficult to find the right surge protector at a good price. How can you tell if a surge protector is good? What makes some surge protectors so expensive? Are there any features you should look for?

Let's go over what to look for when buying a surge protector.

Indicator Lights

Surge protectors have a limited lifespan based on how hard they work. Surge protectors can suffer damage even when they properly divert a surge.

Therefore, an indicator light is one of the most important features. It lets you know if your surge protector is working properly. Does the indicator light not work? It's time to buy a new surge protector.

UL Rating

Surge protectors should come with a UL rating, which is an independent rating by Underwriters Laboratories that tests the safety of electronic devices.

You should not use a surge protector that doesn't have a UL rating. Be sure the product is a "transient voltage surge suppressor," as many UL-rated power strips may not offer surge protection.

Clamping Voltage

The clamping voltage is the voltage that causes the surge protector to begin redirecting excess electricity away from the plugged-in devices. Therefore, a surge protector with a lower clamping voltage will protect your devices more quickly.

Surge protectors with clamping voltages below 400 volts should be suitable for home use.

Joule Rating

indicates how much energy the surge protector can absorb. The surge protector is rendered useless if it exceeds this limit.

Usually, the higher the joule rating, the more energy the surge protector can absorb, so a higher joule rating indicates a longer lifespan for the product.

You should choose a surge protector with a joule rating of at least 600 if you want the best protection for your home.

Response Time

Surge protectors measure their response time by how long it takes for a surge to be detected. A lower value indicates a faster response time. This reduces the time that your plugged-in devices are exposed to the surge, therefore protecting them better.

A surge protector with a response time of 1 nanosecond or faster is ideal.

Surge protectors we recommend

Having trouble deciding which surge protector to buy? Don't worry. In our article on the best surge protectors for every use case, from the budget-minded consumer to someone wanting to protect an expensive home cinema, we outlined the best options for you.

Defending Against Surges

There are electrical surges in all electrical grids; however, some are more severe than others. Surge protectors stop these surges from damaging electronics to the maximum extent possible.

Surge protectors are essential for complex and valuable electronics such as computers, appliances, and media centers. It isn't enough to have a surge protector; you need one that's appropriate for your needs.