I have a new Sony HDTV ordered as well as an upgraded Dish Network receiver/DVR. I plan to hook them to a surge protector as I live out in the country and power isn’t too steady. In fact last week a power surge took out the controls for my ventilation system.
So wanting to take care of my new babies, I need a good quality surge protector. I’ve called my Electric Co-op about a whole house protector, but they’ve not called back yet. And I’ve read on the How Things Work site that they don’t handle surges caused by motors etc. inside the house, so individual units are still advisable.
Monstor Cable makes some recommended by the TV salesmen, but maybe they are recommended because they have a high markup. :wally
Any recommendations? Monster Cable, Belkin, Radio Shack?
The power company will probably just come out to your house and charge you for putting up some spark gaps. You might want to see if a local electrical contractor can do it for less.
I would think that any line-interactive UPS will do what you are looking for. Make sure the company offers a protection warranty, just in case.
FWIW, I’ve got my electronic goodies protected by a Panamax noise filter/line conditioner, and the VCR and Dish DVR are further protected by an APC UPS that’s plugged into the Panamax.
The Panamax really does keep electrical garbage out of the equipment - a kitchen mixer plugged into the Panamax has no effect on the TV image. Without the Panamax, the image turns to a blizzard of static. They are expensive, but seem to be worth the price.
On the UPS front, APC is about as good as it gets, and their pricing is competitive, especially when the local computer hut or office supply shop has a sale. If you’ve got broadband, you might want to consider getting a small unit for your broadband device and router, as well. And of course, your computer, if your power is as erratic as you make it sound.
A spark gap on your service entrance would be more in the category of “helps to prevent electrical devices in the house from exploding due to a nearby lightning strike”
My OP was, I guess, really asking which of the plug in surge protectors are best. Are the Monstor cable units better than the Belkins or others I might find at RS or Home Depot?
There are two problems here.
First, there are different types of surges. You will need to talk to your power company (get to the folks who deal with commercial customers-they will have a clue) and find out what the typical surge in your area is like. Max voltage and duration are important, and vary due to the grid. At least, ask them what kind of surge protectors they recommend.
The second problem is that all the manufacturers produce cheap units that barely help at all. The single most important thing you can do is not buy by price. Even a company like APC or Panamax produces lower priced units that don’t, IMHO, provide enough protection. So, even if the details aren’t worth delving into, the best thing to do is pick a quality manufacturer (APC, Panamax, and Belkin are all well-known companies I trust), and buy the most expensive unit you are comfortable with. After all, we are dealing with lightning here, a $15 radio shack power strip isn’t going to handle a lightning bolt as well as something with real engineering behind it. But market pressures being what they are, even the best (large) companies produce minimal units that aren’t sufficient when you really need them.
I am not an engineer, but have had to research this subject for work. I have experience-but no training in this area.
Seems like you’d be getting hosed leasing it for $6 a month, as opposed to buying one outright. I’ve seen protectors that mount on the breaker panel for $35-50. Of course, if you lease it, I would assume they’ll replace it free if it gets fried . The question is, how often would they typically have to replace it?
Yes, they will replace it if it needs to be replaced. And as far as the ones that mount inside the panel, I have two 200 Amp panels, so that cost is doubled. Plus the installation cost would be doubled as well. :eek:
If I fond a meter base unit that I could purcahse, I might not be able to mount it. And I could be wrong, but stopping the surge before it even enters the house sounds like the right thing to do. Keep that stuff outside!
It’s bad enough that I have a 70’ lightning rod right outside. Ham radio antenna tower. :smack: