Are surge protectors really worth it?

[Cy4Patriots]

I am looking for a new surge protector for my home theater system.

Do you think that a 10 dollar surge protector does the same good as a 200 dollar one?

I was looking at Panamax one and really like it, but I guess I wouldn't know until something happened. Anyone have luck with these?

Panamax - 9-Outlet Rack-Mountable Power Conditioner/ Surge Protector - M4300-PM

 

[kilgore_trout]

you're joking right?

no.

 

[Cyclonepride]

The cheap ones do little to nothing for you. Not sure I would drop $200 though. Maybe in the $50 range.

 

[Cy4Patriots]

you're joking right?

no.

About what question?

10 vs 200? No, HDMI cables are like that as well.

 

[dmclone]

I have some pretty expensive equipment (expensive to me) hooked up to relatively cheap power strips. I would spend up to $50 for the right one that had a lot of space but not a cent more.

You have to have a pretty decent one to fit some of those massive plugs these things come with.

 

[Cy4Patriots]

I have some pretty expensive equipment (expensive to me) hooked up to relatively cheap power strips. I would spend up to $50 for the right one that had a lot of space but not a cent more.

You have to have a pretty decent one to fit some of those massive plugs these things come with.

What brand do you have?

 

[dmclone]

What brand do you have?

I have my sub hooked to a Belkin, which is really nice for the price.

I'm embarrassed to say that I just went downstairs and saw that I actually have my A/V stuff hooked to a monster strip. The only reason I have this is because I had a 50% off monster as long as you spent more than $50. So I got a $60 power strip for $30. I wouldn't have bought it without that coupon. So in summary, I like the Belkin.

 

[3TrueFans]

About what question?

10 vs 200? No, HDMI cables are like that as well.

You're a Best Buy employee's wet dream.

 

[Clonehomer]

$50 sounds about right. I've always liked belkin. You can get much better prices online from amazon or newegg. I usually like monoprice for cables, but I don't trust them for surge protectors. That's just my preference though, no reason behind it.

What you want to avoid is the BS the high end ones talk about with electrical noise reduction or whatever. Almost all electronics are digital now so any noise from an electric input is meaningless.

 

[dmclone]

It looks like the one you're looking at is a lot more than a surge protector. Your paying for the power conditioner . If you go to A/V web sites you find two opinions. Either they are a waste of money or if you're only spending $300 on one than it's not good.

I would try a mid level urge protector and if you not have any noise issues through you're wiring than stick with it.

When I had my home theater done I had all my stuff put on a separate circuit.

 

[Cy4Patriots]

You're a Best Buy employee's wet dream.

I have bought one thing at Best Buy ever. I buy everything online and research it thoroughly before I purchase.

 

[kingcy]

Here is why you buy the good ones

******* backs this model of surge protector with industry-best Lifetime Product and Connected Equipment Warranties.

 

[westom]

Do you think that a 10 dollar surge protector does the same good as a 200 dollar one?

Scams are so easy to promote because so many think price determines quality. The informed consumer views manufacturer spec numbers. Often a $70 protector has a protector circuit equivalent to what sells in Wal-Mart for $7. Monster has a long history of identifying scams. Then selling an equivalent product for even higher prices.

Learn simple layman concepts. Destructive surges can be hundreds of thousands of joules. How many joules does that Panamax claim to absorb? A protector adjacent to appliances can only do two things. Either absorb that energy. Or block the current. How does a 2 cm part inside that power strip stop what three miles of sky could not?

These questions are damning because numbers are required. Any answer without numbers demonstrates how easy retail scams are promoted by only increasing its price.

Now, move on to what always exists in every facility that cannot have damage. As in always. One 'whole house' protector is properly earthed. 'Earthed' is the most critically important word in that sentence. Summarizes things far more important requirements. Such as the connection from the protector to earth ground rod must be low impedance (ie 'less than 10 feet').

What does a Panamax and some 'obscene profit' protector not discuss? Earthing. Where is the always required and dedicated wire to make that earthing connection? Does not exist.

View solutions from far more responsible companies. Names that any 'guy' knows for their reputation. Such as Siemens, General Electric, Leviton, ABB, Polyphaser, Square D, or Intermatic. These protectors even have numbers that say it will earth direct lightning strikes. And remain functional. A Cutler-Hammer solution sells in Lowes and Home Depot for less than $50.

But that is only a protector. Simple science. Your protection is defined by what harmlessly absorbs hundreds of thousands of joules. Single point earth ground. That is what most every paragraph must ask about because that (and not a protector) is the 'art' of protection.

Meanwhile, the naive believe cost defines better quality. So Monster, et al can sell that $7 Wal-Mart protector for $70 or $200.

A simple layman concept. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground – which the Panamax does not have and will not discuss.

 

[IowaStateClones]

Scams are so easy to promote because so many think price determines quality. The informed consumer views manufacturer spec numbers. Often a $70 protector has a protector circuit equivalent to what sells in Wal-Mart for $7. Monster has a long history of identifying scams. Then selling an equivalent product for even higher prices.

Learn simple layman concepts. Destructive surges can be hundreds of thousands of joules. How many joules does that Panamax claim to absorb? A protector adjacent to appliances can only do two things. Either absorb that energy. Or block the current. How does a 2 cm part inside that power strip stop what three miles of sky could not?

These questions are damning because numbers are required. Any answer without numbers demonstrates how easy retail scams are promoted by only increasing its price.

Now, move on to what always exists in every facility that cannot have damage. As in always. One 'whole house' protector is properly earthed. 'Earthed' is the most critically important word in that sentence. Summarizes things far more important requirements. Such as the connection from the protector to earth ground rod must be low impedance (ie 'less than 10 feet').

What does a Panamax and some 'obscene profit' protector not discuss? Earthing. Where is the always required and dedicated wire to make that earthing connection? Does not exist.

View solutions from far more responsible companies. Names that any 'guy' knows for their reputation. Such as Siemens, General Electric, Leviton, ABB, Polyphaser, Square D, or Intermatic. These protectors even have numbers that say it will earth direct lightning strikes. And remain functional. A Cutler-Hammer solution sells in Lowes and Home Depot for less than $50.

But that is only a protector. Simple science. Your protection is defined by what harmlessly absorbs hundreds of thousands of joules. Single point earth ground. That is what most every paragraph must ask about because that (and not a protector) is the 'art' of protection.

Meanwhile, the naive believe cost defines better quality. So Monster, et al can sell that $7 Wal-Mart protector for $70 or $200.

A simple layman concept. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground – which the Panamax does not have and will not discuss.

It blocks the current flow into the device.:twitcy:

 

[jdoggivjc]

How does a 2 cm part inside that power strip stop what three miles of sky could not?[/COLOR]

Probably for the same reason that 20 miles of electrical cable doesn't stop it - extreme conductivity (or, at the very least in the sky's purpose, no resistance properties). If the sky were a resistor, lightning probably wouldn't exist in the first place.

You mock a 2 cm resistor inside of a power strip, but think what even smaller resistors on a circuit board are capable of.

Now, I don't disagree with your statement about buying a $200 power strip, but if you think that a $7 power strip is the same as a $50 power strip, I laugh. The only thing a $7 power strip is good for is providing you more outlets. If you're looking for protection from a $7 power strip you might as well plug your electronics straight into the wall.

 

[CyFan61]

About what question?

10 vs 200? No, HDMI cables are like that as well.

I'm assuming that you mean a $10 HDMI cable performs the same as a $200 one. I hope that's what you mean.

For anyone else out there who is unsure, you can expect identical picture and performance from this HDMI cable and this one.

 

[Pseudonym]

Look at the equipment guarantee and then buy off of that. APC is probably the most respected brand in this area, Tripp Lite is also good.

This Tripp Lite surge protector is under $10 and includes $20k worth of insurance for products hooked up to it from surges. Why would you need more than that?

 

[Cy4Patriots]

I'm assuming that you mean a $10 HDMI cable performs the same as a $200 one. I hope that's what you mean.

For anyone else out there who is unsure, you can expect identical picture and performance from this HDMI cable and this one.

Correct.

Look at the equipment guarantee and then buy off of that. APC is probably the most respected brand in this area, Tripp Lite is also good.

This Tripp Lite surge protector is under $10 and includes $20k worth of insurance for products hooked up to it from surges. Why would you need more than that?

Yes, I picked up an APC Protector.

 

[westom]

It blocks the current flow into the device.

How does a 2 centimeter device stop what three miles of sky cannot?

If a $200 protector is better than the $7 protector, then manufacturer specifications are posted that demonstrated each superior parameter. None were provided. And that is the point. No honest recommendation is possible without those spec numbers.

Informed posts ignore the dollars; instead list relevant spec numbers. No one cited even one relevant spec number from APC or Tripplite. How do their magic 2 centimeter parts stop a current that three miles of sky could not?

Its warranty is just as bogus. Read the fine print. They do not and need not honor that warranty. In Sept 2009, Hawkwind describes bogus protection and warranty provided by Tripplite. His experience is quite common. And expected if reading their fine print:

Trying to make a warranty claim on a terminal strip from a lightening strike is almost a lost cause.
A friend of mine lost a room full of very expensive electronic test equipment do to a surge from a lightening strike miles away. He had every piece of equipment plugged into Tripp-Lite strips all around the room. There was not a cloud in the sky but you could hear lightening strikes way off in the distance. Then out of the blue. POW, he said it sounded as if someone had tossed a very large firecracker into the room. Then you had the smell of burnt electrical components.

He tried to make a claim with Tripp-Lite and was turned down over and over again on loop holes. He had every bill for every piece of equipment that was lost. After trying to fight it for months he just gave up and filed an insurance claim on his homeowners policy.

The majority will believe Tripplite does protection and honors a warranty because advertising and hearsay say so. Reality comes from the fewer who actually learn this stuff, always demand spec numbers, and even read the fine print.

Usual is to have a majority easily deceived because advertising and the resulting myths are automatically believed by most consumers. The fewer and better informed consumers, instead, earth one 'whole house' protector. Spend less money. And have protection proven by over 100 years. To even make direct lightning strikes and lesser surges irrelevant. Even the protector does not fail when using well proven solutions.

 

[ISUser]

I'd like to add a few thoughts if I may. And FYI I'm an electrical engineer who works for a utility company.

-Surge protectors do offer added protection for connected devices to a certain degree. Obviously you should start by looking at the ratings. The higher the UL of a surge protector the more protection it offers. However, equipment with a higher UL ratings generally have shorter lifespans than those with a lower ratings, so you would need to replace your surge protector more frequently. Also, look for an MOV-based protector (compared to a GDT protector) . The MOV responds faster than the GDT, offering better protection.

- Like most other products there are a lot of overpriced brands that claim to offer some sort of added protection that really isn't needed. There are differences between $7 and $50 power strips, but not so much between $50 and $200 strips.

- Surge protectors protect from more than just lightning and other outside events. If another piece of equipment on the surge protector or the wall outlet shorts it could save everything else plugged into that strip from being toasted. Your fuse/breaker panel provides similar protection, but a surge protector can add another layer to it.

- Regarding the lightning issue, if there is a stroke of lightning in the immediate vicinity of your house, it's possible that a surge protector may not save your devices. A surge protector works by diverting the path of electricity to a controlled area when the voltage or current gets to high. This process can fail if the surge has enough energy though, and a lighting strike right on your house could do it.

- I'm calling BS on the story above, a lightning strike from that far away on a modern electrical system would not blow out several devices. I'm not denying the devices blew out somehow, but no way it was a lightning strike from miles away. Unless they've been stolen (common problem), there are grounds generally on every five utility poles that provide a path for the lightning to reach the ground so it doesn't fry everyone's homes.

-Finally, I've had clerks at two different Best Buy's tell me I needed a more expensive power strip to provide good voltage to my electronics because the voltage you get from the utility company is bad. This is ********. The voltage you get is fine, federal law says it has to be. Buying a surge protector that promises to improve voltage is a waste of money.

I hope some of that was of some help.