Qo Plug On Surge Protector

[Ara Kistner]

Icurrently have an SMT 1500 UPS. I have read and searched varying discussions, including the FAQ, which advise against plugging a UPS into a surge protector. But, the reasons given in the FAQ are vague. Most online discussions find no issue with doing so, although the reasons given are anecdotal or abstract. The FAQ mentions power could be drawn away from the UPS. But, if the UPS is the only thing plugged into the surge protector, what is the issue? The FAQ also mentions clean power. Would there be some disturbance via the surge protector due to the EMI / RFI noise filtering? Again, the searches and FAQ are helpful, but I am hoping for a definitive "yes" or "no" answer, as well as rationale for said reasons.

I wanted to run my SMT 1500 into something like the APC P11VNT3. The extra surge protection would be nice in my area. I would rather sacrifice the surge protector as opposed to the UPS, for obvious price reasons. Is said surge protector good enough / compatible with the SMT 1500 (assuming plugging only the UPS into the surge protector is deemed acceptable)?

I have seen comments from 2010 searches which suggest ONLY a UPS into a surge protector should be fine (APC knowledge base article 1372 addresses this). Again, my hope is to simply make sure. And, if I am being overly redundant, feel free to point that out as well!

One other question; APC's website states all Surge Arrest units have Catastrophic Protection (power is cut when MOVs / protection are no longer in working order). Yet, when I read the actual PDF manuals, only the Net 8 unit doesn't have a disclaimer stating that power to load will continue once protection ceases (now unprotected devices). So, which is it?

I think rational thought and practice should prevail here. I use protected power strips, APC branded, on the output of both my SMT3000 and my SMX1500RM2U and don't have any issues and I will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Of course, I reserve the right to change my opinion if a direct hit or other large surge causes damage. YMMV.

This 12-outlet model offers great protection against household surges that come from other equipment in your home or fluctuations from the power company. Plus, it has a generous 8-foot cord, and it feels sturdy and robust.

It turned a 5,000-volt surge into just 40 volts, thanks in part to a shutdown circuit that turns off all power when it detects a surge. The Furman PST-8 actually let less voltage through in our tests than high-end series-mode surge eliminators that can cost hundreds more.

Most estimates put the average lifespan of a surge protector at three to five years, and if your home has frequent brownouts or blackouts, you might want to replace your surge protectors as often as every two years.

In the US, wall outlets nominally provide electricity at 120 volts, but most electronic devices can handle more, allowing them to operate on the 240-volt standard used internationally. In our testing, we zapped each model with a ridiculously powerful 5,000-volt surge and measured how much power slipped through. This told us how many volts would be able to reach and potentially damage your devices at home.

It has other useful indicators, too. In addition to its auto-shutoff function, the unit has two little status LEDs: one that tells you when surge protection is functioning and another that lets you know if you have a short circuit, a blown fuse, or a wiring problem that requires intervention from an electrician.

It can suppress some big, big surges. When we sent 5,000-volt surges of electricity through this model, it suppressed as much as any surge protector we tested (with the exception of the much more expensive series-mode or hybrid options like our upgrade pick).

In addition to its outlets, the Tripp Lite TLP1208SAT has two coaxial connectors and three telephone ports. Like with AC outlets, power runs through these ports, so they can be affected by lightning and other types of surges; for example, a spike in power through incorrectly grounded cable lines (which are not uncommon) can destroy an unprotected cable box.

It protects USB-powered devices, too. In addition to three AC ports on its front-facing side, the SK30USB has two 2.1-amp USB ports. It lacks telephone ports and coaxial connectors, but those are rarely used outside of a media center or home office anyway.

It has a modern look and a slim design. The SK30USB is made of glossy plastic and has a sleek, streamlined design. Even though it juts out about an inch, its curved edges allow it to hug the wall fairly seamlessly.

Instead of relying on standard metal-oxide varistors (MOVs) to absorb the entire surge, Furman adds extra protection: Once a surge goes over 137 volts, the entire unit shuts down to protect itself and any connected equipment (switching the unit on and off resets it).

Any surge that gets through before the shutdown passes through a series of capacitors as well as a large inductor meant to filter the extra power. The large MOV, similar to those found in less-expensive units, sacrifices only part of itself as a last resort after the filtering stage.

Given how effective the setup was at swallowing our test surges, we have every reason to believe that the PST-8 will provide more protection for longer than standard surge protectors in the under-$50 price range.

The 12-outlet APC Performance SurgeArrest P12U2 has an auto-shutoff feature that kicks in only when the main (L-N) leg wears out. This means that if either of its other two legs (L-G or N-G) breaks down first, it will continue to send power to your devices, which could be unsafe.

Like our top pick, the 12-outlet Belkin BE112234-10 performed well in our surge tests and is UL listed. It also has surge-protection and ground/fault indicator lights, three telephone ports, two coaxial connectors, a long cord, a lifetime warranty, and a great joule rating. However, it lacks auto-shutoff capabilities, so you have to check the indicator lights regularly to know when the surge-protection components are worn out.

Although the 12-outlet CyberPower P1004UC has as many outlets as our top pick and adds a USB-A port and USB-C port, we dismissed it because it shut down permanently after being zapped with 1,800 volts in our surge tests.

The six-outlet Amazon Basics SMD607, Belkin BP106000, and Belkin BSV602tt have twice as many outlets as our wall-mounted pick, and like that model they have two USB-A ports and can be safely mounted to a wall with screws. However, they all suffer from being less compact or having fewer safety certifications than that model.

We tested the cheapest surge protector we could find at a local Walmart, the six-outlet Hyper Tough PS682B_B, to see how it would fare against our top contenders, and it failed spectacularly in pretty much every way.

The nearly identical three-outlet CyberPower CSP300WUR1 and CyberPower P300WURC2 performed relatively well in our surge tests, blocking all but 282 and 226.8 volts, respectively, of the thousands we threw at them. However, they have a bit more bulk than our wall-mounted pick, and a shorter, one-year warranty.

Sarah Witman is a senior staff writer who reports on powering and charging technology for Wirecutter. She previously worked as a writer, editor, and fact checker for several science magazines. Though she researches and tests chargers for a living, her phone battery is usually low.

Should I plug my HP Pavilion into a surge protector strip? I've searched the Internet and viewed different opinions. Here is one example that doesn't even make sense. This statement is exactly as it appeared.

This might make sense if you live in an area where the power frequently fluctuates up and down, where there electrical storms are common, or if you live in fear of "bad power". The last one is a "cover everything" kind of statement.

Surge Protectors are not equal. The kind and rating of the surge protector impacts whether it will actually work when / if needed. A puny, cheap surge protector is relatively useless in most situations.

Surge Protectors must allow enough power through the device to let the computer grab enough power to start up. Booting takes more power - very briefly - than does using the computer after it's booted / started.

Surge Protectors - in addition to not being equal in capabilities - are "one time" use devices. Once tripped (for example, due to a power surge), the surge protector, having done its job, is no longer a protective device. Could be useless, could fail, could be a trouble maker.

If you live in fear of "bad power", consider a large (not puny) battery backup unit that includes power surge and drop protection, logging (to keep track of what the unit is doing), and a decent interface. The good ones are expensive.

"Should" and "Presumably" mean nothing if the power in your neighborhood resembles a squirrel's nest, has been chewed by skinny tailed rodents, or is otherwise dangerous or unsuitable due to age or condition of the equipment.

My practice is to power every electronic device through a surge protector or UPS..... when possible and convenient. These satellites come "out of the box" designed to plug into a regular electrical outlet and stand vertical. (at least the US model. Have not seen what a UK wall-mount satellite looks like.) In my opinion, it would be a chore to hang a surge protector on the wall to produce the same effect.

As @FURRYe38 states there are plenty of plug in surge protectors on the market, some single some dual outlet. One thing needed to be remembered is that surge proectors wear out. Without incident they should be replaced every three to five years. If you have occasional black or brown outs, every two years, or sooner depending on frequency of occurrence. Any single major event, replace immediately. Built in surge protectors in other devices (such as UPC) are no exception. Whole home surge protectors probably should be replaced every three years. If a surge protector being used is years old, it probably is doing nothing (that surge protected power strip you bought and put into use five years ago? Probaby useless as protection).

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