Re: Surge Protectors

First, five power problems can exist: blackouts, brownouts, noise,
surges, and harmonics. Of these, a typical computer grade UPS only
addresses blackouts and extreme brownouts. Sags or low voltage are in
this category. These are hazardous to motorized appliances and do not
harm electronic appliances.

Surges are excessive voltage AND require a different 'system' to make
them irrelevant so as to not overwhelm protection already inside that
appliance.

Noise is completely irrelevant to all appliances.

Second, power conditioner is a vague term that could apply to any of
those above five conditions. Without specific functions and numbers,
no one can say which "power conditioning" is being done.

A typical computer grade UPS does not smooth electricity or remove
'dirty' electricity. The typical UPS connects an appliance (computer)
directly to AC mains when not in battery backup mode. Where is
smoothing or cleaning by that relay? It only exists in myths. Even
worse is output by a typical computer grade UPS when in battery backup
mode. This UPS output is called a modified sine wave. Its 120 volt
output (in battery backup mode) is two 200 volt square waves with up to
a 270 volt spike between those square waves. A sine wave output? Of
course. Just not a very clean output. And this 200+ volt output is
not harmful to computers that are some of the most robust appliances in
the house.

If noise causes computer problems, then a human used cost controls to
buy an inferior power supply that was dumped into the clone computer
market.

A plug-in UPS protects computer data from blackouts and brownouts; for
temporary data protection.

Hardware protection from surges - excessive voltage - requires a unit
located elsewhere in the building and called a 'whole house' protector.

Third, your original question was about surge protectors wearing out.
Yes. And then we can put numbers to it that make that yes irrelevant.
An effective protector is typically good for well over a decade
because it is properly sized. However since plug-in protectors are not
even claimed effective by their manufacturers, then such protectors can
even be grossly undersized to smoke. Any protector that smokes is
totally undersized and provides no effective protection. Smoke is one
way to get the naive to recommend an ineffective and grossly overpriced
product.

Meanwhile, those lights can report surge protector as bad, only
report a failure due to the protector being grossly undersized. A
failure mode that the component part manufacturer's specifications will
not define. A failure mode that is unacceptable. The acceptable
failure mode for a protector is to degrade. And that light on a
protector - it cannot report a degraded protector. That light can only
report the protector has failed due to being grossly undersized.

Effective protector for surges and provided by responsible
manufacturers is called 'whole house'. Plug-in protectors can even
contribute to damage of the adjacent computer. UPS is for data
protection from blackouts and brownouts. 'Power conditioner' is a
vague expression often used to hype a product on half truths or
deception.

Five different power problems are defined. There is no one plug-in
solution for all or for even most. The only power conditioner that
will address all five is a building wide UPS system such as in
telephone switching centers, hospitals, and other high reliability
facilities.

clw wrote:
In article <howard-6DED47.20133822052006@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Howard S Shubs <howard@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
If you live some place with very noisy power, you might be well served
by getting some kind of power conditioner or UPS, depending on how much
you want to spend.

What is a "power conditioner or UPS" please?
thank you

.

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