I recently had a power surge at my house, and some devices on my surge protectors died (graphics card, tv, modem) but others were fine (router, xbox, apple tv). I don’t understand what the difference was, can surge protectors be explained more on how they work?
In: Technology
Routine is for a plug-in protector to earth a surge destructively via any nearby appliance. An IEEE brochure demonstrated it. A plug-in protector in one room earthed a surge 8,000 volts destructively through a TV in an adjacent room. That made obvious if others bothered to first learn what a plug-in protector does.
A 5,000 volt surge is incoming on the hot wire. That surge connects unimpeded into all nearby appliances on each hot wire. That protector has a let-through voltage; typically 330. Now 4,670 volts is also incoming on each neutral and safety ground wires. Where is the protection? In profit margins.
Surges do damage by hunting for an appliance that makes a best connection to earth. Some devices made that best connection destructively. So that surge need not flow through a dishwasher, clock radios, furnace, LED and CFL bulbs, refrigerator, GFCIs, garage door opener, recharging electronics, door bell, stove, central air, or smoke detectors … this time. Details in paragraph 11.
It is electricity. It only does damage when it has an incoming and a completely different outgoing path. Damage is often on the outgoing path.
If one does not properly earth ground a Type 1 or Type 2 protector, then that surge is inside hunting for earth ground. That connection to earthing electrodes must be low impedance (ie less than 10 feet). Only effective protectors are allowed to make that connection. If a Type 3 (plug-in) protector was earthed, then even an electrical code violation exists.
Did they forget to mention all this when selling a $3 power strip with five cent protector parts for $25 or $80? Of course. They know which consumers are easy marks.
Honesty only exists when numbers say why and how much. Effective protector (for about $1 per appliance) means *hundreds of thousands of joules* (a surge) dissipates harmlessly outside. Then a surge is **nowhere** inside. Then best protect at an appliance, already inside all appliances, is not overwhelmed.
Effective protectors are not promoted by a massive disinformation campaign. Effective protectors do what Franklin demonstrated over 250 years ago. These devices were routine all over the world over 100 years ago. In all facilities that could not have damage.
Then scammers discovered a market of the most naive consumers. Who do not always demand facts with numbers. Then spend $25 or $80 on a $3 power strip with five cent protector parts.
Incoming surge on AC mains. Since those wires have no effective protection. Hunting for earth ground.
TV cable is required to have best protection earthed for free. That is done without any protector. So that TV cable was a best outgoing path, destructively via a router, Xbox, Apple TV, etc.
Nothing new. [All professionals](https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/195guja/online_ups_vs_power_conditioner_vs_surge/khz6k9h/) have long been stating reality. Since reality is never found in a tweet, then many cannot read it.
In your case, [this AT&T discussion](https://coderanch.com/t/601307/Lightning-protection-PSTN-line#2744140) probably defines everything.
Most of what was posted here is disinformation. Since most do not like to learn they were easily duped, then many will only downvote. Rather than ask questions to learn more. Or a science well proven all over the world even over 100 years ago.
No low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) connection to earth ground electrodes means NO protection. Made obvious by what was first taught in elementary school science. That simple.
Latest Answers