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
Surge protectors are filled with small components called MOVs. These components can absorb a certain amount of electrical energy before they die, which should stop the flow of electricity. Additionally, these devices have a time parameter, meaning that a small amount of high voltage will get through them before they are fast enough to react to the high voltage. This high voltage can then affect your other electrical devices. Finally, over time, small spikes in power, which you often will fail to see, can add up with these MOVs. A dozen small surges can add up to one large surge. This is why many surge protectors suggest that you replace them every few years
Next, these surge protectors normally only protect your electrical lines. Phone lines, cable lines, etc. can all be conductors for lightning strikes and power spikes. When I worked in retail computer sales back in the 90’s, we would sell dozens of new dial-up phone modems after every thunderstorm. Your cable modem likely died due to incoming spikes from the cable line. Likewise with the TV. And graphics cards tend to be very sensitive to incoming power.
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