Surge Protectors? Yay or Nay?

I was thinking of getting this surge protector
http://www.dealfox.com.au/huntkey-8-way-powerboard-with-surg…

However my home has been recently rewired and a new electricity box has been installed. So pretty much my house in terms of wiring and powerpoints are brand new. They were also installed with fuse protectors(if that's what its called when there is too much electricity running through and the fuse will blow switching off the electricity and then I need to go and access my electricity box to turn it back on). I was wondering if that is sufficient to protect me from a power surge. And if not what are the differences between a surge protector powerboard and what I have installed

Thanks!

Comments

  • +3

    In your box you will have a circuit breaker with earth leakage detection. It will cut power under two conditions:

    1: The current consumed by a device(s) exceeds a set amount for a set amount of time. The greater the current, the shorter the time allowed. In real terms this will take care of shorts (like sticking a paper clip between active and neutral) and faulty motors or power supplies which are drawing to much, usually (but not in marginal cases).

    2: Earth leakage detection. This is tripped if you connect active to earth. The purpose of this is so if you have an iron and the case is connected to earth (everything unpowered should be) then if there is a short inside the iron, rather than zapping you when you pick it up it will cut power.

    What this will NOT do is trip if the supply voltage to your house either exceeds a reasonable amount or fluctuates rapidly. Typically however the fluctuating case causes increased load which can trip the breaker anyway.

    In short: the breaker makes you safe, but does not nessesarily protect the devices. Having said that many devices are capable of dealing with some fairly large voltage spikes without fault.

    • +2

      Seeing as I didn't really tell you what you want to know I'll give you my take:

      Buying and using surge protectors is like paying for insurance that the supply to your house will be bad, won't be caught by the local distribution box, won't be so high as to fry the protector anyway and won't be within the acceptable range to the device you are protecting.

      Unless the device is expensive/hard to replace, I wouldn't bother.

    • Thank you very much for your detailed answer, I appreciate it very much :)

  • I just use the Crest branded one from Woolworths. They have a pretty good rep - fairly sure Choice rated it best performing for the price.

  • if your house has some new/proper circuit breakers, i wouldn't bother

    • +2

      Surge Protection has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the quality of the wiring or circuit breakers.

      Circuit breakers protect the wiring of the house against overload current conditions. They do absolutely nothing to stop the surges (eg: from a lightnig strike)

  • +1

    A power surge can most definitely fry your appliances, and the vast majority of contents insurance policies do not cover this. As already mentioned, there is nothing built into your pwer box, circuit breakers or anything else, that prevents surges.

    So it's a matter of deciding whether you want to fork out a few $ for a surge protector, or a lot of $ to replace a fried fridge, TV, whatever.

  • after a lightning strike killed my modem router, and two computer network port in 2008, I replaced my home with surge protector after

    • lightning took out my modem and pc….

  • +1

    Surge protectors are just that.
    They protect from sudden spikes in the power - nothing to do with circuit breakers or earth leakage devices.
    Modern electronics have changed.
    Many devices are exquisitely voltage sensitive and have definite operational limits. Your lovely expensive widescreen TV for example can be all over red rover in an instant.
    Sudden changes in the power supply are the cause. It can be local, say a relay thumping in as your fridge compressor kicks on, they can be local grid, a sub-station coming on/offline. Can be car accident taking down a line. Could be lightening strike.
    Days gone by, devices usually used wired transformers and few if any voltage sensitive logic components, These days no transformer most of the time and all computer controlled.

    In a nutshell, yes you need surge protectors.
    Please note: many of them are "temporary devices" in that they will catch one or two big spikes but die in the process whether they still appear to power up or not…

    • Please note: many of them are "temporary devices" in that they will catch one or two big spikes but die in the process whether they still appear to power up or not…

      Good reason to fork out for the ones that provide lifetime warranty on your items then?

    • Just FYI, basically everything has a transformer now, where as previous non-electronic machinery did not need them.

  • I found a 8 way surge protector in dumpster behind a DSE. I've been using it for 4 years with no issue.

    It's great as it is my "master switch' in my office for my 2 computers, desk top light, printer, amp, etc.

    I don't like to leave stuff on standby so using a 8 way surge protector board is an easy way to disconnect lots of things from standby.

    As for using it as an actual surge protector? meh. if my computer blows up then i have already backed up data and , oh dear, have to buy a new computer- which will be a tax write off for uni anyway. and it will be better, faster, newer.

    • Tax office isn't going to be interested in your TV or fridge though.

  • I have been using this model of HuntKey 8 way….it's good device to use….but I have another one which is Belkin and I prefer it over Huntkey because it has individual switches for each outlet…. Gives you bit of a flexibility…

  • My sis has just had her 2nd computer blown through surges
    Any suggestion on brands to buy?
    Which ones come with lifetime warranty thing?

    • There are free ones going around knocking on people's doors they are worth a bit of money and prob would be perfect forgot Wat they r called but don't knock anyone down if anyone comes to ur door

  • I'm new and can't post new deals for 24 hours. Just wanting to know if anyone thinks this surge protector is a good deal. (ie. is this just going to be a piece of rubbish)
    HyperTec power surge protector. 8 plug. $18.95 +$7.95 postage
    Hope this link from www.oo.com.au works

    http://www.oo.com.au/HyperTec-Power-Surge-Protector_P22018.c…

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