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!
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.