Surge Suppressors
The most commonly used power protection device is a surge suppressor. This device,
which provides protection that ranges from mostly psychological to good, is generally
available and sold in virtually any store that also sells extension cords, including drug,
grocery, hardware, and computer stores.
At the psychological level of protection are power strips that cost less than $10. These
devices are not much more than fancy extension cords and offer very little in the way of
surge protection or suppression capability. Be aware that although you will hear surge
suppressors called power strips or power bars, you should not expect to get decent pro-
tectionfromthese.Therearedevicesthatareonlypowerstripsandpowerbarsanddonot
include surge suppression at all; again, these are just extension cords.
A good selection of surge suppressor strips is available in the price range of $15 to $35
that provides some level of protection. However, after any severe power event, such as
lightning nearby or a power surge strong enough to affect your house or office lighting,
be sure to check its MOV’s LED, fuse, or circuit breaker for damage. Surge suppressors in
this price range are considered disposable technology.
Surge suppressors that also include some line conditioning capabilities, like the one
shown in Figure 23-1, will provide good protection. Expect to pay $40 or more for a qual-
ity device. For the most part, a surge suppressor is a high-grade extension cord with a
plastic block that typically has 4 to 12 three-prong grounded outlets. The surge suppres-
sor is plugged into the nearest AC power outlet and your PC, monitor, printer, and other
peripherals plug into the surge suppressor.
Line conditioning ability, which is included in the high-end surge suppressor shown
in Figure 23-1, means the device is able to smooth out EMI and other electrical noise on the
circuit. Not all surge suppressors include line conditioning, so you need to carefully check
the device’s specifications if you wish to have this feature. No surge suppressor includes(^604) PC Hardware: A Beginner’s Guide
Figure 23-1. A high-end surge suppressor also includes line conditioning capabilities.
Photo courtesy of American Power Conversion Corporation