Surge protector

[reg1952]

Last week during an ice storm I was hit with a power surge.It was so large it took out my surge protector on my house electrical panel, killed the power supply on my computer and burned the controll board for my Enviro Maxx..My computor had a surge protector on it and it got past that one as well.I didnt have one on the stove but I have one now.I just need to order a new board.$325.00, $150.00 to fixi computer,$400.00 for house panel surge protector,$100.00 for 3 new surge protectors for all the other things plus 13% tax.There goes all the saving for the year by installing the pellet stove.Now I am back to heating with oil because its still cold here in Ontario.NOT HAPPY

 

[briansol]

ouch!
do any of those surge protectors have an equipment guarantee? I know mine has a $100,000 connected guarantee.

 

[jtakeman]

Home owners insurance should cover things?

 

[TriMom]

What brand/model do folks recommend for Surge Protector?

I bought one with 10K warranty and need a second one for other pellet stove.

 

[ivanhoe]

ouch!
do any of those surge protectors have an equipment guarantee? I know mine has a $100,000 connected guarantee.

i wonder how difficult it would be to collect on a claim from those surge protector companies?

 

[DexterDay]

This is a good one. Many here have it (including me)

(broken link removed to http://www.ebay.com/itm/290870426490?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649)

 

[Lake Girl]

Last week during an ice storm I was hit with a power surge.It was so large it took out my surge protector on my house electrical panel, killed the power supply on my computer and burned the controll board for my Enviro Maxx..My computor had a surge protector on it and it got past that one as well.I didnt have one on the stove but I have one now.I just need to order a new board.$325.00, $150.00 to fixi computer,$400.00 for house panel surge protector,$100.00 for 3 new surge protectors for all the other things plus 13% tax.There goes all the saving for the year by installing the pellet stove.Now I am back to heating with oil because its still cold here in Ontario.NOT HAPPY

.
Sorry you got hit so bad - could be worse, they had a tornado in Shelburne, ON (north of Toronto) . As to house insurance, depends on the deductable. Keep your receipts from these surge protectors.

 

[westom]

> I was hit with a power surge.It was so large it took out
> my surge protector on my house electrical panel, killed
> the power supply on my computer and burned the
> controll board for my Enviro Maxx..My computor had a
> surge protector on it and it got past that one as well.

Well, now you may be ready to learn what protectors really do. "got past that one as well" says knowledge comes from advertising; not from how protection works.

View numbers on that computer adjacent protector. It will block or absorb a surge? View its spec numbers. How does a transient of hundreds of thousands of joules get stopped by an expensive device only rated at hundreds or a thousand joules?

Everyone who recommended those protectors (ie Tripplite) is invited to post the spec number that claims any such protection. A scam is easy to promote. It is called a surge protector. The proves it will protect from all destructive transients? Of course not. But the spin works with anyone who fails to demand, at minimum, spec numbers.

Good luck on its warranty. A protector adjacent to electronics does not claim protection from typically destructive transients..

No protector does protection. An effective protector connects low impedance (ie 'less than 3 meters') to what does protection. One who wants protection worries less about the protector. And worries most about what does protection. Single point earth ground. Where do hundreds of thousand of joules harmlessly dissipate? In earth. But only if a protector connects low impedance to protection. (ie 'less than three meters' and other critically important facts ignored by retail salesmen or advertising.)

 

[briansol]

While i'd never have to attempt it, if my house just 'blew up' you're dang right i'd be filling out forms.

What Will We Do To Correct Problems?
CyberPower will inspect and examine the Product.
If the Product is defective in material or workmanship,
CyberPower will repair or replace it at CyberPower's ex
pense, or, if
CyberPower is unable to or decides not to repair or rep
lace the Product (if defective) within a reasonable time
, CyberPower will refund
to you the full purchase price you paid for the Product
(purchase receipt showing price paid is required).
If it appears that our Product failed to protect any eq
uipment plugged into it, we will also send you forms fo
r making your claim for the
connected equipment. We will repair or replace the eq
uipment that was damaged because of the failure of our
Product or pay you
the fair market value (NOT REPLACEMENT COST) of the e
quipment at of the time of the damage. We will use
Orion Blue Book, or
another a third-party valuation guide, or eBay, craigsl
ist, or other source to establish that amount. Our max
imum liability is limited to
$425,000 for the CP1350PFCLCD and $500,000 for the
CP1500PFCLCD

500k should cover my stove

but then there's this fine print:

The Product was designed to eliminate disrupting and da
maging effects of momentary (less than 1ms) voltage spikes
or impulses
from lightning or other power transients. If it can b
e shown that a voltage spike lasting longer than 1ms has
occurred, the occurrence
will be deemed outside the rated capabilities of the P
roduct and the Limited Warranty is void

how the heck can you prove that?

 

[westom]

how the heck can you prove that?

Step one. Post each manufacturer spec number that defined capabilities.

"deemed outside the rated capabilities of the Product". What are its capabilities? What exactly does its specifications say? An answer must include numbers. Previous question was, " Where do hundreds of thousand of joules harmlessly dissipate?"

 

[blades]

Only good way I know is a lot of lighting rods to earth and an isolation transformer before the box. Even then some can still get past. Still have vivid memories of equipment blowing off the wall shelves in sequence when a bolt hit the building. Arc'd right past everything. Burn lines etched everywhere. Left a smoking, smoldering mess in it's wake.

Had a customer, new unit, blow 2 power supply boards a day apart about the same time of day each time. Research led to the power company switching grids at that time of day causing well over a 600v swing when one grid shut down and the other brought on line. Only found it after installing a line recording unit, A $300 tripplite ( 1980's ) unit didn't help it got fried also. Cost that company a lot of dollars to install huge isolation transformer and other equipment as they were just converting to cnc equipment at the time. That one went to court never heard what the out come was though.

 

[Chain]

Here's the one I have on my pellet stove:

(broken link removed to http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRIPP-LITE-ISOBAR4ULTRA-Isobar-Surge-Suppressor-4-Outlet-6-Cord-LED-TRIPPLITE-/290893585056?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D163%26meid%3D7210982148555466314%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1088%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D290870426490%26)

 

[westom]

Here's the one I have on my pellet stove:
(broken link removed to http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRIPP-LITE-ISOBAR4ULTRA-Isobar-Surge-Suppressor-4-Outlet-6-Cord-LED-TRIPPLITE-/290893585056?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D163%26meid%3D7210982148555466314%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1088%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D290870426490%26)

A protector adjacent to the stove either blocks or absorbs a surge. Question was, " Where do hundreds of thousand of joules harmlessly dissipate?" Where is any spec number that claims protection from typically destructive surges?

 

[blades]

Typically they can not stop a direct hit or even reasonably close bye hit, not much will, just arcs past it. Small surges on the line and transient spikes are what they are for. In the case of a home all three lines should be protected by the unit, earth- neutral- hot. Earth - neutral is where the biggest problem lies, likely accounts for more than 2/3 of circuit board problems in today's appliances. Most of the in-expensive units sold do not cover this. Been a long time since I chased this cat around the block. The triplites in the mid price on up the line used to, do not know where they are at now. My dealer cost some 25+ years ago was around $350.00 ea. Takes more than cheap little ceramic capacitor across the lines to solve.

 

[westom]

Typically they can not stop a direct hit or even reasonably close bye hit, not much will, just arcs past it. Small surges on the line and transient spikes are what they are for. In the case of a home all three lines should be protected by the unit, earth- neutral- hot. Earth - neutral is where the biggest problem lies, likely accounts for more than 2/3 of circuit board problems in today's appliances. .

Routine is to have a direct strike without damage. Or is your town without phone service for four days after every storm?

Telcos connect their $multi-million computer to wires all over town. Will suffer about 100 surges with each storm. And no damage. Telcos do not waste money on more expensive protectors adjacent to electronics. Instead telcos spend less money on a completely different device - also called a protector - that makes irrelevant surges including lightning.

Asked was, "Where is any spec number that claims protection from typically destructive surges?" That meant small surges were defined with a number. Small surges (ie hundreds of joules) are made irrelevant by protection already inside every appliance. Sometimes at surge too small to damage appliances may damage that adjacent protector. Then myths about 'protection is not possible' get promoted only by wild speculation. Undersizing a protector creates speculation such as, "My protector sacrificed itself to save my TV". Properly sized protectors do not fail. But again, " Where do hundreds of thousand of joules harmlessly dissipate?" Numbers that explain why telcos and munitions dumps suffer direct lightning strikes without damage.

 

[ekarlis]

Hi:
Check with your power company, they might offer a surge protector. I had Duke install one on my meter & added the cost to the bill.It took a year to pay for it. I left my surge protector that I orginally installed on my pellet stove.
A friend of mine had his printer & thermostat blown out by a thunder storm. Just some info that might help.

 

[Augmister]

Beware when you see the word "Guaranteed". These funny boxes we use are just mind candy. If you get hit with the big one, you loose. Perhaps homeowners insurance will help mitigate the situation. I don't think Triplite or APC is really in the "insurance business", do you? Those "random" events would be enough to put them under. Nice marketing ploy, though. Think about it....