I recently bought a new sound system and the salesman insisted I buy a surge suppressor. Why do I need that?
Any device with electronic components is susceptible to electrical disturbances, which includes computers, TVs, printers and even some new refrigerators. A surge suppressor, or protection device, shields the equipment from power disturbances that can destroy or damage the appliance.
Externally caused power disturbances are rare here, compared with places that experience severe weather.
Clark Public Utilities sends electricity over miles of transmission and distribution lines using substations and transformers along the way so the electricity delivered to homes and businesses is at acceptable voltage levels. “We adhere to standards set by the American National Standards Institute. We set voltage levels at our substation transformers to make sure we’re within that range,” said Cal Morris, Clark Public Utilities’ director of engineering.
Although rare, external disturbances do occur and can be caused by a tree branch falling on a line or a car crashing into a utility pole.
A disturbance could make your lights dim or flicker momentarily. If the disturbance is significant enough, the microwave clock will start blinking. But in most cases, you will not notice the disturbance. But your electronics will and could be damaged.
Disturbances in your home can occur too when you turn on certain appliances such as a hair dryer or power tool. You may notice lights dim temporarily as the appliance draws a sudden burst of electricity. Damage from these types of disturbances is not common but can happen.
Types of protection
• Whole house protection: Hard wiring a surge suppressor next to your circuit breaker box will stop large external disturbances from entering your home’s wiring. A licensed electrician should install the system and it should include some type of indicator to tell you when the device was hit.
• Plug-in surge protectors: A whole house surge protector will not stop power disturbances occurring inside the house. In that case, we recommend using a plug-in surge protector between your sensitive equipment and the outlet. The protector will essentially intercept any voltage spike and maintain the voltage at normal levels. Look for a device that has three modes of protection — line to line, line to neutral and line to ground. You’ll want a device with an indicator light to show it’s working properly.
• Uninterruptible power supply units: In addition to protecting your equipment, these offer a battery backup to keep an appliance operating for a short time should the power go out. For example, the battery would allow you time to save any data and properly shut down a computer that was connected to a UPS.
The Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities energy counselors, who provide conservation and energy use information to utility customers. Send questions to energyadviser@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, in care of Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA. 98668. Past topics are available at www.clarkpublicutilities.com.
