Surge protectors are devices used to control the frequency of the electrical current flowing to your computers, televisions and all other electronics. It is a device often forgotten, but, it’s necessary to have one in every homestead, computer lab, and office.
Another critical thing about surge protectors is that they have ratings in terms of joules. The number of joules for each protector dictates the absorption of energy. Therefore, if you need a surge protector for computers and home theaters, choose one with a joule rating of 2500 and above.
How Does a Surge Protector Work?
When you connect a surge protector into a power source, you can then insert a computer charger into outlets on the device. So, when electric voltage spikes or surge, the device directs the excess voltage to a grounding wire. Inside the power surge, there is a metal oxide varistor that is between the grounding wire and the current wire. The MOV diverts the excess voltage into the grounding wire.
What to look for when buying a surge protector
1. Number of outlets
Chances are, you will always add more electronics. Therefore, invest in a device that has more outlets than you require for purposes of connecting more electronics in the future. For example, if you have four electronics, choose a power surge protector with six outlets.
2. Enough spacing
The spaces between outlets should be large enough to accommodate large plugs. Therefore, when purchasing a power surge protector, consider the space between one socket and the other.
3. Joules
Surge protectors protect your gadgets in the form of units called Joules. If a surge protector has a rating of 1000 joules, it can protect many small electronics. The higher the value, the more likely that the device will handle huge power surge and spikes that might put your equipment at risk.
4. Differentiate between power strip and power surge protector
A power strip is like a wall socket. The only difference is that it has several outlets on it. To use it, you have to plug it into the wall socket then connect your device’s cable on it. It’s essential to have it when you have a few wall sockets that can’t serve all your electronics. But, since it has several outlets, it can conveniently serve all your electronics.
However, it doesn’t protect your electronics from power surge and spikes. It only has a circuit breaker, which is not enough to protect your electronics.
The importance of identifying the difference between surge protectors and power strip is to ensure electronics like fridges are safe. A power strip surge protector seems like the perfect combination to handle power spikes in your home.
It’s advisable to have a surge protector for your computer. It might save you from incurring losses in amounts of hundreds of dollars when the computer’s hardware succumbs to a power surge. Above all, source your surge protectors for computer from a reliable supplier — contact CableWholesale today.
