Are surge protectors really worth it?

[CyFan61]

About what question?

10 vs 200? No, HDMI cables are like that as well.

I'm assuming that you mean a $10 HDMI cable performs the same as a $200 one. I hope that's what you mean.

For anyone else out there who is unsure, you can expect identical picture and performance from this HDMI cable and this one.

[Pseudonym]

Look at the equipment guarantee and then buy off of that. APC is probably the most respected brand in this area, Tripp Lite is also good.

This Tripp Lite surge protector is under $10 and includes $20k worth of insurance for products hooked up to it from surges. Why would you need more than that?

[Cy4Patriots]

I'm assuming that you mean a $10 HDMI cable performs the same as a $200 one. I hope that's what you mean.

For anyone else out there who is unsure, you can expect identical picture and performance from this HDMI cable and this one.

Correct.

Look at the equipment guarantee and then buy off of that. APC is probably the most respected brand in this area, Tripp Lite is also good.

This Tripp Lite surge protector is under $10 and includes $20k worth of insurance for products hooked up to it from surges. Why would you need more than that?

Yes, I picked up an APC Protector.

[westom]

It blocks the current flow into the device.

How does a 2 centimeter device stop what three miles of sky cannot?

If a $200 protector is better than the $7 protector, then manufacturer specifications are posted that demonstrated each superior parameter. None were provided. And that is the point. No honest recommendation is possible without those spec numbers.

Informed posts ignore the dollars; instead list relevant spec numbers. No one cited even one relevant spec number from APC or Tripplite. How do their magic 2 centimeter parts stop a current that three miles of sky could not?

Its warranty is just as bogus. Read the fine print. They do not and need not honor that warranty. In Sept 2009, Hawkwind describes bogus protection and warranty provided by Tripplite. His experience is quite common. And expected if reading their fine print:

Trying to make a warranty claim on a terminal strip from a lightening strike is almost a lost cause.
A friend of mine lost a room full of very expensive electronic test equipment do to a surge from a lightening strike miles away. He had every piece of equipment plugged into Tripp-Lite strips all around the room. There was not a cloud in the sky but you could hear lightening strikes way off in the distance. Then out of the blue. POW, he said it sounded as if someone had tossed a very large firecracker into the room. Then you had the smell of burnt electrical components.

He tried to make a claim with Tripp-Lite and was turned down over and over again on loop holes. He had every bill for every piece of equipment that was lost. After trying to fight it for months he just gave up and filed an insurance claim on his homeowners policy.

The majority will believe Tripplite does protection and honors a warranty because advertising and hearsay say so. Reality comes from the fewer who actually learn this stuff, always demand spec numbers, and even read the fine print.

Usual is to have a majority easily deceived because advertising and the resulting myths are automatically believed by most consumers. The fewer and better informed consumers, instead, earth one 'whole house' protector. Spend less money. And have protection proven by over 100 years. To even make direct lightning strikes and lesser surges irrelevant. Even the protector does not fail when using well proven solutions.

[ISUser]

I'd like to add a few thoughts if I may. And FYI I'm an electrical engineer who works for a utility company.

-Surge protectors do offer added protection for connected devices to a certain degree. Obviously you should start by looking at the ratings. The higher the UL of a surge protector the more protection it offers. However, equipment with a higher UL ratings generally have shorter lifespans than those with a lower ratings, so you would need to replace your surge protector more frequently. Also, look for an MOV-based protector (compared to a GDT protector) . The MOV responds faster than the GDT, offering better protection.

- Like most other products there are a lot of overpriced brands that claim to offer some sort of added protection that really isn't needed. There are differences between $7 and $50 power strips, but not so much between $50 and $200 strips.

- Surge protectors protect from more than just lightning and other outside events. If another piece of equipment on the surge protector or the wall outlet shorts it could save everything else plugged into that strip from being toasted. Your fuse/breaker panel provides similar protection, but a surge protector can add another layer to it.

- Regarding the lightning issue, if there is a stroke of lightning in the immediate vicinity of your house, it's possible that a surge protector may not save your devices. A surge protector works by diverting the path of electricity to a controlled area when the voltage or current gets to high. This process can fail if the surge has enough energy though, and a lighting strike right on your house could do it.

- I'm calling BS on the story above, a lightning strike from that far away on a modern electrical system would not blow out several devices. I'm not denying the devices blew out somehow, but no way it was a lightning strike from miles away. Unless they've been stolen (common problem), there are grounds generally on every five utility poles that provide a path for the lightning to reach the ground so it doesn't fry everyone's homes.

-Finally, I've had clerks at two different Best Buy's tell me I needed a more expensive power strip to provide good voltage to my electronics because the voltage you get from the utility company is bad. This is ********. The voltage you get is fine, federal law says it has to be. Buying a surge protector that promises to improve voltage is a waste of money.

I hope some of that was of some help.