Surge Protector Buying Guide

Installing a good surge protector to insure your computer's safety from damaging surges and spikes on the AC power lines is mandatory. After all, you have invested money and time building your PC. Not only is your computer's hardware at risk, but the data that resides on your hard drive(s) can also be lost as well. Fortunately, there are ways to safeguard your electronic equipment and data. Surge protectors are the cheapest and easiest way to protect your valuable electronic equipment. Remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

A surge or spike is caused by an instantaneous rise in the AC supply voltage, which is usually of short duration. Surges are often caused by lightning which can travel through power, telephone, network, or coaxial cable lines to your electronic equipment. AC power coming online after outages, along with large appliances and air conditioning units cycling on/off can generate surges, too.

There are many kinds of surge protectors on the market, and most of them are not very good. Don't buy a cheap surge protector and think you've solved your problem. Look for a surge protector that has a UL 1449 rating. A surge protector regulates the current to connected equipment by either blocking or shorting to ground any unsafe voltage.

It works by channeling any extra voltage into the electrical outlet's earth or ground wire, stopping it from reaching your sensitive electronic equipment. When choosing a surge protector, look for equipment that features a phone or cable "pass through" to stop surges traveling on these lines to your computer.

Also, look for a surge protector with an indicator light that tells you if the protection components are functioning. Fires can be caused by surge protectors whose protection circuits have failed. It’s a good idea to inspect surge protectors often for functionality and replace if there’s problem.

Many surge suppressors on the market also provide electronic noise filtering. This electrical noise is often referred to as “RFI” (radio frequency interference)or “EMI” (electro magnetic interference)interference and wreaks havoc with computers and peripherals, causing data loss, and possibly damaging components. It’s recommended that you choose a surge protector that has filtering as well.

Also, as an added bonus, some surge protectors have insurance coverage to repair or replace equipment that is damaged while connected to them. Be sure to read the fine print though, and follow the directions for filing a claim exactly. Check out a surge protector online here.