On Thu, 08 Jul 2004 16:58:57 +0100, Lem wrote:

Am I being too complacent?

I've never used one. I've never had a surge blow anything
either. My next door neigbour as one for her PC, but makes SFA
difference. Of course in our house the fuse box has one of
those quick trip over fueses where even if a light bulb blows
you have to reset the trip switch, but even then its only ever
the light bulb circuit that trips.


Harry wrote:

I do have surge protectors on my PC equipment. For an extra
few quid it seemed a good safety measure.

Chances of a power surge are probably 5000 to 1. But wouldnt
you feel silly if you were that 5000th person?

At then end of the day its your call. Do you feel lucky? Just
how many thunderstorms are we having compared with last year,
and the year before?


I don't want to take stupid risks. But I don't stupidly want to
spend money to prevent almost non-existent risks.

I don't have a surge protector on my TV or my stereo. So, do I
need one on my PC?

The only time I know of a lighting strike potentially affecting
equipment round here was where I used to work. But then the lighting
hit a cable outsite, passed down into the network switch then fanned
out from there blowing several PCs and melting the switch unit and the
wall mounted box it was located in. Of course a mains surge protector
would have done nothing for that.

If you have a quick trip fuse box in the house its probably not worth
it. If you don't then OK your PC is saved, but your TV, HiFi, Fridge
e.t.c is screwed :-)