Are mains surge protectors needed in the UK?

Of course not. I have no affiliation with any of those
companies. Why would I mention the competition so often? But
this is
basic and essential information when doing anything that
requires reliable operation such as aerospace work and
semiconductor factories. Ever see all computers damaged just
before a space launch because the facilities were not properly
earthed?

Over the years, I have had some mysterious failures and
spectacular successes. Most early lessons were on friends
homes. Have seen MOVs completely vaporized so that only two
lead exist - an eerie scene. Have seen everything - literally
every electronic device - damaged except on one circuit
protected by (what I now know to be) an undersized but
properly located MOV. That MOV, earthed by less than three
foot connection, shunted a surge so large as to partially
damage the electric meter. All other circuits exposed to that
strike suffered complete damage. This one protected circuit
with such a short earth ground connection suffered not one
failure - except where the surge passed through electric meter
to get to earth ground.

That one experience got me heavily into questioning surge
protectors. Discovered myths all but promoted by plug-in
protector manufacturers AND the highly rated products from
real world protector companies such as Polyphaser.

Tim Auton wrote:
w_tom, do you work for a company involved in the manufacture,
distribution, sales or installation of whole-house surge
protectors?

In uk.comp.vendors w_tom wrote:
damage the electric meter. All other circuits exposed to that
strike suffered complete damage. This one protected circuit

'complete damage', as opposed to 'incomplete damage' no doubt.

--
Chris Green

In uk.comp.vendors w_tom wrote:
If a surge was not due to lightning, then it would have
been one of those other often rare type of events - that the

How the #@$£"&^ can something be "often rara"!?

--
Chris Green

In uk.comp.vendors wrote:
In uk.comp.vendors w_tom wrote:
If a surge was not due to lightning, then it would have
been one of those other often rare type of events - that the

How the #@$£"&^ can something be "often rara"!?

.... or even "often rare", oops!

--
Chris Green

On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 21:55:21 +0100, half_pint wrote:


See above, if you handle computer components without observing ESD
precautions you probably have, just you don't realize it.

Well may conputer works just fine, I have touched the circuit
boards many times whilst changing memory and drives etc...
I dont wear an anti static band rtc..
It appears to be working perfectly well.

You can ride a motorbike all your life without a crash helmet. Does not
make it a sensible proposition.

This is the realm of statistics, something that the general public seem to
have a great deal problem understanding. You seem to be one.

JAB.

--
Jonathan A. Buzzard Email: jonathan (at) buzzard.me.uk
Northumberland, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 1661-832195

"Jonathan Buzzard" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 21:55:21 +0100, half_pint wrote:


See above, if you handle computer components without observing ESD
precautions you probably have, just you don't realize it.

Well may conputer works just fine, I have touched the circuit
boards many times whilst changing memory and drives etc...
I dont wear an anti static band rtc..
It appears to be working perfectly well.

You can ride a motorbike all your life without a crash helmet. Does not
make it a sensible proposition.

This is the realm of statistics, something that the general public seem to
have a great deal problem understanding. You seem to be one.

Well maybe you are one of the fools who think wearing a crash helmet
will make jack **** of difference in 99% of mototcycle accidents.

Worse still the false sense of security will probably mean you are more
lilkely to end up dead or crippled.
And you can add to that the fact that you senses of vision and
hearing are severly diminished, makeing an accident even more
likely.

However don't let commonsense cloud you judgement, just
stick to some really simplistic idea which you think you can
understand. No point in taxing your brain too much.



JAB.

--
Jonathan A. Buzzard Email: jonathan (at) buzzard.me.uk
Northumberland, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 1661-832195

"John McGaw" wrote in message
.. .
"Lem" wrote in message
...
Are surge protectors on the main power supply actually needed in
the UK?

here in the UK we have few overhead mains power lines and have a
relatively steady mains power supply when compared to many other
countries (including the US).

However there seem to be very many surge protector products
advertised for sale in the UK (Argos, Maplins, etc).

I am quite sure it is not bad practice to use a surge protector but
in fact I have never known anyone who has has a problem from a
surge coming in through the power supply.

So personally I don't bother using a surge protector on my PC.

Am I being too complacent?

Do you live in an area where lightning is frequent? A lightning strike
that
is merely _near_ to an underground utility circuit can induce damaging
voltages into them meaning that your power mains, telephone, and cable TV
are all possible carriers. Admittedly there is no place in the UK that
I've
heard of that experiences the sort of storms that ravage parts of the USA,
Flordia comes immediately to mind, but if you ever do have even one event
then a small investment in protection would be invaluable.
--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com

Hi John!

I am glad to see someone finally point out that overhead power lines and
phone lines are much more apt to cause problems with lightning surges than
are their underground equivalents.

And also point out that amount of lightning strikes varies with geography.

I don't know what it's like in Tennessee, but we sure have plenty in the
Tampa, Lakeland, Daytona Beach across Florida as you point out.

"Cuzman" wrote in message
...
"Lem" wrote in message
...

" Am I being too complacent? "


Think of this when you next take a ****.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/s...re/3457965.stm

Hey Cuzman, the article was very interesting but I saw nothing relating it
to lightning, but rather to a fault in HV cables beneath the public unit.