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Are mains surge protectors needed in the UK?
"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 |
#2
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"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? Yes. I have seen damage caused by a current surge and a friend of mine has had a machine totalled by a surge following a nearby lightning strike that shot up his phone line, in through the modem and spaltted his mobo to hell and gone. I also read the results of a survey a couple or three years ago that claimed 78% of all data loss in the UK was caused by unprotected machines suffering power surges. I have always used a protector and never had a problem. If a computer is plugged into a domestic ring main, it is subject to all sorts of fluctuations, from kettles, central heating, wall mounted dildos etc etc. It isn't as common as newbies screwing the mobo directly to the case baseplate (I have actually seen that too) but it is worth avoiding for a tenner at the local computer fair for a 6 gang protector. Strange lad. -- I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure -- that is all that agnosticism means. Clarence Darrow |
#3
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"John McGaw" wrote in message .. . 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. My house (in England) was struck by lightening - great big sodding hole in the roof, and of course it was raining (doh!). My computer and everything attached to it was safe as I had a surge protector incly telephone sockets. Unfortunatelky I didn't have surge protectors on my 2 widescreen TV that each had a DVD player attached to and my stereo so they all got fried..........literally there was black scorth marks!! They say lightening doesn't strike twice, but I have everything on surge protectors now - Worth every penny imho |
#4
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Assumed is that lightning confronted everything inside the
house equally. Just not true. Based upon your description, the circuit from cloud to earth borne charges found a good path via those TVs. Therefore only TVs suffered a direct lightning strike incoming and outgoing. Incoming and outgoing are essential requirements for surge damage. If the computer only had an incoming path and no outgoing path, then lightning currents did not pass through nor damage computers. That complete electrical path to earth ground is the essential requirement for surge damage. Clearly other household appliances did not make that same "complete electrical circuit" connection; therefore were not damaged. No adjacent protector that will stop, block, or absorb the transient. An effective protection must shunt (divert, connect, short circuit) the direct strike to earth so that the direct strike does not find a better path via TVs. In your case, that solution was a lightning rod (and not plug-in protectors that cost tens of times more money per protected appliance). But again, first identify why lightning took that path to earth ground through TVs and not through computers to learn why damage occurs. First lightning passes through everything in a circuit from cloud to earth. Only then does something inside the TVs get damaged - even though other parts also carries the electrical transient. Concepts such as 'whole house' protectors and lightning rods are long ago proven to be superior protection. Why? They (unlike the ineffective plug-in protector) make a superior connection to earth ground so that lightning does not find earthing via TVs or computer. AK wrote: My house (in England) was struck by lightening - great big sodding hole in the roof, and of course it was raining (doh!). My computer and everything attached to it was safe as I had a surge protector incly telephone sockets. Unfortunatelky I didn't have surge protectors on my 2 widescreen TV that each had a DVD player attached to and my stereo so they all got fried..........literally there was black scorth marks!! They say lightening doesn't strike twice, but I have everything on surge protectors now - Worth every penny imho |
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AK wrote:
My house (in England) was struck by lightening - great big sodding hole in the roof, and of course it was raining (doh!). My computer and everything attached to it was safe as I had a surge protector incly telephone sockets. Unfortunatelky I didn't have surge protectors on my 2 widescreen TV that each had a DVD player attached to and my stereo so they all got fried..........literally there was black scorth marks!! Hint: could you possibly have had the TVs connected to some wiring on the roof? |
#6
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On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 23:16:17 UTC, "AK" wrote:
My house (in England) was struck by lightening Did it change colour - say from beige to white? :-) -- Bob Eager begin a new life...dump Windows! |
#7
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Strange Lad wrote:
a friend of mine has had a machine totalled by a surge following a nearby lightning strike that shot up his phone line, in through the modem and spaltted his mobo to hell and gone. I thought BT master sockets, NTE5s, have a built in lightning arrestor? Maybe they don't, or he has an old type? Parish |
#8
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On 9 Jul 2004 06:46:06 GMT, "Bob Eager" wrote:
-On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 23:16:17 UTC, "AK" wrote: - - My house (in England) was struck by lightening - -Did it change colour - say from beige to white? :-) I hear the whoosh of passing thuneder. Thanks for the chuckle, Bob. -Rob robatwork at mail dot com |
#9
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In article , w_tom
writes [more crap from w_tom] Therefore only TVs suffered a direct lightning strike incoming and outgoing. Incoming and outgoing are essential requirements for surge damage. No ****. No adjacent protector that will stop, block, or absorb the transient. There's a big difference between a direct lightning strike and a transient arriving via the mains. As you've been told many times. An effective protection must shunt (divert, connect, short circuit) the direct strike to earth so that the direct strike does not find a better path via TVs. In your case, that solution was a lightning rod Really? Care to tell me how a lightning strike is going to discriminate between a roof-mounted lightning rod and a TV aerial? (hint: in the UK, most houses have a roof-mounted TV aerial.) (and not plug-in protectors that cost tens of times more money per protected appliance). Absolute bull****. No-one claims that plug-in surge protectors will protect against direct lightning strikes. They, however, because of the decent earthing system available on UK and European mains wiring, do a good job of shunting spikes and surges to earth, thus protecting the equipment plugged into them. And they are cheap insurance; 4 to 10 UK pounds per protector. Concepts such as 'whole house' protectors and lightning rods are long ago proven to be superior protection. Here we go again. In the States, maybe. Not in Europe. -- A. Top posters. Q. What's the most annoying thing on Usenet? |
#10
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Surge protectors (be they capacitors, varistors, or anything else) must
absorb the energy they're dealing with. Anything physically small will vaporise and give little protection against a direct lightning strike on the building, though they may protect against surges from further away. I would expect a suitable Uninterruptible Power Supply to provide reasonable lightning protection -- some APC units guarantee this, though you'd have to ensure that all computers, monitors, etc. on a network are powered through the UPC for safest results (or use fibre optic cabling or wireless networking). Surge protectors are probably of some use. A lightning rod for the building is important. Personally I unplug computer equipment from mains and phone during electrical storms if possible, But, in a city environment, I haven't come across lightning damage, though I've heard of it. Obviously there are differences between a building in the middle of a city and a house on a lone mountaintop! Best wishes, -- Michael Salem |
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