Looking for safest power strip recommendations

[Tarheelgarage]

A friend of mine recently lost his house due to some type of electrical fire. Fire investigator along with independent insurance investigator will have more results at a later date.

With that still fresh on my mind, I'm wanting to upgrade to proven, safe, UL listed power strip to use in my house for plugging in computer, modem, etc. Probably need only 4 power outlets on the strip.

I've read some where about the safest power strips having indicator lists to show if the MOV (internal part) is still functional, and also a resetable circuit breaker on the strip.


Thanks for any recommendations; I'm not interested in buying anything cheap in this area.

 

[gatchel]

If there are MOV's in the strip for surge protection then you chances of having an issue are greater.

I usually use Ditek Surge products (Power strips) as I have never had an issue with one failing to the point of plastic melting of fire, when the unit was bad. I have installed 100's in commercial applications.

I use the DTK-8FF :

http://www.ditekcorp.com/product-details.asp?ProdKey=32

 

[Tarheelgarage]

If there are MOV's in the strip for surge protection then you chances of having an issue are greater.

I usually use Ditek Surge products (Power strips) as I have never had an issue with one failing to the point of plastic melting of fire, when the unit was bad. I have installed 100's in commercial applications.

I use the DTK-8FF :

http://www.ditekcorp.com/product-details.asp?ProdKey=32

Ok, I thought MOVs were involved in all power strips; guess I'm just ignorant in this technology....

Would a metal housing/body be more desireable? I've reviewed some specs/pics of Tripp Lite products and they appear to be metal housings.

 

[mrb]

metal housing with no MOVs.

MOVs have a failure mode where they can end up glowing red hot but not pass enough current to trip the breaker.

 

[Teken]

Not sure why people are stating the use of MOV's are not good. Almost all manufactures in the world including power generation plants use some sort of MOV to protect their equipment.

There are of course fuses, resistors, capacitors, and resettable breakers employed by many makers in various forms. In our installation sites we have used almost every brand out there, and that includes some of the so called esoteric brands with all the hype.

At the end of the day, we use a combination of APC and Trip-Lite Isobars . . .

Money has nothing to do with what our global site(s) has ever purchased as we make more money than God.

The most important parts of the electrical system is proper grounding. Next, is to ensure a layered approach in protection. At my own residence I employ type 1, 2, and 3 electrical protection to ensure fail over protection.

Type 1 is often called primary protection which employs a surge arrestor at the meter base. A Type 2 is considered a secondary surge arrestor, installed at the service panel. Type 3 surge arrestors are point of use devices which you're asking about.

The next level is UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) which often includes a combination of surge / spike protection along with various filtering to negate any EMI noise.

People often argue that all you need is a solid ground.

What these people never address, is what happens to all those smaller surge / spikes? This has nothing to do with lightning, or similar events. What it has to do is that a lot of places have dirty power, and unreliable power, which cause brown outs, or swing in voltages.

The reason everyone should employ (Type 3) point of use surge protector, is that they are designed to fault over at a lower threshold than a Type 1 & 2 protector.

All of these devices are considered consumables . . . At the end of the day, many people just leave the devices they feel are too important to sacrifice, they simply leave them unplugged.

Practical, sure . . .

Realistic in most peoples lives, not really . . .

Teken . . .

 

[sselander]

Tripplite is a great company with an extensive product line
I highly recommend their products.
http://www.tripplite.com

They supply a lot of the power strips for rack mounted computer servers .

I have used their tech support in the past with excellent results.

 

[Socophreak]

Ok, I thought MOVs were involved in all power strips; guess I'm just ignorant in this technology....

Would a metal housing/body be more desireable? I've reviewed some specs/pics of Tripp Lite products and they appear to be metal housings.

There are companies out there like zero surge, surgeX, etc. that do not have MOV's. They claim to be a much better product, without having to replace them after surges. They also claim to avoid sending current down the ground.

 

[westom]

Ok, I thought MOVs were involved in all power strips; guess I'm just ignorant in this technology....

Problem is not with MOVs. Problem is obvious by reading spec numbers. A destructive surge is hundreds of thousands of joules. How many joules in that power strip or one from Tripplite? Hundreds? Also called near zero.

A power strip has a thermal fuse to disconnect MOVs as fast as possible. And leave a surge connected to the appliance. Sometimes that fuse does not disconnect fast enough. Then MOVs fail catastrophically. A type of failure that MOV manufacturers define as totally unacceptable. Sometimes a catastrophic failure causes a house fire. MOVs must never fail because they were grossly undersized.

Facilities that cannot have damage dissipate those hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly outside in earth. For example, a wire from an incoming TV cable makes that low impedance (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection. No protector required. Best protection: a surge connected directly to earth need not hunt for earth destructively via household appliances.

Other incoming wires (telephone, AC electric) cannot connect directly. So a 'whole house' protector makes that earth connection. Effective protectors are a connecting device (just like wire) to what does protection. For AC mains, a 'whole house' protector is 50,000 amps or higher.

'Whole house' protectors also use MOVs. Are properly sized to even connect a direct lightning strike to earth. And remain functional even a decade later.

Only recommendations that have merit also provide numbers. A direct lightning strike may be 20,000 amps. So a minimal 'whole house' protector starts at 50,000 amps and connects even a direct strike harmlessly to earth. Properly sized MOV protectors do not fail.

Failure get the naive to recommend power strip protectors. "My protector sacrificed itself to save my computer." Nonsense. A surge too tiny to overwhelm protection inside appliances also destroyed the grossly undersized protector. Being grossly undersized increases sales and recommendations.

No way around the only solution well proven by over 100 years of science and experience. Once inside, nothing can avert a hunt for earth destructively via appliances. Any facility that cannot have damage always earths BEFORE that surge can enter a building. Selling a grossly undersized protectors with no earth ground increases profits. Then the resulting protector failure gets many to recommend it. Scams are easy to promote if you ignore these numbers.

MOV are a best protector device. But energy - hundreds of thousands of joules must harmlessly dissipate outside in earth. Protection is always about where that energy dissipates.

 

[bud--]

Excellent information on surges and surge protection is at:
http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_lhm/IEEE_Guide.pdf
- "How to protect your house and its contents from lightning: IEEE guide for surge protection of equipment connected to AC power and communication circuits" published by the IEEE in 2005 (the IEEE is a major organization of electrical and electronic engineers).
And also:
http://www.eeel.nist.gov/817/pubs/spd-anthology/files/Surges happen!.pdf
- "NIST recommended practice guide: Surges Happen!: how to protect the appliances in your home" published by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology in 2001

The IEEE surge guide is aimed at people with some technical background.

A destructive surge is hundreds of thousands of joules. How many joules in that power strip or one from Tripplite? Hundreds? Also called near zero.

The author of the NIST surge guide investigated how much energy might be absorbed in a MOV in a plug-in protector. Branch circuits were 10m and longer, and the surge on incoming power wires was up to 10,000A . (That is the maximum that has any reasonable probability of occurring, as below.) The maximum energy at the MOV was a surprisingly small 35 joules. In 13 of 15 cases it was 1 joule or less.

One reason the energy is so low is that for a strong surge at about 6,000V there is arc-over from service panel busbars to the enclosure. The established arc is hundreds of volts. Since the enclosure/ground system are connected to the earthing system, that dumps most of the surge energy to earth.

Plug-in protectors with much higher ratings than 35J are readily available. High ratings mean long life. A plug-in protector, wired correctly (as below), is very likely to protect from a very near very strong lightning strike.

If using a plug-in protector all interconnected equipment needs to be connected to the same protector. External connections, like coax also must go through the protector. As explained in the IEEE surge guide (starting page 30) plug-in protectors work primarily by limiting the voltage from each wire to the ground at the protector. To do that all wires must go through the protector.

A power strip has a thermal fuse to disconnect MOVs as fast as possible. And leave a surge connected to the appliance.

Westom only buys poorly engineered cheap foreign junk.

The IEEE surge guide explains the protected load can be connected across the MOVs, and be disconnected with them, or can be connected across the incoming wires. If connected across the MOVs the protected load is not exposed if MOVs fail. Connecting this way is one reason some manufacturers can have protected equipment warranties.

Starting 2005 UL required manufacturers notify buyers if disconnecting the MOVs does NOT disconnect the protected equipment.

Sometimes that fuse does not disconnect fast enough. Then MOVs fail catastrophically.

Any surge protector in the US (including UPSs with surge protection) should be listed under UL1449. Since 1998 UL1449 has required thermal disconnects for overheating MOVs. Where is the record of numerous fires from UL listed protectors made since 1998?

For example, a wire from an incoming TV cable makes that low impedance (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection. No protector required.

The NEC just requires a ground block that allows the coax shield to be earthed.

"No protector required"? The IEEE guide says “there is no requirement to limit the voltage developed between the core and the sheath. .... The only voltage limit is the breakdown of the F connectors, typically ~2–4 kV.” And "there is obviously the possibility of damage to TV tuners and cable modems from the very high voltages that can be developed, especially from nearby lightning."

So a 'whole house' protector makes that earth connection.

Service panel protectors are a real good idea.
But from the NIST guide:
"Q - Will a surge protector installed at the service entrance be sufficient for the whole house?
A - There are two answers to than question: Yes for one-link appliances [electronic equipment], No for two-link appliances [equipment connected to power AND phone or cable or....]. Since most homes today have some kind of two-link appliances, the prudent answer to the question would be NO - but that does not mean that a surge protector installed at the service entrance is useless."

Service panel suppressors do not, by themselves, prevent high voltages from developing between power and phone/cable/... wires. The NIST surge guide suggests most equipment damage is from high voltage between power and signal wires. An example of where a service panel protector would provide no protection is the IEEE surge guide example starting page 30.

Service panel protectors are very likely to protect anything connected only to power wires from a very near very strong lightning strike.

A direct lightning strike may be 20,000 amps. So a minimal 'whole house' protector starts at 50,000 amps and connects even a direct strike harmlessly to earth.

The author of the NIST surge guide looked at surges on power service wires. He found the maximum surge on a residential power service that has any reasonable probability of occurring is 10,000A per wire. That is based on a 100,000A lightning strike to a utility pole adjacent to a house. Service panel protectors with higher ratings just give long life. Recommendations for ratings are in the IEEE surge guide on page 18.

Failure get the naive to recommend power strip protectors.

Among the naive are the IEEE and NIST. Both surge guides say plug-in protectors are effective.

A surge too tiny to overwhelm protection inside appliances also destroyed the grossly undersized protector.

Appliances have more protection that plug-in protectors? Complete nonsense.


According to the IEEE guide, "the vast majority (>90%) of both hard-wired and plug-in protectors use MOVs to perform the voltage-limiting function. In most AC protectors, they are the only significant voltage limiters." MOVs are so widespread because they have high energy dissipation capacity in a small package at relatively low cost.

I have seen no information from a reliable source that non-MOV based protectors are more effective.

 

[sberry]

I have some simple plug in things that appeared to work from strike coming down the phone lines, since I went back and read art 880, added a ground connection where the phone co didn't not one hit/failure. Had one hit take out the phone co suppressor like it was sposed to. I used to panic every storm, since I fix up I don't unplug.

 

[fireguy]

DO NOT daisy chain surge strips, a really bad idea.

The Oregon Fire Code specifically prohibits strips in commercial use. There is a reason for that.

Why not use a UPS? I use APC and after 12 or 15 years have never had a problem. The battery has been replaced once or twice. If you get a UPS, make sure the battery is readily available. Mine is a standard battery that we stock. Some UPS devices use batteries that are only availabel from the UPS manufactureer. My girlfriend ignored my suggestion and found it was cheaper to by a new UPS than a new battery.

 

[westom]

The Oregon Fire Code specifically prohibits strips in commercial use. There is a reason for that.

Reason is quite simple. Even found in specification numbers for power strip protectors. Grossly undersized protectors may even cause house fires. Virtually every professional organization recommends better earthing a 'whole house' protectors. Even a cited NIST guide defined power strip protectors as "useless":

A very important point to keep in mind is that your surge protector will work by diverting the surges to ground. The best surge protector in the world can be useless if grounding is not done properly.

Same guide also says what any effective protector does:

You cannot really suppress a surge altogether, nor "arrest" it. What these protective devices do is neither suppress nor arrest a surge, but simply divert it to ground, where it can do no harm. So a name that makes sense would be "surge diverter" but it was not picked.

Two completley different devices are both called surge protectors. One type does not even claim to protect from destructive surges. And is often undersized so as to fail (to promote sales).

The other is properly earthed to make even direct lightning strikes irrelevant. So effective that nobody even knows a surge existed. This second protector is the only solution found in every facility that cannot have damage.

Unfortunately, only the better informed know that, why damage did not happen, and how superior protection works. The best soluton, that costs tens or 100 times less money, means nobody even knew a surge existed.

If a protector makes a low impedance (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection to earth, then hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate harmlessly outside the house. If a protector does not have earthing (only has a safety ground - ie power strip), then it must make hundreds of thosuands of joules magically disappear. Latter is also promoted here by one who is paid to promote those "uesless" devices.

Orgeon is not the only place where house fires were created by grossly undersized power strip protectors. The stories are numerous. The reasons why were already posted,

View protection numbers for a UPS. A UPS is often made so cheaply that its battery costs almost as much as an entire new UPS. UPS function: provide temporary and 'dirty' power during a blackout. Read its spec numbers. Protections is typically less than a power strip. Near zero. Just enough so that subjective (hearsay) can promote it as 100% protection.

Phone lines and CATV (should) already have best possible protection when earthed to both meet and exceed National Electrical code Articles 800 and 810. Damage to phone and cable appliances is mostly from surges on AC mains; all but invited to go hunting inside. Once inside, then nothing can avert a destructive hunt for earth via applainces. Either a surge is earthed before entering the building. Or protection already inside every appliance is all that remains - with or without a power strip protector.

Every professional organization defines what does all protection. Where hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate. Earth ground. So that nobody knows a surge existed. So that power strip protectors do not even cause house fires.

 

[Teken]

I always enjoy these threads as they provide insight and anger on both sides of the fence. When it comes right down to it a ground bar will not provide full protection in all cases in all scenario's.

Those who have lived in Lightning Alley as I did in the Bible Belts can attest to the never ending storms, bad power, to endless lulls that come and go.

A good ground will not prevent or protect against a sag / brown out. A good ground will not protect your equipment against dirty power.

A good ground will not prevent a high voltage condition like a voltage regulator (VR) failing in a back up generator causing 300 volts swell to the mains. The only thing that will protect your electronics is either leaving your breakers turned off, a regulated UPS, or a regulated opto-isolator relay.

All of above devices in our facility have been proven over time.

Time, experience, is the true victor . . .

Now, having said all of the above, there are a lot of claims and marketing from many vendors that simply don't help the average consumer. It comes down to reading (like some of the links from bud) etc.

At the end of the day a lot of folks talk a big game and say *thats why you have insurance*

Really??

I have never met anyone who has ever stated they were happy there house lit on fire, or got damaged by a tornado!

But, sure as sh!t they were happy they had the proper insurance coverage to recover from such a epic event. Using any of these devices from known, and proven makers is a cheap form of insurance, that's it.

*Better to have and not need. Than, to need and not have*

Teken . . .

 

[bud--]

Grossly undersized protectors may even cause house fires.

Westom did not answer the question:
Where is the record of numerous fires from UL listed protectors made since 1998?

Even a cited NIST guide defined power strip protectors as "useless":

Of course that is not what the NIST surge guide says.

Immediately following westom's quote is a list of surge protectors that can be used. #6 is
"Plug-in...The easiest of all for anyone to do. The only question is 'Which to choose?'"

Same guide also says what any effective protector does:

What else does the NIST surge guide say about plug-in protectors?
They are "the easiest solution".
And "one effective solution is to have the consumer install" a multiport plug-in suppressor.

One type does not even claim to protect from destructive surges.

Nonsense.

Some plug-in protectors even have protected equipment warranties.

If a protector does not have earthing (only has a safety ground - ie power strip), then it must make hundreds of thosuands of joules magically disappear.

It is only magic for westom.

I explained where most of the energy goes.

And that an investigation by the author of NIST surge guide found only 35 joules max at a plug-in protector even with a probable worst case surge.

Latter is also promoted here by one who is paid to promote those "uesless" devices.

If westom had valid technical arguments he wouldn't have to lie.
My only association with the surge protection industry is I am using some surge protectors.

And I promote only accurate information.

Every professional organization defines what does all protection.

For recommendations of professional organizations read the IEEE and NIST surge guides. Excellent information on surge protection.

For plug-in protectors the NIST surge guide says:
"Plug-in...The easiest of all for anyone to do. The only question is 'Which to choose?'"
Plug-in protectors are "the easiest solution".
And "one effective solution is to have the consumer install" a multiport plug-in suppressor.

IEEE surge guide - has only 2 detailed examples of protection. Both use plug-in protectors.

 

[Mudbone]

Tripplite is a great company with an extensive product line
I highly recommend their products.
http://www.tripplite.com

They supply a lot of the power strips for rack mounted computer servers .

I have used their tech support in the past with excellent results.

2x on this. I specifically would recommend their Isobar line. The come in 2 to 8 outlet versions. They have all metal bodies with standoffs that have holes for wall mounting. I like doing this to keep all the cords off the floor. Each one has an ULTRA version. This gets you a few LEDs that give you feed back on the status of the power line. This may be more gimick than useful unless you have iffy power in your area. Otherwise the units are the same.

http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/product-series.cfm?txtSeriesID=825

From an antecdotal standpoint I have one of these on my office equipment at work. We had a surge one day that smoked several other computers in our office. Mine made it through fine.

FWIW, I am not involved with Tripp-Lite in anyway.

 

[westom]

From an antecdotal standpoint I have one of these on my office equipment at work. We had a surge one day that smoked several other computers in our office. Mine made it through fine.

Anecdotal evidence is only valid if everything is included. A major science study was exposed as a fraud (childhood luekemia) because he also ignored relevant data.

How many items not on protectors failed? Did every GFCIs, digital clock, the furnace, air conditioner, copier machine, CFL bulb, fax machine, dimmer switch, charger, smoke detector, etc also have protectors? Then why were those not damaged? Or did they have invisible protectors?

Anecdotal evidence is invalid if any undamaged appliances had no protector. What did those damaged computers do? Acted as a 'whole house' protector; to protect everything else. Those failed computers even protected your computer and Tripplite.

Why would a Tripplite do what its own spec numbers do not claim?

Your anecdotal evidence only says the building has no protection. Best solution costs about $1 per protected appliance. How much for a Tripplite - that does not even claim to protect from destructive surges? Tripplite's spec numbers also must be ignored for anecdotal evidence to work. A hypothesis is invalid when spec numbers and all other undamaged appliances are ignored.

Every facility that cannot have damage always has superior earthing connected to 'whole house' protectors. As the NIST so bluntly says, "The best surge protector in the world can be useless if grounding is not done properly." Every professional organization says same. How does the Tripplite earth a surge? It will not even discuss it. The Tripplite only claims to protect from surges that typically cause no damage. Those other damaged computers did protection - were the better connection to earth.

 

[RCStocker]

Blekin makes great power strips. They have a remote on a cord. The little button sits on the desk and you can turn off the power without reaching around the back or getting on the floor. I picked one up for $12 on a clearance sale at one of the University's sales. They run about $35. and work well. I have it scrwewed to the back of a comercial computer desk and the remote is very handy. The unit has to hot plugs and the little remote button turns off power to what you have pluged into those outlets. They are all good and Safe. I have 20 of them in use. I even have long power strips on the front of my work benches. As long as you have a #12 wire on your cord you will never have an over heating problem. computes can run on cheap cord with no problem.

As for computers starting a fire there is about 0 chance it will happen. If you use an extention cord make sure it is a comercial grade with a ground. That is not to say that the computer might not catch on fire but not form the coard.

The things that burn up the house are the small cheap kitchen appliances. We had a huge 2 stroy building in town and it was owned by a lisence electrical contractor. He had a lift in it and old cars on the second floor. It had antique furniture in it. What happed to it..
The cheap *** coffee maker was not unpluged and it cought fire and burned the place to the ground. They were old and never did go back into business.

Always use comercial cords. #14 wire is fine for 99 % of the things you will plug into it. 16 gage or smaller should be outlawed. I have 2 power strips on my computer set up. I have a comercial tower that rools arournd. My printer, comptuer, back up hard drive and speekers are all on the tower. It is about $1200 new and made in England. I got it at auction for $26. I have it in my office next to my drafting table because I use auto cad and draw prints at the same time. I have a 12 gage cord connecting it to the wall outlet.

Fires happen when too much current is drawen through a small wire causing it to over heat. The problem is not with the power strip.

Now with all that said I did do one dumb *** things years ago.
I took a double cirutbreaker for 220 and split it for 110. 220 is only 2- 110 lines.
Well I had a batter charging on the line and I pluged in an electric power washer and the outside outlet on the garge started to smoke. LOL Dumb *** me forgot to remove or cut the pin between the 2 levers on the switch. The good line was holding the one that wanted to blow form tripping off. I was lucky and was right by the pannel. I pulled the wall plate and buy that time the smoking had stopped before it broke out into a fire. I am a contractor and would never do this on a job but I did not need the 220 out let for a gas dryer and the line was already rund to where I wanted to put in an exterior outlet. It was an over sized number 10 wire. I was ok in doing what I did. That was no broblem becasuse you can buy a double breaker. I just forgot to remove the pin that goes between them. I knew I should but just forgot and I was young then and not forgetful like I am now. LOL

 

[bud--]

How many items not on protectors failed? Did every GFCIs, digital clock, the furnace, air conditioner, copier machine, CFL bulb, fax machine, dimmer switch, charger, smoke detector, etc also have protectors? Then why were those not damaged? Or did they have invisible protectors?

The NIST surge guide suggests most equipment damage is from high voltage between power and signal wires.

Why would a Tripplite do what its own spec numbers do not claim?

Why does westom ignore what manufacturers say?

Some manufacturers even have protected equipment warranties.

Every facility that cannot have damage always has superior earthing connected to 'whole house' protectors.

Repeating from the NIST surge guide:
"Q - Will a surge protector installed at the service entrance be sufficient for the whole house?
A - There are two answers to than question: Yes for one-link appliances [electronic equipment], No for two-link appliances [equipment connected to power AND phone or cable or....]. Since most homes today have some kind of two-link appliances, the prudent answer to the question would be NO - but that does not mean that a surge protector installed at the service entrance is useless."

Service panel protectors are a real good idea, but may or may not protect equipment with both power and signal connections.

As the NIST so bluntly says, "The best surge protector in the world can be useless if grounding is not done properly."

Everyone is in favor of earthing.

As the NIST so bluntly says about plug-in protectors:
"Plug-in...The easiest of all for anyone to do. The only question is 'Which to choose?'"
They are "the easiest solution".
And "one effective solution is to have the consumer install" a multiport plug-in suppressor.

And the only detailed examples of protection in the IEEE surge guide both use plug-in protectors.

For real science read the IEEE and NIST surge guides. Excellent information on surge protection covering much more than has come up here.

=========================
The manufacturer at the start of RCStocker's post is "Belkin" - a minor typo.

 

[sberry]

I had a toaster that stuck that caused me a problem. For coffee pot have it on a timed recept. Shuts it off right after done brewing, about 10 mins and we reheat in micro, stays fresh tasting not sitting on hot burner.

This might be the place for arc fault???

 

[westom]

As for computers starting a fire there is about 0 chance it will happen.

Who said anything about a computer catching fire? Grossly undersized protectors may even cause house fires.

Take a $4 power strip. Make it look expensive. Add some ten cent protector parts. Sell it maybe as a Belkin for $55. They are not selling protection. Otherwise a sales promoter who promotes power strips would have posted those spec numbers. He cannot. Even that Belkin does not claim to protect from typically destructive surges. But it sure is profitable!

A power strip contains a thermal fuse to disconnect MOVs as fast as possible. Leaves the surge connected to appliances. Sometimes that fuse does not disconnect fast enough. Then MOVs fail catastrophically. MOVs must never fail due to gross undersizing. Undersizing is a problem with power strips. A $4 strip with ten cent protector parts. But it looks expensive.

Grossly undersized protector must be farther from a surge to reduce a fire threat. One manufacturer said:

CAUTION-Do not install this device if there is not at least 10 meters (30 feet) or more of wire between the electrical outlet and electrical service panel.

Undersized protectors must be located far from the breaker box and earth ground to 'not' protect from destructive surges. Otherwise such protectors can fail catastrophically.

West Whiteland Fire Department used their experience to recommend:

Do not locate a surge protector or power strip in any area where the unit would be covered with carpet, furniture, or any other item that will limit or prevent air circulation.

Why is one 'whole house' protector located at the breaker box and within feet of earth ground? To protect from typically destructive surges. These superior protectors will earth the entire surge - including lightning. And remain functional. Protection from destructive surges must be at the breaker box and as close to earth as possible. So that an entire surge goes through the superior (and less expensive) protector. So that the surge is not inside to maybe destroy a power strip protector - catastrophically.

Fire is both rare and extremely destructive. For example, Norma on 27 Dec 2008 in "The Power Outage" describes the danger:

Today, the cable company came to replace a wire. Well the cable man pulled a wire and somehow yanked loose their "ground" wire. The granddaughter on the computer yelled and ran because sparks and smoke were coming from the power surge strip.

She was lucky. Apartment dwellers in Boston were not as reported by a Boston TV station in 2007:

The two alarm fire engulfed an apartment building on Louis Prang Street. The fire was sparked by a surge protector on the second floor. The device is supposed to protect from fires.

Of course it does not protect from fires. Read its spec numbers. A destructive surge is hundreds of thousands of joules. A protector adjacent to an appliance can only block or absorb that surge. How many joules does the Belkin claim to absorb? Hundreds? Undersized.

Why must a thermal fuse disconnect MOVs as fast as possible? A surge is hundreds of thousands of joules. How many joules in the protector circuit? A thermal fuse disconnects protector parts to avert a fire. But it did not for ramjet33 on 6 Jun 2012 in "My 110 Tall had a fire over the weekend!":

After placing a 911 call and getting the kids situated, I found the fire behind the tank in the dining room. A quick hit with the extinguisher killed the flames but the damage has been done. All my powerheads, skimmer, and MH light is dead. All the chemicals under the stand melted. and my test kits were scorched.
The fire investigator says a build up of moisture in the surge protector faild the circuit and superheated to combustible limits. ...
And the UL listed SP was still able to hold a charge enough to super heat the plastic to get flaming.

A NC fire marshal describes how power strip protectors cause house fires in "Surge Suppressor Fires":
http://www.esdjournal.com/techpapr/Pharr/INVESTIGATING SURGE SUPPRESSOR FIRES.doc

Informed homeowners spend less money for the superior solution. To even protect power strip protectors. An effective 'whole house' protector is located at earth ground. (Where that manufacturer said to ’not’ locate the power strip.) “Whole house’ protector is rated to earth direct lightning strikes without protector damage. Then everything inside is protected. The only solution implemented in every facility that cannot have damage.

More responsible companies provide 'whole house' protectors including Intermatic, General Electric, Square D, Siemens, Polyphaser, Leviton, ABB, and Ditek to name only a few. A Cutler-Hammer solution sold in Lowes and Home Depot for less than $50.

Why then would anyone spend so much money on a Belkin to only protect from a surge that typically does no damage? Informed consumers spend about $1 per appliance to protect everything even from direct lightning strikes. And without using an undersized power strip that can sometimes cause house fires. The well proven solution is located at the breaker box with a short connection to earth. Because, for all protectors, a protector is only as effective as its earth ground.

 

[westom]

I had a toaster that stuck that caused me a problem. For coffee pot have it on a timed recept. Shuts it off right after done brewing,

Those small appliance anomalies are irrelevant to this different anomaly - undersized power strips and fire.

One coffee maker failure was famous. Its thermal switch failed. No problem. A backup thermal device was supposed to cut of power. But that backup part was only rated for 60 volts. By trying to cut off power, it simply flamed. Multiple fires were created by a design defect. No power strip or protector would have averted that fire.

The OP asked about fires and power strip protectors. Not about defectively designed appliances.

Power strips are to protect from surges that typically cause no damage. During a typically destructive (big) surge, if its thermal fuse does not disconnect fast enough, then fire may result. It is rare. A coffee maker that caused a kitchen fire because a 60 volt part tried to stop 120 volts: the power strip fire threat is greater.

 

[sberry]

You never know if someone overloaded one, all this theory is good but one never know how much human error is a factor?? My phone co doesnt always follow grounding procedures, most of them have never seen a code book and I recall,,, "I just don't understand how" which to me means not to do it like you think you understand it but to follow the instructions till the "understanding" comes. I added the ground wire to the incoming and have virtually eliminated problems that occur from storms with connected equipment, allowed for the suppression to blow.

I realize the appliance scenerio doesnt apply, it was just a little to add without taking a shot at someone which really detracts from a good thread with valuable insight.

 

[westom]

You never know if someone overloaded one, all this theory is good but one never know how much human error is a factor??

None of this is theory. All well understood by over 100 years of experience. And applies to the many definitions of overload.

First, a typical overload is excessive current. One feature that all power strips must have is a 15 amp circuit breaker. Safest power strips have no protectors and ALWAYS have that 15 amp breaker. So that overloads cannot cause catastrophic damage.

Second, a completely different anomaly that you might be implying is MOV failure. Install properly sized MOV protectors so that MOVs do not fail catastrophically.

Two types of failures exist. The catastrophic type is vaporized or exploded MOVs. If a thermal fuse has averted that catastrophic failure, then a light reports that unacceptable failure. The light, essentially, says the protector was grossly undersized.

Another failure is degradation. This is a normal and acceptable failure mode. A light never reports this failure. And again, the failure typically does not happen if a protector was properly sized.

Why earth one 'whole house' protector rated at 50,000 amps? So that neither failure occurs even after a direct lightning strike. A 'whole house' protector even sold in Lowes and Home Depot for less than $50.

Above is only about 'protector life expectancy'. 'Protection during each surge' is defined by what that protector connects to - single point earth ground. So, which one is an overload?

Third, phone company must earth their protector as required by company regulations, industry standards, FCC, and NEC requirements. Phone and cable companies are usually quite good about this. Satellite dish installers are a different story.

However, only a homeowner is responsible for inspecting and maintaining that ground. That also is not theory. That is a responsibility that homeowners rarely learn until after an unfortunate event.

 

[sberry]

Phone and cable companies are usually

Mayne most phone companies are "usually" good, I can show you one that isnt. And thats not a theory. For the most part for most on this site this is pretty much mental masturbatilon anyway.

None of this is theory.

I didnt say it was unproven theory. But nothing is foolproof especially involving a direct lightening hit, I would say there are reasonable precautions, following the codes are better than not. Yhe avg citizen, handyman, homeowner even electrician is probably fairly limited, they are not going to become an expert in this particular field and as a whole the cost probably outweighs the benifit. So many other things in the world likely to be the cause of ones demise, this is probably pretty low on the list.

 

[westom]

Yhe avg citizen, handyman, homeowner even electrician is probably fairly limited, they are not going to become an expert in this particular field and as a whole the cost probably outweighs the benifit.

What is so complicated? Ground required by code must also be shorter, no sharp wire bends, etc. Protection is already required to exist on TV cable, telephone, and satellite dish. The underlying concept was even taught in elementary school science - Ben Franklin's lightning rod.

How expensive is the 'whole house' system? About $1 per appliance. A least expensive solution also is most effective.

But a homeowner is responsible for maintaining the most important system component - earth ground. If earth ground is compromised, then a serious human safety issue exists as well as compromised surge protection. Any homeowner who does not yet know what to view can easily hire an electrician. Why is any of this complicated - or even hard? Its not.

Meanwhile a safer power strip has a 15 amp breaker and no protector parts. Again, a less expensive solution is also safer.

 

[sberry]

If earth ground is compromised, then a serious human safety issue exists

Please explain this. It seems in another thread I read that the purpose of the code was to protect humans not property, was it you that wrote that? What the intent is to protect both people and property, kind of goes together, what it is not is to design the best system.

 

[sberry]

I remember when I was having problems and I ask my engineer, how come the modem in my puter took a hit while all the other connected equipment, hand set bases and answer machines survived,,, he looked at me like duh,,, the puter is grounded, thats when I figure out that the phone co didn't ground the service,, it didn't blow the suppression, after this have had one hit and it took it out like it was sposed to. Never has blown one of those suppressor strips since, it used to be regular. Not every hit comes down the AC.

As a side note the neighbors had a strike, pooched the well and they were wondering wtf,, it took out a fixture in a shed and popped a lamp in the bedroom or something,,, since the well was toast it was assumed that the hit was to well,,, I don't think so. I think it hit this little metal shed, single circuit with no rod and ended up at the well which was grounded to the stand pipe or motor and not the casing. Not only is buried steel pipe a good ground rod but its required to be used as the primary electrode if it exists, the rods are considered supplemental.

 

[bud--]

Take a $4 power strip. Make it look expensive. Add some ten cent protector parts. Sell it maybe as a Belkin for $55.

I am using a major brand plug-in protector that cost $25 with ratings of 590J and 30,000A per MOV, 1770J and 90,000A total. Provide a source for a 30,000A/590J MOV for $0.10.

(The 30,000A is not possible even on power service wires. It just goes along with the high joule rating.)

They are not selling protection. Otherwise a sales promoter who promotes power strips would have posted those spec numbers. He cannot.

The "promoter" lie repeated. If westom just had valid technical arguments...

And the specs above have been posted numerous times. Always ignored buy westom.
A 10 year old can find specs.

Even that Belkin does not claim to protect from typically destructive surges.

The surge protector above is from Belkin and has a protected equipment warranty.

A power strip contains a thermal fuse to disconnect MOVs as fast as possible.

Westom only buys poorly engineered cheap foreign junk.

I buy well engineered devices from competent manufacturers.

Leaves the surge connected to appliances.

The IEEE surge guide explains the protected load can be connected across the MOVs, and be disconnected with them. If wired that way the protected load will not be exposed to surges if the MOVs fail and are disconnected. Starting 2005 UL required manufacturers notify buyers if disconnecting the MOVs does NOT disconnect the protected equipment.

This was already posted. Westom just ignores anything that does not fit his very limited beliefs about protection.

MOVs must never fail due to gross undersizing. Undersizing is a problem with power strips.

Westom thinks all plug-in protectors are undersized.

To pass UL1449 a plug-in protector must survive a series of test surges and remain intact. That at least establishes a floor for protection.

High rating are readily available, including the protector above.

For example, Norma on 27 Dec 2008

What ever this was it obviously was not a surge.
Westom has no horror stories that involve a UL listed protector made since 1998.

A surge is hundreds of thousands of joules. How many joules in the protector circuit?

The surge expert from the NIST found the energy absorbed at a plug-in protector was 35 joules max and in 13 of 15 cases it was 1 joule or less. That was with surges up to the probable worst case event on power service wires.

This was already posted. Westom just ignores anything that does not fit his very limited beliefs about protection.

More responsible companies provide 'whole house' protectors including Intermatic, General Electric, Square D, Siemens, Polyphaser, Leviton, ABB, and Ditek to name only a few.

All these "responsible companies" except SquareD and Polyphaser make plug-in protectors and say they are effective. Westom says plug-in protectors don't work.

SquareD says for their "best" service panel suppressor "electronic equipment may need additional protection by installing plug-in [protectors] at the point of use."

Why earth one 'whole house' protector rated at 50,000 amps? ... A 'whole house' protector even sold in Lowes and Home Depot for less than $50.

Provide a link to a protector at Lowes or Home Depot with ratings of 50,000A for less than $50.

Because, for all protectors, a protector is only as effective as its earth ground.

The IEEE surge guide explains (starting page 30) that plug-in protectors do not work primarily by earthing a surge. Earthing occurs elsewhere. They work by limiting the voltage from each wire (power and signal) to the ground at the protector. The voltage between wires going to the protected equipment is safe for the protected equipment.

This is the major fact that westom just ignores.


For real science read the IEEE and NIST surge guides. Excellent information on surge protection. And both say plug-in protectors are effective.

Then read the sources that agree with westom that plug-in protectors do NOT work. There are none.

 

[westom]

I remember when I was having problems and I ask my engineer, how come the modem in my puter took a hit while all the other connected equipment, hand set bases and answer machines survived,,, he looked at me like duh,,, the puter is grounded, thats when I figure out that the phone co didn't ground the service,, it didn't blow the suppression,

First, if protector blows, then no protection existed. You are assuming a protector works like fuse - to somehow stop a surge. Fuses never protect from surges. Numbers even printed on every fuse make that obvious.

Second, if equipment is earth grounded, then the equipment becomes a ideal and destructive path to earth. Do not earth ground equipment. In fact, earthing any appliance is a human safety problem and a code violation.

Earth the surge; not equipment.

Third, young engineers rarely understand this. For example, the motherboard contains a copper ground plane solid to every corner of the board. And voltages are different all over that ground plane. How is voltage so different across a solid copper sheet? Well, some engineers learn the hard way. Tiny capacitor are even required all over every PC board. Because voltages vary across that copper sheet.

Same reasons also say a wall receptacle safety ground is electrically different from an earth ground. Not just completely different even in code. Especially different when discussing surges. And why a low impedance connection to earth must be so short (ie 'less than 10 feet'), not be inside metallic conduit, have no splices, have no sharp bends, etc. To earth the surge; not appliances.

Fourth, of course all this is why those simple rules exist. Earthing must both meet and exceed code (ie 'less than 10 feet'). Even sharp wire bends in the ground line compromise protection. Of course, all AC wires inside wall have numerous sharp bends and splices; obviously cannot be an earth ground.

Layman or electricians are advised to route that earthing wire shorter without sharp bends to the best earth ground. Even a water pipe is typically an inferior ground. Ground electrode(s) must connect to AC electric, phone, cable, satellite dish, and even ethernet wires that connect to other buildings. Only then will a surge not hunt for earth destructively inside via appliances.

If damage does happen, then an investigation starts by inspecting the only item that does protection - that absorbs hundreds of thousands of joules. The earthing system. Not safety ground wires that connect to appliances. The earthing system.

And finally, a relevant example. Lightning strikes a tree to connect to charges many miles distant. Some 20 feet away, a cow is killed; a victim of a direct strike. How can this be when lightning struck the tree? The shortest path to those distant charges was up the cows hind legs and down its fore legs. Since the cow did not have single point earthing, it became part of a path from cloud, through miles of sky, via the tree, and miles in earth.

This not only explains why all appliance protection is about making the single point earth ground the best ground. But also explains why informed golfers stand with feet together. (A group in a shed suffered a lightning strike earlier this summer.) A current incoming on one leg does not have another outgoing path the other leg - if feet are together.

How to better protect golfers in a rain shed or cows? Encircle them with a buried copper wire ground loop. Then earth beneath a cow, human, or building is single point earth ground.

These are old and well proven concepts. And rarely known when information only comes from plug-in protector advertising and assorted internet myths. The most important part of any surge protection system is where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate. Not in any protector. In earth.

 

[sberry]

If earth ground is compromised, then a serious human safety issue exists

This was your statement, I just wondered how it applied? BTW, I do know where the green wire goes and what it does.

 

[westom]

This was your statement, I just wondered how it applied? BTW, I do know where the green wire goes and what it does.

A green (or bare copper) wire inside 'AC cables' is only a safety ground. It must not connect to an earthing electrode. It must connect to a bus bar inside the breaker box. That wire is first for human safety - to protect human life. It may also preform some other secondary functions.

If a refrigerator motor shorts to metal, then safety ground causes a circuit breaker to trip. Clears the fault. Therefore a hungry human is not shocked by 120 VAC. Safety ground. If a safety ground does not exist, then a GFCI must be installed to accomplish same human safety functions.

A receptacle three light tester can report some safety (green wire) ground faults. It can never say anything about the earth ground. Another example of why safety (also called equipment) ground is different from earth ground.

Earth ground also does human safety functions. Code only addresses the earth ground in terms of human safety. Also use this ground for surge protection. A function necessary to protect transistors and not defined in the code.

Dr Standler discusses this problem in his book.

This situation could be resolved by the use of mandatory standards ... At this time this book was written (1988), the author saw no hope of such standards being adopted in the United States for overvoltages on the mains.

Code has no mandatory requirements for 'transistor safety'. Code addresses 'human safety' issues. Exceed what the code requires to also have ‘transistor safety’. A green ‘safety ground’ wire is irrelevant. A typically quarter inch bare copper wire - earth ground - for 'human safety' can also perform ‘transistor safety’.

 

[bud--]

And rarely known when information only comes from plug-in protector advertising and assorted internet myths.

All the myths I have seen about plug-in protectors come from westom.

He consistently ignores what is in both surge guides say and what the author of the NIST surge guide has found in investigations of surge protection.

The most important part of any surge protection system is where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate.

Which ignores that the surge expert from the NIST found only 35 joules maximum absorbed at a plug-in protector, even with the worst probable surge on the power service. Westom does not dispute the number, he just ignores it. He ignores anything that does not fit his limited beliefs in surge protection.

Not in any protector. In earth.

Which ignores that the IEEE surge guide explains that plug-in protectors do not work primarily by earthing. They work by limiting the voltage from each wire to the ground at the protector. Westom does not dispute what the IEEE surge guide says, he just ignores it.

For real science read the IEEE and NIST surge guides. Excellent information on surge protection from reliable sources. And both say plug-in protectors are effective.

Then read the sources that agree with westom that plug-in protectors do NOT work. There are none.