How to Protect Your Electronics Surge events

1.0 INTRODUCTION

In this modern world we have become very dependent on our electronic equipment. We use personal computers to work, communicate with partners friends, family or business.

Often times to save your important files (such as financial documents, memos, reports, *. mp3, and now we also store important personal images) on the hard drives of our computers.

How to Protect Your Electronics Surge events

We used to entertain the following electronic systems, educate, educate, and comfortus.
DVD Player HDTV (LCD and plasma) Video Recording Equipment (for those of you, download your videos to YouTube) gaming systems (eg, Nintendo, Wii, X-Box, etc.) Central air conditioning, heat pumps Microwave ovens

These and other electronic gadgets require significant investment to reach the first place, and are very expensive to repair and / or replace.

Yet, incredibly, we have very little to protect our electronics from damage or to trylast (and we) are used more.

This article is part of a series of three (3) objects, how to protect your electronics against the following destructive mechanisms discussed shorten his life.

Heat
Electrical Surge / Spike, events and
Electrical noise

In this particular article we will talk about "Power Surge / Spike Events."

In particular, we are following the problems with "Electrical Surge / Spike debateEvents. "

What are the voltage surge / spike events and how they are generated?

How to protect electronic equipment from power spikes / spike events?

What are some guidelines that you should be choosing a surge protector?

2.0 WHAT ARE Surge / Spike EVENTS?

Electrical Surge / Spike events are usually defined as a "great power / voltage transients that occur in an electrical signal or power line.

surge events usually last for a fewMicroseconds and then is gone. Similarly, the events usually take Spike for a few nanoseconds, and then is gone.

NOTES:

a. 1 micro = 1 millionth of a second,
b. 1 nanosecond = 1 billionth of a second.

Both spikes and spike events may have serious damage to electronic systems, which are electrically connected to power lines or signal line causes the implementation of this transient current and voltage.

For a typical person livingin a house and a bit 'of consumer electronics, the electrical impulse / Event tip can fall into either category.

External Surge / Spike, events and
Internal overvoltage protection / Events Spike

Briefly each of these types of surge / spike events defined below.

2.1 External electrical pulse / spike EVENTS

External Surge / Spike events are called "external" because "External" use (or out) at home.

External Surge / Spike events usually come from atwo sources.

Lightning Strikes (during / time), and
switching events in electric networks

External Surge / Spike events are usually very large and dangerous (especially if they come from a lightning strike).

If this external pulse / spike events to enter your home (via the fuse panel and the main circuit breaker), it will destroy beautiful piece of electronics that is connected to an electrical outlet in yourhome.

NOTE: These pieces of electronic equipment must not be destroyed on.

You only need an electrical outlet in the house at the time, this wave catastrophic electrical / Event tip occurs.

Fortunately, the wave external power / spike events do not occur very frequently (eg once or twice a year, depending on what part of the world where you live).

2.2 Internal electrical pulse / spike EVENTS

Internal overvoltage protection / Spike events (such asName) are generated "internally" (or in your home).

Internal surge / spike events usually occur when the engine or device (such as an air conditioner or refrigerator or OFF).

Internal protection Surge / Spike events are usually much smaller than the external surge / spike events.

However, connect the internal protection Surge / Spike events much more frequently than external pulse / spike events (several times a day).

Over time, these small (but frequent) internalSurge / Spike events will damage the electronics as well.

Whenever a driver of a device (such as Air conditioning or refrigerator One) surge current required (on for him), or (collapses in the engine of a device) at any time, when the magnetic field is off, on Spike damage is increased or generated in some of the power lines promote it in your home.

events internal protection against voltage surges shorten the life of electronic devicesis connected to a power outlet in your home.

NOTE: The electronic gadgets are not on, as in a vertical position to get some damage caused by events internal Spike surge protector.

3.0 HOW TO PROTECT YOUR CASE electrical surge ELECTRONICS / SPIKE

One of the most common ways to protect many of your electronics from damage (due to voltage surge / spike events) through the use of "mules" that the "surge protection circuit includedthem.

Many power strips have surge protection, and in most cases, this type of power strip clearly reflect this.

CAUTION:

There are a few power strips without surge protection for your electronics.

Often, people are still (erroneously) refer to these products as a "surge."

If you are on a power strip that "surge protection circuit includes ensuring that the labeling of purchase (in the field,You have in your hands) clearly shows, "Surge" or something similar.

If you can not quickly find those words on the box, then we recommend Power Strip Box set aside and go into a power strip, the "Surge Protection" clearly on it.

3.1 How SURGE WORK?

Surge protection circuit is operating normally, from devices (such as an MOV - Metal Oxide Varistor), the "lies" between "supply line" path and electricalLand inside the power strip.

Many surge protection devices, many of these devices to MOV so that more robust.

During normal operation, these devices MOV to do nothing and do not affect the operation of equipment or electronic systems.

For you electrical engineers are, I will tell you that these devices MOV a very high impedance between the "Power Line" and "electric mass" presents.

When there is an increase, so that the "Power-LineVoltage "exceeds a certain" threshold "voltage, the MOV devices begin to conduct current (and then puts a very low impedance path) between the" Power Line "and" electric mass ".

At that time, all this excess energy (the impact event stream) "addressed" to the MOV devices (electrical ground) and will be diverted from your valid e.

Once the "tension line" back to normal levels, the devices are then MOVReturn to their "high" and will no longer be conducted between the power line and ground the electrical current.

3.2 should YOU use Surge protection for any electronic / electrical appliance in the house?

In general, a surge protection on all sensitive electronic components that keep you happy and would use for some time.

If you have surge protection for each of your sensitive electronic components, they will do an excellent job of protecting yourElectronics, for as long as they (overvoltage protection) function.

3.3 What are some things I should look for when shopping around for the surge in my house?

In general, the following parameters / indicators, whenever you are shopping around looking for the surge arresters.

Tightening / forward voltage
Joule Rating
Response time (if available)

I will explain each of these terms below.

3.3.1 Clamping voltage:

L '"Clamping voltage" level is also (often) called the "pass-through voltage level.

Basically, this is the tension causes the MOV (by Surge Protect System / Power Strip) to conduct electrical current between the power-line and electrical ground.

At this level of tension, the Surge Protector beginning of destructive energy supply (from an incident wave on the way) for the derivation of electrical ground and distract them away from your preciousElectronics.

As I said before, the MOV continue to flow (from the grid) to ground to shunt the duration and distribution of "power-line voltage exceeds this" or "passing voltage level.

In general, the lower the "bands" or "let by" voltage level, the better the protection for your electronics.

Typical values ​​for "gangs" or "let through" voltage level is 330V, 400V, 500V o.

For 120V AC applications, I recommendSurge protection with a clamping voltage level of 330V.

3.3.2 Joule Rating

The rating "joule" for a surge protector usually define the total amount of energy (Surge Protector) can contain (in the course of his life), without failure.

In general, the higher the number, the greater the surge protection will last and continue to protect your electronics.

good surge are those who have a "Joule Rating" to have or 1000Jbetter.

NOTE: joule "rating does not reflect" the full amount of electric power, the surge protector will shunt to ground electric) to fail (.

The rating "joule" reflects the amount of energy that can components (in particular the MPG) into the Surge Protector to absorb without failure.

In most cases, when a MOV shunt excess voltage and current to the ground (in the event of a surge), is (MOV) to absorb only a small part of thisEnergy.

Most of this energy is "dumped" with the electrical ground.

If the surge protector is installed correctly, then for every joule absorbed by the soil components (within the Surge Protector) for another 4-30 joules of electricity was harmless ranks of the power line.

But every time your surge protector is a case to increase the MOV devices a part of energy and the cumulative amount of energy that these devices are getting closer and Absorptioncloser to the "Joule rating" number and "failure."

3.3.3 Response Time

Surge protection is not immediately respond to surge events.

There is a small delay (or response time) before reacting.

The longer the reaction time, the longer it sits mail, but the event incoming wave exposed. Fortunately, most of the events does not increase either happen immediately. Most other surge events microseconds before they reach their peak voltage.

Up to this pointsurge-protection legislation (in particular, using MOV) will be exceeded "in step" within nanoseconds after the voltage level of tension is "let go".

3.4 The SURGE forever?

Just like the smell of a new car, do not last forever surge.

Since these events and react to MOV shunt surge energy to the Earth "over time, absorb some of this energy.

This process will lead to a "deterioration" and "wear" on MOVDevices (and turn) on the surge as a whole.

After all, these were MOV fail in one of two ways.

a. The MOV is to fail to such an extent that it no longer shunt excess power on Earth. In this case, the MOV (should be in a state of "open" fail).

Each time this happens, all electronic devices in value, "downstream" from your Surge Protector is now "officially" not protected are now exposed to the next wave comes, that whenaround.

b. At least one MOV device will fail in a "short circuit" mode. In this case, the MOV (although rarely) not in the "Short Circuit" state.

If this happens, the device would have "failed" MOV continues to carry high currents (from the power line to ground), even if the power supply line voltage is less than the "Let By".

This type of failure mode, could be very dangerous.

Fortunately, the biggest increase in general have a backup copy of that"Blow" and turn off the surge protector full, rather than risk of fire.

The main message is here. Internal surge events occur many times during the day.

Because these events and act as a surge protector in use and derivation of electricity over the Earth continues, this surge protection off, and finally must be replaced.

Some guidelines as to when the REPLACE Surge protectors:

We recommend that you replace your surgeProtect the following conditions.

1. If the green light "protected" (on the same surge protector) turns off.

2. If the surge for more than 3 years of ownership.

Note: Once the green light is encouraging, but does not guarantee sufficient protection for the events of the next wave.

Replace your surge protection, every three years is a good practice to protect your mail.

4.0 Other articles in this series

InIn this article we have discussed one of the three main enemies of electronics and how to shorten the life of electronics and cash.

Other articles in this series are listed below.

How to protect your electronics from heat, and
How to protect electronic devices from electrical noise