Re: Test for Surge Protector?

[w_tom <w_tom1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

  First, if the protector does not have a dedicated connection
for a 'less than 10 foot' connection to earth ground, then it
was not doing anything.  This is why so many plug-in
protectors are less than 3000 joules.  No sense making the
protector minimally sized when the idea is to have it vaporize
- to promote myth of protection.

  Second, effective protectors don't vaporize.  Only the
grossly undersized fail by blackening.  Effective protectors
degrade after many direct lightning strikes.  One test is to
put a 1 ma current through each MOV and measure the resulting
voltage.  Do you really want to remove each MOV and measure
it?  Probably not.

  Third, two factors that determine ineffective protectors: 1)
no dedicated connection to the building's single point earth
ground, and 2) manufacturer does not discuss the most critical
component in any protection system - earth ground.

  Brickwall, Surgex, and Zerosurge forget to mention the
safety ground wire that bypasses their protector AND that is
required by codes.  These series mode protectors (not to be
confused with shunt mode protectors that use MOVs) are
effective as supplementary protection IF you have first
installed a properly earth 'whole house' protector.  Series
mode protectors are quick to cite no MOVs but forget to
mention that burned out MOVs are directly traceable to the
human who failed to purchase a protector with sufficient
joules.  Effective shunt mode protectors earth direct
lightning strikes are remain effective.

  Additional problems with plug-in protectors is demonstrated
in these pictures:
http://www.westwhitelandfire.com/Articles/Surge%20Protectors.pdf
> 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.

http://www.nmsu.edu/~safety/programs/gen_saf/surgeprotectorfire.htm
http://www.ddxg.net/old/surge_protectors.htm
> An employee arrived at the Greensport Yard in Houston this
> morning to find the field office full of smoke. Investigation
> led him to a melted down surge protector

http://www.ehs.washington.edu/LabSaf/surge.htm
http://www.cob.org/fire/safety/surge.htm
> From February 1994 to February 1995, two families on Brainbridge
> Island lost their homes due to fires caused by Multiple Outlet
> Power Surge Suppressors! Failing devices have also been
> discovered on campus (see photo), luckily before there was a fire.

http://www.hanford.gov/lessons/sitell/ll00/2000-02.htm
> On August 28, 1999, a Kensington Power Tree 20, model # 62162
> multi-outlet power strip with surge protection failed and
> started a small fire in a trailer at the Stanford Linear
> Accelerator Center (SLAC). This graphic shows the damaged
> power strip.

http://www.rbs2.com/fire.htm
> The second edition of Underwriters' Laboratories standard 1449,
> which became effective in February 1998, requires that a surge
> suppressor either fail in a safe manner, or survive connection
> to twice the nominal mains voltage for seven hours.

> A particularly horrifying fact is that many commercial surge
> suppressors in the USA put the thermal disconnector and varistor
> in series, so that ? after the disconnector opens ? the
> vulnerable equipment downstream from the suppressor is exposed
> to whatever voltage killed the varistor.

Plug-in protectors that have MOVs removed and still claim they
are OK:
  http://www.zerosurge.com/HTML/movs.html

  Upgrade the building's earth ground to meet or exceed post
1990 National Electrical Code requirements AND install an
effective 'whole house' protector from responsible electrical
manufacturers such a Square D, Leviton, Intermatic, Leviton,
Cutler Hammer, Siemens, or GE.  These are even sold in Home
Depot and Lowes - not in Radio Shack, Circuit City, Staples,
Sears, or other sources of ineffective plug-in protectors.
Effective 'whole house' protectors cost less than $200 -
$1000. In fact, effective 'whole house' protection costs about
$1 per protected appliance - compared to how much for a
plug-in protector?

  This your bottom line:  a protector is only as effective as
its earth ground.  Something those plug-in protectors and
Brickwall need you not to learn.

Rich Gosselin wrote:
> I've got a collection of surge protector around, and I want to find
> a valid and somewhat simple method of testing that they are still
> providing some protection, without trashing them in a destructive
> test.
>
> I've searched the net for some kind of reference to help with this, and
> found only proprietary information of specific brands, usually at the
> manufacturers site on capacity, waveform, etc...test results for that
> product, but little info on how the test was actually done.
>
> 1.) I'd assume with MOV based devices (most of the consumer devices)
> I'd be able to "see" a blown MOV, but I'm not sure. Is there a
> simple electrical test?
>
> 2.) Some of the better devices, like Brick Wall and others...that
> advertise "never fail", well, do we take them at their word, or
> is there some way to see if they are still ok after some years of
> hits. Really, at $200 ~ $1,000 + per item...they should last forever...
>
> Not many folks seem to be into surge protection / UPS / line
> filtering, but I'm developing an interest for both business &
> personal reasons...and I'm looking here to learn a bit more about
> them...
>
> Any views? Comments? Good URL's to get info from?
>
> Rich