Good to see that Bud who promotes for plug-in protector manufacturers
will demonstrate how propaganda promotes grossly overpriced and so
profitable plug-in protectors. Protectors that can even contribute to
damage of the adjacent laptop. Bud always forgets to include some
important facts - such as both IEEE and NIST define earth ground as
essential to protection. Bud's IEEE citation demonstrates the problem
on Page 42 Figure 8. Bud hopes you have not sufficient concentration
to read that far. Go to page.42 Figure 8. That is what the IEEE says
about plug-in protectors. Being too close to TVs and too far from
earth ground; a plug-in protector earths a surge 8000 volts
destructively through a TV.
Bud claims that was protection because it may have been 10,000 volts
if the protector was not there. Nonsense. One real world protector
would have made that near zero volts - and for everything in the house
- at tens of times less money per protected appliance. Bud does not
promote for effective 'whole house' protectors - with the necessary
and dedicated earthing wire.
A protector is only as effective as its earth ground. When too far
away, what does it do? Stop what three miles of sky could not? That
is what Bud claims.
As IEEE notes, an effective protector earths a surge without
damage; when that 'whole house' protector is properly earthed. Notice
earlier figures that show how effective protectors work. As all
professional sources note, earthing is the protection. A protector is
simply a connecting device to earth. If that protector is too close
to electronics and too far from earth ground .... Page 42 Figure 8
- 8000 volts destructively through a TV.
Bud also hopes you don't carefully read his NIST citation. Bud
claims a protector will somehow stop or absorb what three miles of sky
could not. But the NIST instead defines the effective protector as
something that 'diverts it to ground'. How does a pluig-in protector
divert to ground when ground is too far away. Again that Page 42
Figure 8. It diverted a surge to ground 8000 volts destructively
through the TV.
Bud even recently claimed that protectors "clamp to nothing". He
calls this suppressing or arresting a surge. Even Bud's NIST booklet
defines what a protector must clamp (shunt, divert, connect, bond)
to. From page 6 (Adobe page 8 of 24)
http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/practiceguides/surgesfnl.pdf
> 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. So, for the rest of this
> booklet, we will stick to the most popular "surge
> protector".
They take a $3 power strip. Add some $0.10 parts. Sell it as a
power strip protector for $25 or $150. See that profit margin? Bud
will say anything so that you don't put your money where an effective
protector could have protected that laptop, stove, telephone, and
everything else in the house. Damage was created only because a surge
was permitted inside the house. A surge earthed by one 'whole house'
protector need not find earth ground destructively via stove,
telphone, laptop, smoke detector, bathroom GFCI, ... oh. What
protects devices essetial to human safety? Did Bud forget to mention
that effective protection even protects furnance controls?
They are called 'whole house' protectors. Manufactured by
responsible companies that Bud does not promote for. Industry
benchmarks - such as Siemens, Square D, Intematic, Cutler-Hammer,
Leviton, and GE. A 'whole house' protector for everything in the
house is available even for as little at $50 in Lowes and Home Depot.
That's one protector with a dedicated earth ground wire that does far
more than 100 plug-in protectors. Just another reason why Bud must
avoid the need for earthing - as required in multiple IEEE Standards.
IEEE make recommendation in Standards. Those Standards only define
earthing as required for protection.
Effective 'shunt mode' protectors shunt (diverts, clamps, bonds,
connects) a surge to earth ground. What determines a protector's
effectiveness? Quality of that earth ground. Earthing must both meet
and exceed post 1990 NEC code requirements. That means a wire to the
earth ground electrode must be shorter ('less than 10 feet'), no sharp
bends (not go over the foundation; must be through the foundation), no
splices, not inside conduit, and well separated from other non-
earthing wires. Furthermore, all other utilities (ie a telephone
company installed 'whole house' protector) also must be earthed to the
same single point earth gound. Why does your telco install a 'whole
house type protector ... for free? The effective (earthed) protector
also costs signficantly less money.
Bud also forgets to discuss this. Bud promotes protectors that
somehow work without earth ground. Profits would be at risk if Bud
mentioned the importance of earthing - the most critical component in
every protection 'system'. Even the telco provided protector requires
a short wire connection to earth. Bud says it is not necessary.
Plug-in protectors don't even claim to provide effective protection.
Don't take my word for it. Look at their numerical specs. Where is
each type of surge listed with numbers for that protection? It
claims protection from some ambiguous thing called surges. Which
one? Well Bud even forgot to mention it does not protect from the
type of surge that typically causes laptop and stove damage. It
claims protection from ambiguous surges. Forgets to mention it is
only protection from a type of surge that typically does not cause
damage.
But again, even the IEEE and NIST are blunt about it. Also FCC, US
Air Force, British Standard 6651, Telecordia (standards orgnization
for the telco industry), AC electric companies (both local
distribution and high voltage transmission), professional broadcast
engineers, ... even Ben Franklin demonstrated same in 1752.
Earthing provides the protection.
Less responsible companies such as APC, Tripplite, Panamx, and
Belkin sell protectors without that dedicated earthing wire - at
massive profit. Bud's job: promote a silly little protector that
will stop or absorb what three miles of sky could not stop. Real
world protectors don't even try. Real world protectors have that
'less than 10 foot' earthing connection so that surges are earthed
(diverted, clamped, shunted) before entering the building.
Well Bud will now post incessently here to confuse you. If
confused, then you are more likely to still spend tens of times more
money on plug-in protectors that have no dedicated earthing AND don't
even claim to protect from the typcially destructive surge. Why?
Because it is easier. To many, easier means it works better;
especially if Bud confused the issue with myths. Count how many
times he posts those myths. It is what he does - promote for the plug-
in protectors manufactures. Profits are just too high to let you
learn about 'whole house' protectors and earthing. Earthing - the one
component that all protection 'systems' require. No earth ground
means no effective protection.
BTW, this discusses secondary protection. Homeowners should also
inspect their primary protection:
http://www.tvtower.com/fpl.html
What is the essential component in that primary protection system?
What is essential for protecting that utility transformer - and your
household electronics? Bud will not tell you this. No profit in that
reality.
Even Bud's citations (ie Page 42 Figure 8) contradict what Bud
posts. Even his NIST booklet defines what an effective protector does
("divert it to ground"). Bud finally stopped claiming his
protectors work without earthing. Why did he do that? Why did he
stop claiming that plug-in protectors work by "clamping to nothing".
The spin was not working. More sales are his objective.
Want to see what his next 10 posts will say? Bud will cut and paste
same standard replies from maybe a hundred newsgroups. It is what he
does - promote myths for plug-in protector manufacturers. Even this
post from him is the standard advertisment - the standard 'cut and
paste' post.
What would have protected that stove and telephone? A plug-in
protector? Hardly. Required is one properly earthed 'whole house'
protector AND the most critical component in every protection system:
single point earth ground.
On Jul 2, 11:32 am, bud-- <budn...@isp.com> wrote:
> The best information on surges and surge protection I have seen is at:http://omegaps.com/Lightning Guide_FINALpublishedversion_May051.pdf
> - the title is "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 the dominant organization of electrical and electronic
> engineers in the US).
> And also:http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/practiceguides/surgesfnl.pdf
> - this is the "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 guide is aimed at those with some technical background. The
> NIST guide is aimed at the unwashed masses.
> ....
>
> Both the IEEE and NIST guides say plug-in suppressors are effective.
> Ratings range from junk to very high. With high ratings, a plug-in
> suppressor should protect from anything but a very near strike.
>
> Note that all interconnected equipment needs to be connected to the
> same plug-in suppressor, or interconnecting wires need to go through
> the suppressor. External connections, like phone, also need to go
> through the suppressor. These multiport suppressors are described in
> both guides. Plug-in suppressors work by clamping the voltage on all
> wires (power and signal) to the common ground at the suppressors.
>
> Incidentally, at about 6,000V (US) there will be arc-over at panels
> and receptacles.
> ...
>
> Effective protection also requires a short connection from phone,
> CATV, ... entry protectors to the earth connection wire at the power
> service. Connections have to be short to prevent a surge earth current
> on the connecting wire from producing a large voltage difference
> between the signal and power wires. Short connection between systems
> is more important than short connection to the earth electrode.
>
> Insurance information indicates that much of the surge damage is from
> large voltage differences between power and phone, CATV. My guess is
> that is what happened to the laptop (connected to a phone line?)
>
> A service panel surge suppressor ("whole house") would have likely
> protected the stove. With a short connection single point ground it
> would likely protect the laptop.