Power Surge Protection

Power surge protection comes in all shapes and sizes. What should you look for?

400 vs. 330 Volt Clamping.
Most devices in stores will not offer specifications better than UL’s 400 volt clamp rating. This means spikes will rise to 400 volt levels before they are contained. If this is from the bottom of the sine wave, the uncontained spike may actually rise to nearly 570 volts! Your equipment will be damaged every time the photocopier fires off a copy; or transients jolt from air conditioners and other motors. Midwest Electric’s surge protection devices are rated at 330 volts - the best rating category assigned by UL.

Sine Wave Tracking.
Some devices in stores do not have sine wave tracking. It’s a high-tech capability that clamps spikes tightly against the sine wave. This prevents spikes from rising too high. We have the industry’s only patented circuit design with our exclusive Sine Wave Tracker.

Warranties.
Most hardware store devices have no warranty or only a one-year warranty. Our devices carry up to $25,000 in lifetime warranty protection.

Let-Through Voltage.
This is rarely mentioned in some devices but is very important. For example, our quality protector under conditions of 6,000 volts and 200 amps only allows 10 volts through. Lesser devices have much higher let-through voltage.

Joule Rating.
This is a measure of how much damaging energy the suppressors can handle. The higher rating the better. Many don’t mention this, or they range from the 50 to 200 joule level. These low ratings mean that their devices are not made to handle serious power disturbances like lightning. Ours handle up to 1,100 joules.

Peak Amps.
A similar energy absorbing rating is called “peak current,” measured in amps, the force behind the voltage (more accurate than joule ratings).

Telephone Line Protection.
If you are attached bya modem to the outside world, on the Internet for example, you need this feature. Telephone lines are antenna systems that direct powerful surges right into the heart of your computer.

Noise Attenuation.
Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) are disruptions on the smooth AC power line sine wave. Lightning, generators, radio transmitters or even household appliances can cause this noise on the power line. This noise shows up as glitches or errors on computer screens, or “snow” on a TV.

Thermal Fuses.
Few devices have “thermal fuses” in them. (Ours do.) They’re safety devices that are activated in the event that there is an extended overvoltage. They will automatically take the device off the power line, eliminating the posibility of a burned protector or damaged equipment.

Midwest Electric Products

We carry a full line of power surge protection products, from single-outlet adapters under $10 to 8-outlet plug strips with phone/modem and cable/antenna line protection for under $50; as well as point-of-entry protection at the meter base or service panel. Call for details, 1-800-962-3830.

Beware of Savings Claims

Power surge protection devices are designed to protect your equipment, but they cannot and will not lower your electric bill. Click here for more information.