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Power - Surge Protection Device (SPD):

Nothing like a good Power Surge to ruin everything! Power Distribution & Surge Suppression Protection deserve more attention than we normally give or pay attention to before disaster strikes. After the fact is too late. Any electronic gear including PC's, associative hardware and especially audio gear should be protected from Power Surges. A Surge Protector or Surge Suppressor are one in the same.

MOV (Metal Oxide Varisitor) Surge Protection is the least expensive and most common type of Surge Suppression. The MOV component shunts a power surge to the neutral and ground lines. When a MOV is used, it is expended thus requiring replacement to remain effective. MOV's are only one type of Surge Suppression employed. Proper grounding is crucial to the success of MOV devices. Another method of Surge Protection is series mode. Series mode absorbs energy instead of shunting or redirecting energy. 

Surge Protectors typically give Joule ratings. Joule  = Unit of energy, equal to a watt/second (newton/meter). This refers only to the amount of energy a Surge Protector can absorb or direct away from the load in the event of a spike, surge or transient and not what gets through. If a surge exceeds the joule rating, the suppressor will likely be damaged or burned out. Joule ratings of many suppressors deteriorate with use. The higher the Joule Rating the better the Device for one time usage. Get a www.BrickWall.com Device and eliminate MOV's all together.

The Clamping Voltage is the the voltage at which a Surge Suppressor performs suppression tasks such as diverting power line to ground or absorbing the excessive energy. AC Power (120-volt) clamping voltage is around 135 volts.

Anything physically connected to a PC should be protected from a Power Surge. This includes: Power (PSU), Telephone (RJ11 POTS) Line (DialUp, Fax, etc), CAT5/RJ45 cabling for Broadband DSL & Cable Connections - Protect ALL LAN Connections irregardless of whether or not a UPS is employed. Those Users who DO Protect the PSU (Power Supply Unit) often times forget about the LAN Connections! Protect Everything! And maybe you thought connections and price were the key to your Price / Performance Solution? So do you need a Surge Suppressor, a Voltage Regulator or a UPS? Those cheap little Power Strips are not the correct Answer. For the better of Electrical Isolation Devices, an always 'ON' True Sine Wave UPS with Surge Protection.

Also... If possible, PC's should be electrically isolated from other electrical devices. A separate circuit from the circuit breaker box would be ideal. Hire an Electrician to implement this route of action!

Follow-Up Articles of Interest Relating to Surge Protection:

1. www.aarp.org - How To Use a Surge Protector:
2. APC - American Power Conversion:
   1. APC Surge Protection Selector:
3. www.arcelect.com - Lightning & Surge Protection:
4. BrickWall.com - Surge Protectors, Surge Protector Manufacturers: No MOV's!!! No Surge Protection Failures! "an educated consumer is our best customer."
    
5. Citel - Surge Protectors And Power protectors:
6. CPT cirprotec Lightning Rods and Surge Protectors:
7. www.HelpWithPCs.com - Surge Protection - Surge Suppressors - A guide to surge protection:
8. www.Moxa.com - Surge Protection and Optical Isolation:
9. www.LightningSafety.com - Guidelines For Providing Surge Protection At Commercial, Institutional, and Industrial Facilities - National Lightning Safety Institute:
10. www.Panamax.com - Surge Protectors for Power and Lightning Protection:
11. www.pcguide.com - Electrical Waveform Output: Explanation of Sine Wave, Square & Modified Square Wave.
12. www.powersurges.com:
13. www.RediVoltMfg.com - RediVolt, Inc - Surge Supression Solutions, TVSS: A Business Power Management System Solution designed to eliminate electrical transients.
14. www.SmartHome.com - Surge Protection & Diagnostics:
15. www.ThomasRegisterDirectory.com - Surge Suppressors, Surge Suppression:
16. www.TrippLite.com - Tripp Lite Power Protection:
    1. Tripp Lite Suppressors:
17. www.ul.com - UL Surge Suppressor Safety Tips: Not all power strips and adapters offer surge suppression, so make sure the product and product packaging clearly states "UL Listed Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor."
     
18. www.csu.org - HomeVantage Surge Protection Service: Stop Surges before then enter your property. A Solution from Colorado Springs Utility.

    "HomeVantage® Surge Protection Service stops surges before they enter your home. This patented protection device is installed on the exterior of your home at the three most likely points of entry—your electric meter, your cable/satellite TV line and your telephone line. This three-point protection creates a new level of security for homeowners. Our HomeVantage® Surge Protection Service withstands a minimum of 10,000 volts and up to 40,000 amps! Plus, our system is the only one of its kind that meets National Electric Energy Testing Research and Application standards." Ask and see if your Electricity Utility Provider has such a Service to Offer!