6 Outlet Power Strip - Metal

Why do I need a surge protector?

While some power surges are caused by lightning strikes or by changes in the power grid most household surges are caused by other appliances on the same power line. Devices that require higher wattage such as vacuum cleaners heaters and refrigerators commonly cause small spikes which can over time damage or shorten the life of delicate electronic components like the microprocessors found in computers and audio/video equipment. A surge protector will absorb or ground this excess energy protecting the devices plugged into its power or data lines. Because a surge can occur across any type of line some surge protectors also include voice/data and coaxial protection. Your device is not fully protected unless all lines and components connected to it are also protected.

How do I know which surge protector is best?

Besides the number and outlets and length of cord different surge protectors provide different levels of protection. For home or office use there are three specifications to consider:

• The Joule Rating - the amount of energy that unit can absorb before sacrificing itself to protect your equipment. A higher joule rating indicates that a surge protector can absorb more energy even if your grounding line fails.


• The Clamping Voltage - the voltage level at which the unit will ground the electrical current. A lower clamping voltage indicates that a surge protector will activate its protective mechanism during lower voltage changes which is easier on your devices.


• The Response Time - the amount of time required to activate the unit's safety mechanism. The lower the response time the faster the surge protector will protect your equipment.

Is it possible to have too many devices plugged into my surge protector?

While it is possible to overload a surge protector by plugging in too many high-power devices the protective mechanisms are designed to burn out before any damage occurs. A simple power strip-without surge protection-can heat up or spark when overloaded posing a fire risk. For this reason we only carry units with surge protection though it is still best to limit the number of powered devices to the number of outlets and 'Daisy Chaining ' or connecting multiple surge protectors together is never recommended.