Using electrical surge protectors?

[robertbartsch]

Last year I lost an Adcom 555 (200WPC x2) amp and after playing the damaged unit for a few minutes I almost blew some tweeters in a very prized set of 4312s located in a basement system.

Apparently, the amp was spiratically dumping DC into the output circuits on one side.

Upon further thought, the amp was not protected by electronic surge protectors (e.g., the electronic extension cords commonly used for PCs, TVs, etc.) and I suspect a thunder storm may have caused the damage.

Is the use of surge protectors a good idea? I have also heard they are not full proof.

[HCSGuy]

They are a good idea, but use a good one; not necessarily an expensive one. The cheap surge strips don't usually start doing anything until line voltage hits 440v - that doesn't sound like a surge protector to me. A good, less expensive surge protector is the Panamax M8-EX - it has under/overvoltage protection at 70/135volts, and beyond those voltages kills power to the connected equipment. I don't really go in for the rest of the power magic, but these really do the trick. In our area, we really don't get lightning strikes; more often PG&E transformer failure or other PG&E problems that damage equipment, but haven't had any problems since we started using at least these in every system. Keep in mind that good surge protection protects every line in, including Cable and phone.

[jcrobso]

Get a good surge protector one in the $30~60 range should be fine.
If get a big surge and the thing does it's job, throw it away and get a new one.
I have a surge protector on everything, the more the merrier and the greater the protection.;)

[Don Mascali]

I was taught a lesson several years ago. My $1000 compoter was on a surge protector and my $10,000 A/V system was plugged into the wall.
A lightning srike on an oak tree in my front yard killed the TV power supply and for some reason the right channels of two amps.

I use large APC, 1100w UPS's on two parts of the system now. I believe the voltage regulation and a pure sine wave output are good reasons for using them.

[herki the cat]

I was taught a lesson several years ago. My $1000 computer was on a surge protector and my $10,000 A/V system was plugged into the wall. A lightning srike on an oak tree in my front yard killed the TV power supply and for some reason the right channels of two amps. I use large APC, 1100w UPS's on two parts of the system now. I believe the voltage regulation and a pure sine wave output are good reasons for using them.

"MOV" surge supressors fail and leak stray current from the 120 volt line to the green ground wire in the power cords creating a ground loop. MOV's are very poor and degrade rapidly with simple surge hits causing contamination of the green ground wire which is there strictly as a safety ground wire for personel protection in case of raw AC leakage to the equipment cabinet.

Clamped surge energy also rings like hell contaminating the neutral and AC line circuit beyond belief. "Zero Surge inc.,offers superb surge protection of advanced technology that never contaminates the ground safety wire and it passes Underwriters Laboratories IEEE Compliance testing of zero failures when subjected to 10 years of lightening stroke events. Zero Surge products do not shut down the AC Power delivery in the event of any Surge including all Storm Lightening events.There has never been a failure to Capture a Surge of any kind by "Zero Surge Products" in the 20 years of Zero Surge Production.

Don you can use your APC 1100W UPS following the Zero Surge Supressor to good advantage.

Contact:
"Zero Surge inc." directly at: Zero Surge inc.
889 State Route 12; Frenchtown, NJ 08825
Tel: 800-996-6696, Fax: 908-996-7773,
Email: [email protected] ([email protected])

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After the "Slideshow," You are encouraged to navigate through all of the sites below to learn about Zero Surge Technology, Especially the (Site Map (http://www.zerosurge.com/sitemap.cfm)) contents.

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Proper Grounding (http://www.zerosurge.com/grounding.cfm?PType=Res)
How Many Amps? (http://www.zerosurge.com/amperage.cfm)
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[herki the cat]

"MOV" surge supressors fail and leak stray current from the 120 volt line to the safety ground wire in the power cords. It is important: "to never disable or defeat this ground connection in the power cord ."

Don Mascali, you can still use your APC Inc., 1100W UPS to good advantage connected from the Zero Surge Supressor which will reduce the worst possible lightening stroke to 10 volts let-through voltage, with a slew rate less than 100 volts per microsecond, with a warranty of 10 years.








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Strong, fast surge current comes from wall receptacle into Zero Surge unit.
The inductor inside our unit acts as a grid, slowing down and decreasing the surge current.
The smaller, slower surge is then sent to a capacitor which acts as a garbage can.
When first capacitor (3) is filled with surge current, any residual current is directed to 2 additional capacitors (garbage cans). This restricts the duration of the surge.
The current is then slowly released to the neutral wire, avoiding any ground wire contamination.
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MOV Suppressor Safety (http://www.zerosurge.com/safety.cfm)
Telephone Line & Cable Protection (http://www.zerosurge.com/telephoneline.cfm?PType=Res)
Proper Grounding (http://www.zerosurge.com/grounding.cfm?PType=Res)
How Many Amps? (http://www.zerosurge.com/amperage.cfm)
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Glossary (http://www.zerosurge.com/glossaryofterms.cfm?PType=Res)
Useful Links (http://www.zerosurge.com/links.cfm)
TSC Slideshow Presentation (http://www.zerosurge.com/slideshow.cfm?PType=Res)
FAQs (http://www.zerosurge.com/faqs.cfm?PType=Res)
What's New (http://www.zerosurge.com/whatsnew.cfm?PType=Res)

[herki the cat]

There has never been a failure to Safely Capture a Surge of any Kind by "Zero Surge Products" in the 17 years of Zero Surge Production :D. herki

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[robertbartsch]

Do typical surge protectors dump excessive current into the electrical ground (green wire)?

Are surge protectors a source of ground loops; I have one system with multiple amps that drives me nuts; the hum seems to move and I cannot seem to find its source.


Thx....

[herki the cat]

Do typical surge protectors dump excessive current into the electrical ground (green wire)?

Are surge protectors a source of ground loops; I have one system with multiple amps that drives me nuts; the hum seems to move and I cannot seem to find its source. Thx....

First off, remove all the AC power strips, and trash them. Most of these rascals use MOV suppressors. More info about MOV's later.

Proceed to make up some temporary replacement extention cords with high quality "SJ type 3 conductor wire, and duplex outlets in approved electrical metal boxes with duplex outlet cover plates to go from your local wall outlets to your audio equipments, one extention cord with sufficient duplex outlets for the power amplifier group and a second similar extention cord with duplex outlets for the audio input equipments.

In the end, you may need to run a dedicated "star grounding isolated" safety ground wiring & AC power to your audio equipment from your house entrance circuit breaker panels to get away from typical house wiring daisy chain grounds that cross-contaminate everything.

More than likely, the ground loop may be caused by a typical 0.05 Mfd capacitor connecting the high side of the 120 volt AC power line to the metal chassis or metal cabinet of your amplifiers. In this case it is imperative to remove this type of capacitor or filter with such capacitors. You may also need to lift and insulate the low side of audio input and output signal connectors from the ground plane system of the power amplifier metal chassi or cabinet. Never defeat or remove the safety ground wire in the AC power cord of your equiments.

Zero Surge Inc., products are not typical surge protectors and they do not dump Any Currents or "Surge Voltage from the AC power lines into the safety ground wire. exceeding "10 volts-let-through-voltage limited to a slew-rate maximum of 100 volts per Microsecond.

Please click this "LinK= How Zero Surge Technology Works (http://www.zerosurge.com/howpqfilterworks.cfm)" from Post # 6 of this Thread to see "that there is no connection between a Zero Surge Inc, Device and the safety ground wire."

"MOV Surge Protector Technology" connects both sides of the AC 120 volt power line with two individual MOV devices to the safety ground wire which can result in a ground loop, if not destroy the audio equipment.

"MOV Surge Protectors" are designed to dump stray AC currents from power lines in the failure mode following a surge exceeding 400 volts from any source into the safety ground wire, and certainly can result in a ground loop. Please see the awful truth about MOV Surge Protectors by clicking these two Links = TheTruth About MOVs (http://www.zerosurge.com/truthaboutmovs.cfm), and: MOV Suppressor Safety (http://www.zerosurge.com/safety.cfm),