9 things you should know about surge protectors (pictures)

Power strips and surgeprotectors (also called surge suppressors) are different. Typically, powerstrips are cheap, multi-outlet products that are merely an expansion of a walloutlet. These usually have a circuit breaker of some sort, but most don't offerany real "protection" from electrical issues. Some might have thebarest level of protection, but they're all pretty much just like plugging intothe wall directly.

Surge protectors offersome level of protection against power spikes. How much and how well variesconsiderably.

(Formore info on all of this, check out 9 things you should know about surge protectors.)

Surge protectors offer protectionin amounts called joules. Think of this like a reservoir of protection. If aproduct has 1,000 joules of protection, that means it can take ten 100-joulehits, or one 1,000 joule hit. Generally, the more joules the better.

How do you know how many joules aprotector has left, or if the rating is even accurate? Well, you don't.

In fact, theWirecutter did a massive test on surge protectors, essentially blowing them up to see howwell they worked, to see if they could answer this question.

Some surge protectors offer awarranty (up to a certain amount) on the gear connected to the protector. Forexample, in the US, one Belkin model has a $300,000 Connected EquipmentWarranty, and states: "If your electronic equipment is damaged by a surge,spike, or lightning strike while properly connected to this power strip, wewill repair or replace it, up to $300,000."

You'll probably never need it,but it certainly doesn't hurt to have it. Belkin has similar warranties ineffect for other products, but they vary by region.

Keepin mind, as some readers have mentioned,just because a warranty exists, doesn't mean you'll ever see a dime from it.

There are a number of products onthe market that claim to "condition" the power from the wall (infairness, not the unit pictures, that’s just a regular surge protector). Powerconditioners promise improved performance for all your gear.

Here's the dirty little secret:your gear already does this. All electronics have a power supply that takes theincoming wall current (110v in the US), filters it for noise, and converts itinto whatever the device needs. Almost nothing actually runs on 110 volts (oralternating current, for that matter), so unless you've got some really wacky(or cheap) gear and live in an area with bizarrely inadequate power, a powerconditioner isn't something you need.

You're always going to need moreoutlets. You'll undoubtedly add more gear, without necessarily getting rid ofyour current gear. I'm not saying that if you think you need 4 outlets you should get 12, but a 6 is probably a good investment.

If you want total protection,consider that phone and cable lines can carry power spikes too. Some surgeprotectors have connectors for these as well.

Many surge protectors come withUSB connections, so you can charge your mobile devices.

Handy, for sure, but check whatthe output amp rating is. Generally, this is either 1 or 2 amps (often labeled1A or 2A). This is how much flow you can get through the pipe, so to speak. Fora mobile phone, 1A is enough, but for a tablet, you'll want 2A for quicker charging.

While not offering muchprotection, a portable power strip might prevent marital friction, and/orinvoke bliss from travel companions. Most hotels and hostels have few (if any) accessibleoutlets, yet everyone has multiple devices that need recharging.

Most portable power strips addtwo to three additional outlets, plus offer direct USB charging (see slide 7!).

Remember the joule rating wediscussed earlier? Well, it means that over time, a surge protector is going towear out. Some will give you a warning when they do. Many won't. If you knowyou've had a serious electrical event (like lightning blew out a transformerdown the street), it's probably worth replacing your surge protector just incase.

For more info, check out 9 things you should know about surge protectors.