Stop the

Gazing at a department store wall covered with flat-screened televisions, a couple debates the differences in type, size, clarity and price. They wonder if they should stick with cable or switch to satellite.

They will also need to buy accessories. They talk about a DVD player and ask a passing sales associate about a cabinet they have seen elsewhere in the store.

They may spend over $1,000. But they forget one item that, at less than $100, would have the smallest price tag in the purchase and could prove to be the most valuable: A surge protector.

The lightning associated with thunderstorms can wreak havoc. Large, power-grabbing appliances can have an adverse effect on sensitive electronics. Connecting the television, DVD player, even the cable or satellite to a surge protector can make the difference.

What is a surge?

A surge is a short, sudden rush of electric current. A surge can raise the normal amount of voltage flowing in your home, which can damage appliances, sensitive electronics and many other items.

What are some causes of surges?

According to Steve Lyons, vice president of operations for Cotton Electric, most surges in the CEC service area can be attributed to lightning. Oklahoma is ranked ninth among states by the National Weather Service in frequency of lightning flashes per square mile.

Most Cotton Electric members live in a rural setting, with wide open spaces between them and their nearest neighbor. Lightning is a terrific ball of energy that will seek out the nearest, tallest feature of the landscape. That is often a house, its outbuildings, trees and service poles.

The energy from a lightning strike can enter a home in a number of ways: Above and under ground through telephone, cable and satellite lines, plumbing pipes and the electrical system.

Another big surge cause is critters – many a snake, squirrel or bird will perish when they come into contact with an electrified part of the system.

Outages have a number of other natural causes such as wind and ice. Some are accidental, like a car hitting a power pole or farm equipment becoming entangled in guy wires.

Power fluctuations can also come from within your home. Known as sags and swells, the flow becomes uneven when compressors for refrigerators or air conditioners come on, for example. The damage caused by this uneven flow happens over time, gradually degrading the circuitry in electronic devices.

"Today's homes and businesses are filled with many electronic devices that are very sensitive to voltage fluctuations," said Mike Stephens, power use advisor for Cotton Electric.

"As we add more devices, they compete with each other for power available on the various circuits within the home."

Why is surge protection important?

Power fluctuations are unpredictable and happen all the time. Disconnecting every electronic device in your home in anticipation of a thunderstorm is not practical. A surge protector quietly waits for that brief, powerful moment when it does its job, taking the jolt and possibly burning itself out before the damage can go any further.

How can you protect your home?

With the caution that there is no 100 percent guarantee that all measures taken will prevent damage – especially in the case of lightning – Stephens recommends starting outside.

"Grounding is the most important factor," he said, "and every home has a grounding electrode near where utility service enters." Grounding provides a short path that electricity may follow to the earth, where it can be dissipated.

However, wires leading from various service devices to the grounding electrode are sometimes disconnected. Because all service – electricity, phone, cable, satellite – often uses the same ground, it is a good idea to have an electrician check to make sure it is connected properly.

The electrician may be there to install a whole-house suppressor. These are generally installed at the service panel and are designed to deal with most voltage fluctuations from external sources.

They offer protection for larger appliances that usually do not have plug-in type protectors.

The cost of a whole-house suppressor can range from $80 to $250. Don't forget to consider the electrician's fee.

This type of suppressor won't stop all excess voltage from coming into the house and does nothing to manage the fluctuations caused by various motors coming on and going off inside. A second line of defense is an army of plug-in type suppressors.

Now let's be clear here: We are not talking about power strips! "Those are just fancy extension cords," said Harold Anderson, system analyst for Cotton Electric. If the item you are considering is just a series of outlets and one on/off switch, it is probably not offering protection, just accessibility for several devices.

Anderson said, "Surge protection should be on everything electronic ... anything of value."

A proper surge protector usually has indicator lights to show the device is working. Aside from a lit on/reset switch, there may be a light indicating the status of ground and protection.

Be prepared to read the packaging of a surge protector. Its labeling will include information about its ability to protect, which is more important than how much it costs or how big the equipment warranty may be.

Look for these terms:

• Peak Surge Current: This represents the maximum transient current that the suppressor can handle during a surge. If you are applying surge suppression only at the point-of-use, you need to look for a peak current rating of 55,000 amperes or higher.
  


• Clamping voltage: This is the maximum level of voltage allowed to pass through the protector. It should be no higher than 330 volts.
  


• Response time: This is how fast the device will react to a power fluctuation. A good suppressor should act in less than a nanosecond.
  


• Joules – This measures the amount of energy a device can dissipate. The higher the joules, the better the protection and the longer the life of the surge protector.
  

When selecting a surge protector, resist the temptation to choose the least expensive product. Protecting thousands of dollars worth of equipment is worth the $40 or higher price tag.

As mentioned before, there is no guarantee that the might of electricity will always be thwarted by these devices. Some products offer a limited warranty that should be read carefully. The keywords will be "limited" and "up to," meaning the warranty is good only in certain situations and any compensation will be only for the value of the items affected.

The main influence of the selection should be the purpose intended. "You want to match the surge protector to the device you are trying to protect," said Stephens. Packaging labels can help in the selection of suitable protection.

How can I get through the "blinks"?

Some power interruptions are very short – as quick as a blink – but long enough to be frustrating. It can mean more than having to reset the VCR clock. There's always a loud groan when a computer shuts down abruptly, losing all unsaved work.

Anderson recommends uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices, or battery backups. "They will get you through a blink or a short outage of about 10 or 15 minutes."

These devices offer surge protection and a little bit of time to allow a computer's software to shut down properly. They are slightly more expensive than surge protectors and should be selected according to the job they will be required to do.

They are not recommended for use with laser printers or other appliances with high power requirements.

Anderson said the rechargeable battery in most UPS units is easy to change and can last two to five years, depending on how often it is required to power your equipment.