Surge protection of 2,000 joules will suffice for most appliances but for higher end electronics a surge suppressor with 3,000 joules or more will protect any device that stores important information. Surge protection at the service entrance and for individual appliances offers two-tiered protection.
But how much surge protection do I need for each appliance in my home? That requires a closer look at surge protection specifically and also why power surges even happen to see if we can avoid them to start with.
How many joules do I need to protect my…
The protection that is offered by surge protectors is measured in joules which is a unit of energy. Generally speaking the more joules your surge protector has, the better able it is to protect against a surge. The more joules it is rated for, the more individual surges or multiple smaller surges it should be capable of handling to protect your appliances.
Let’s take a look at what level of protection in joules you typically need for major appliances inside your home.
| Joule protection range | Appliances protected |
| up to 1,000 joules | Lamps, blenders, digital clocks, other small appliances and electronics. |
| 2,000 joules | Power tools, printers, copiers, routers and office equipment. |
| 3,000 joules and above | Home theater components, computers, gaming consoles, soundbars, sub woofers, synthesizers, DJ equipment and any device that stores important information. |
What is a power surge and where does it come from?
A power surge occurs due to a sudden and unexpected increase in voltage in your electricity supply. It can damage and even ruin appliances in your home that are plugged in at the time of the event. While a power surge can come from an external source such as a lightning strike or a problem from your electricity provider, it’s estimated that around 80% of surges come from within the home.
The 80% figure includes a number of events that you are actually responsible for (kind of) like switching an air conditioner on or off. It could happen with a fridge too. Sometimes turning a high powered appliance on or off can cause a small internal (within the home) power surge specific to that appliance.
How can you protect yourself against a potentially costly power surge which can easily blow out numerous appliances with your home in a split second? The effort to protect your appliances isn’t that expensive or difficult when you consider the replacement cost.
Let’s keep looking at the issue of power surges.
What types of surge protection exist?
Surge protection is already built into most modern appliances but they don’t always work. Check out this page where I talked about the power surge my mum experienced that could have cost her $480. That’s why getting extra surge protection on your own makes sense.
The main types of surge protection you can buy for your home include the following:
Surge protector plug
This is a single plug that fits directly into the wall receptacle. You then plug an appliance or other device into the surge protector. In this case, the surge protector plug is for one specific appliance that you want to protect against a power surge.
You can get a surge protector plug for about $5 – $10 each give or take but double check the joule protection and make sure it matches the needs of the device you’re protecting. More on that below.
Basic power strips
A power strip enables you to plug many devices into a single receptacle. A basic power strip may come with surge protection but it’s usually rated at 1,000 joules or less.
You can pick up a cheap basic power strip for $10 – $20 give or take and it might provide protection for smaller devices but may not be enough for a larger, more expensive one that stores important data and information (PC, laptop, etc).
Better power strips
Higher quality power strips that include surge protection can offer over 1,000 joules of protection and are more suitable for higher end appliances that have more power and require a higher level of surge protection.
You can pick up these sorts of power strips for $20 – $40 depending on the quality, how many plugs it can fit and the level of protection in joules that is offered.
Power strip tower
A power strip tower or surge station kind of looks like a rotating spice rack except with plug receptacles. You can turn towers in a circular fashion depending on where in a room you need to plug something in. Some of the better quality ones accommodate appliances from 110 V – 240 V, have USB ports, a retractable cord and other features.
You can find reasonably priced power strip towers for $30 and up.
UPS strips
An Uninterruptible Power System (UPS) provides secondary protection against a power surge and has a battery back up to provide continuous power in the event of a power failure. It’s typically used in conjunction with a primary protector like a surge arrester when surge protection is required for critical applications in a business. Commonly, a UPS will be used for an important computer, server or other device that must remain powered at all times.
So its primary purpose is to provide an uninterruptible supply of power in the even of power loss but it also offers back up surge protection for an individual appliance or other device.
When you choose a UPS, ensure that it does offer surge protection too if that’s what you require.
Service entrance surge protector
A service entrance surge protector is also called a surge arrester or surge protection device more generically. It’s typically installed in your home on the electrical panel and provides protection at the entrance of your home’s electrical supply by diverting excess voltage that occurs during a voltage spike to the ground wire so that it doesn’t reach your appliances.
You can use a surge arrester that is installed on your electrical panel in conjunction with other individual surge strips or stations which become the secondary protection. So the main surge arrester on your electrical box absorbs most of the surge but the secondary protection on the appliance itself provides another layer of protection to be safe in the case of a major power surge.
Tips for surge protector safety
- Ensure you understand how many joules are needed for each appliance in your home that you are trying to protect. Using an under powered surge protector for an expensive appliance may result in the appliance being damaged during a power surge.
- Make sure your chosen surge protector is UL-rated or whatever rating system you have in your local area.
- Pick a surge protector that offers Safe-Fail and has fireproof technology.
- Choose an energy saving surge protector that has smart outlets that will shut off power to devices that are plugged in but not in use.
- Some higher end surge protectors offer guarantees or insurance of $50,000 or more in the instance where your appliance is connected but is damaged by a power surge. Read the small print though because it’s very specific.
- Don’t use an extension cord in conjunction with a surge protector as that’s not what they are meant for. Depending on where you live it might also violate the electrical code which could cause you trouble with your home insurer if it causes a fire.
- Don’t use a surge protector with certain appliances like space heaters or microwaves. Read the instruction manual to see what can and can’t be used.
Summary
A voltage spike
can occur for a number of reasons both external to the home and from within the home.
If you’d like some more background information on surge protection, check out my article called How Much Does It Cost To Install A Whole House Surge Protector to learn more.