Chicano :
Isn't a surge protector supposed to control, redirecting surges and not allowing them reaching the devices?
If true, then you recommend a protector that does that? Instead, recommended was a protector that can even bypass protection inside an adjacent computer; even make damage easier. For example, a protector adjacent to a computer can only block or absorb a surge. How do its hundreds or thousand joules absorb a surge that is hundreds of thousands of joules? It cannot. How does that 2 cm protector part block what three miles of sky could not? It cannot.
This is about protecting the OP's appliances from destructive transients. An effective protector connects hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly to earth. That means a low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) hardwire must exist. Unfortunately a plug-in protector only connects to a wall receptacle safety ground - not earth ground. What is a path to earth? An IEEE brochure demonstrates in Figure 8. That current connects 8000 volts destructively to earth via an adjacent TV. Don't ignore numbers. Protector (without an earth ground connection) made damage easier.
Ground must be a single point earth ground. All four words have electrical significance. A connection must be low impedance (ie no sharp wire bends, no splices, not inside metallic conduit, etc). A wall receptacle obviously has no low impedance connection to earth. To keep consumers ignorant, bogus citations only discuss a vague and subjective "ground". For over 100 years, an effective protector, with a low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) connection is located in a mains breaker box or behind an electric meter. Then hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate harmlessly outside. Then a surge current does not hunt for earth ground destructively inside via plug-in protectors and household appliances.
Telcos COs all over the world can suffer about 100 surges with each thunderstorm. How often is your town without phone service for four days while they replace that $multi-million computer? Never? Of course. Telcos also use this well proven solution - a properly earthed 'whole house' protector. To increase protection, a protector and electronics are separated up to 50 meters. Increased separation increases impedance - increases protection. More relevant numbers and examples.
Effective protection means a surge has a low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) connection to single point earth ground. And a high impedance (ie up to 50 meter) separation between protector and electronics. No plug-in protector will discuss that.
A homeowner suffers maybe one destructive surge every seven years. That number than can vary significantly even in the same town due to critically important parameters such as the layout of utility wires, geology, trees, and climate. Numbers might be as high as a surge once every three years in FL.
Moving on to two citations. Neither make responsible claims with numbers. No numbers is a first indication of a scam. Capacitor citation is 100% subjective. Touch an electrolytic capacitor with your hand. That heat will destroy a capacitor - according to your citation ... subjectively. Honest recommendations always provide numbers. Capacitors are fine even when room temperatures well exceed 100 degrees. As true of other parts. Capacitors fail as frequently as other parts - ie resistors and semiconductors. The naive only see some failed capacitor - ie bulging. Do not know of other failed parts due to no visual indication. So electrically naive consumers only blame capacitors. Other parts fail just as often.
That citation says nothing about what parts actually fail - is irrelevant to the OP's question. Vague speculation hypes fear of capacitor failures. Readers get no useful perspective - numbers.
Same applies to a second bogus citation. It claims a surge will be diverted on a safety ground wire. Impossible - as explained above. Worse, if connecting a surge to a safety ground, then it bypasses protection inside a computer's PSU. Surge current connects to earth destructively via a computer's motherboard and other semiconductors. Where is protection? It exists only for near zero (ie 600 joules) surges. Not for surges that typically damage appliances.
Some venues that cannot have damage do not even have protectors. But every facility always has a low impedance connection to earth ground. Always. Not a receptacle safety ground - earth ground. Where does that citation even mention low impedance? It doesn't. It subjectively recommends protectors without an earth connection such as from Tripplite, APC, Belkin, Panamax, and Monster.
Where is a subjective concept called 'quality' defined? Again no numbers were provided. Lightning is typically 20,000 amps. So a minimal 'whole house' protector is 50,000 amps. Because no protector must fail during any surge - including direct lightning strikes. That 50,000 number defines protector life expectancy - a parameter for quality. It has a dedicated wire for that low impedance connection to single point earth ground - another example of quality. Manufacturers known for quality include Siemens, Intermatic, Ditek, General Electric, Polyphaser (an industry benchmark), Syscom, Leviton, Square D, and ABB. A Cutler-Hammer version sells in Lowes and Home Depot.
A superior 'whole house' solution costs about $1 per protected appliance. Then even the dishwasher has protection. Quality protection costs tens of times less money.
What is installed to protect the furnace, air conditioner, CFL light bulbs, refrigerator, clocks, and TV - for maybe $25 or $60 per appliance? Both citations ignore these and other numbers?
Protection is always about a current path to earth. Anything that would block or absorb that current (ie plug-in protectors) means voltage increases to destructively blow through it. For over 100 years, facilities (and homes) that cannot have damage properly earth one 'whole house' protector. Then all surges (including direct lightning strikes) need not cause damage ... even to a protector. Numbers define quality. No numbers identify a bogus recommendation.
Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate. That means a low impedance connection to the 'art' of protection - single point earth ground. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground.
Another bogus claim: "voltage of lightning is so great that most surge protectors won’t be able to withstand their power." Yes, true for near zero, plug-in protectors. Not true of something routinely found in facilities that cannot have damage - a 'whole house' protector. A minimal 'whole house' protector is 50,000 amps so that direct lightning strikes only create a near zero voltage - do not even damage the protector.
Provided for the OP is how to protect household appliances. Another problem created by near zero protectors - fire. Many APC protectors must be removed immediately. Plug-in protectors have a long history of fire. But these APC protectors are so dangerous as to be removed immediately. As explained by numbers from someone who has done this stuff for many decades. Who provided many relevant numbers?
A protector is only as effective as its earth ground. Then the OP's appliances remain undamaged for decades. Numbers from someone who has done this stuff also say why.
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