Monster PowerCenter HT 800G Tear-Down

[Daniel Sauvageau]

Before you can have "tens of thousands of joules" going somewhere, you need voltage to get current going and overcome wiring impedance. If you have such extreme destructive surges in your home, your home's electrical wiring might fail so you should have much bigger issues to worry about and need to have a type-1 SPD installed at your service entrance or a type-2 wired into your breaker box. Type-3 SPDs, which is for power strips and the likes, are obviously not intended for type-1 surges.

As for the gaps on the PCB, the MOVs are rated 200V. Surges are not going to jump the air gaps unless the MOVs fail open and MOVs usually fail shorted.

The relay is not going to do anything for sub-millisecond surges but it can do something about longer-term events like bursts of surges, noise, over-voltage, etc. Panamax calls this "Protect or Disconnect." As for the short throw inside the relay, you forgot that voltage is clamped to 300 or so volts by the MOVs, so no arc there unless the L-N MOVs blow open.

As for your comment about surge suppression built in your devices being "superior" to Monster's, most power supplies I have dismantled and had surge suppression used 14D331K MOVs or worse, which means they let at least 330V pass through while most surge protectors use 20D201K which start clamping at 200V. Any of these would reduce the likelihood of blowing up your individual devices' protections. The whole purpose for having an expendable surge protector is to let the expendable unit take the brunt of most surges so your devices do not have to.

 

[westom]

First, you have assumed surges are voltage sources. Suges are current sources. Voltage increases as necessary so that a defined current will flow. Anything that foolishly tries to block that current is then confronted (overwhelmed) by maybe thousands of volts.

These concepts were originally demonstrates by Franklin in 1752. Successful solutions means that same current only creates a near zero voltage. Please learn a relevant concept called a current source. And another relevant and critically miportant concept called wire impedance.

Second, MOVs that trigger at 200 volts are only conducting sub-milliamps - a near zero current. Same MOV will be at hundreds of volts higher when a surge current is relevant and potentially destructive. A protector that would conduct sufficient current at 200 volts would also degraded to ineffective in maybe weeks or months as peaks from the 120 volt AC causes it to constantly conduct smaller currents.

MOV manufacturers provide charts for this. We simplify for consumers. That 200 volt protector part does nothing useful until voltage created by the current increases to well over 330 volts (its let-through voltage).

Third, a surge that creates 5000 volts on the black (hot) wire may be connected to a white (neutral) wire by a 330 volt MOV. That means 5000 volts on the black wire and 4670 volts on the white and green (safety ground) wires. What did an MOV do? Give that surge current even more paths to get into adjacent appliances - destructively.

We build these things. Trace resulting damage. And replace semiconductors to confirm reason for damage or to identify a human mistake that created that damage. Adjacent protectors damaged a network of power off computers. Because a best and destructive path to earth was created by a power strip protector. Protector bypassed superior protection inside each computer's supply. Current was outgoing to earth destructively via the network and other computers on that network. Damage created by using protectors (like that Monster) that do not claim to protect from destructive surges. Damage created because a completely different solution (also called a surge protector) was not implemented.

Fourth, if a Monster does that protection, then where is the manufacturer specification that claims that protection? It does not exist. Meanwhile, the breakdown exposes near zero protection.

Fifth, protection means one always says where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate. Monster and other near zero protectors will not even discuss a destructive type of surge. Numbers above demonstrate why.

Facilities that cannot have damage always implement a completely different solutions that says where hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate. They do not waste money on the many times more expensive protectors such as Monster.

Your telco's switching computer is connected to buildings all over town. It suffers about 100 surges with each storm. How often is your town without phone service for four days while they replace that computer? Never? Because the only solution always implemented is a 'whole house' solution with a low impedance (ie 'less than 10 foo') connection to THE most critical component in every protection system. Routine is direct lightning strikes without damage. That means the many times less expensive solution implemented a component that harmlessly absorbs hundreds of thousands of joules. Monster cannot do that. As demosntrated by its near zero joule protectors.

Six, anything that might be protection in the Monster is already done better inside power supplies. Anything listed as 'solved' by that relay is already made irrelevant by what is inside electronics. A 5000 volt surge reduced to 4670 volts by the 330 volt MOV will easily jump that tiny gap.

And finally, Type 1 and type 2 SPDs do not define appliance protection. Each define what might threaten human life. It says nothing about protection of transistors. It defines protection for humans.

Finally, a minimal protector is not damaged even by a direct lightning strike. Grossly undersizing the Monster means a surge too tiny to damage adjacent appliances can also destroy the Monster. Then naive consumers assume "My protector sacrificed itself to save my computer." Total nonsense. That discussed thermal fuse disconnects MOV parts as fast as possible to avert a fire. And leaves a surge connected to an adjacent appliance. A surge too tiny to damage that appliance also destroys a grossly undersized Monster. Undersizing promotes myths and increases profits.

Above numbers are essential to discuss the breakdown. That breakdown did not identify where hundreds of thosuands of joules harmlessly dissipate. As necessary to define effective protection. Hundreds of thousands of joules must harmlessly dissipate. Even a direct lightning strike must not harm a protector - as is routine with another and proven solution - called a surge protector.

Where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate? Monster refuses to discuss it. The breakdown also did not discover an answer. Even the relay for switched receptacles does not provide any numbers that define protection. MOvs in the Monster are near zero. Typically fail catastrophically on a surge too tiny to overwhelm what already exists inside electronic appliances. Catastrophically means MOVs fail in a manner deemed unacceptable by the MOV manufacturer.

 

[Daniel Sauvageau]

Surges are not exactly current sources: even current sources cannot instantaneously overcome inductance and home wiring has micro-henries worth of intrinsic inductance which is quite significant at the microsecond event scale. That's why type-3 SPDs require a minimum of 10 meters of in-wall wiring to meet their ratings.

While there may be more extreme surges out there, the type-3 specs are based on decades worth of research which concluded that it represents the typical worst-case for normal residential installations. A (nearly) direct lightning strike or a 25kV line getting shorted to local 120V distribution is not typical and the house wiring itself might not survive it.

 

[westom]

That's why type-3 SPDs require a minimum of 10 meters of in-wall wiring to meet their ratings.

Type 3 SPD is a human safety standard. A protector must be designed to not create a human safety issue. It says nothing about protection of appliances. A type 3 protector can still be so undersized as to create a house fire. And need not protect from a type of surge that typically does damage. You have confused human safety with transistor protection - a common mistake enouraged by companies such as Monster to hype their product.

A few decades of research occurred because so many protectors created so many fires. Potential fires were demonstrated, with pictures, in two issues of PC Magazine in the early 1980s. Later UL 1449 was created. UL also says nothing about transistor protection. UL is about human safety - especially fire The original UL 1449 standard did almost nothing to avert fires. Definitions for protectors - to not create fires - is the reason for Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 protectors. A type 3 protector located in a type 1 location seriously increases fire risk.

Surges are current sources. Facilities that could not have damage use properly earthed 'whole house' protectors. This is over 100 years of science and experience - not just decades. A 'whole house' protector is rated by a completely different parameter - amperes. A typical lightning strike is 20,000 amps. So a minimal 'whole house' protector is 50,000 amps. Because protectors must not be damaged by the other and destructive surges - including direct lightning strikes. That applies to all protectors.

The high voltage primary wire fell on incoming power wires for an Intermatic sales manager. The Intermatic 'whole house' protector protected everything in the house.

A 33 kV wire fell upon local distribution. Over 100 electric meters literally exploded some 30 feet from their pans. Clear plastic was everywhere. My friend knows someone who know this stuff. So he had a 'whole house' protector. Therefore nothing inside was damaged; only his electric meter.

Lightning is only one example of why informed consumers earth a 'whole house' protector. To protect from all types of destructive surges.

 

[Daniel Sauvageau]

Surges are current sources.

You send your ideal 100kA 10µs surge with infinite voltage through a breaker box - because you are going to need infinite voltage to make current raise to 100kA instantaneously, it gets clamped to ~6kV by the air gap between the breaker box's bus bars and its grounded chassis or less if something else, such as the meter or type-1/2 SPDs provide a lower impedance path to ground. Your 100kA is now a voltage source, all the in-home wiring sees is a ~6kV pulse with whatever current the wiring inductance, resistance and loads will allow in.

10 meters of #14 romex cable has about 10µH of intrinsic inductance and if you apply 6kV across it, current rises at a rate of 600A/µs (physics: di(t) = E/L) assuming an effective dead short at the end of the line, ideal electrical box grounding and not counting wiring resistance. Once current starts rising though, you can lose almost 1kV to I*R losses. The better ~$40 surge protectors, like APC's SurgeArrest Performance, add their own 60-100µH inductors in series with live and neutral, which limits current rise through surge protection components to an almost cozy sub-100A/µs.

I was a little surprised Monster's HT800 did not have series inductors or a differential choke to soften L-N surges.

Saying that "Type 3 SPD is a human safety standard" makes no sense: appliances are already designed with extra considerations for circuitry and mechanical elements along the 'hot' wire to meet whatever HI-POT specifications are required in the target markets, which usually is at least 1.5kVAC/2kVDC. Type 1 and 2 SPDs are the ones intended for human safety by preventing abnormally high voltages that might exceed HI-POT safety requirements from reaching branch circuits in the first place and are often required by law/code in high-exposure locations - a Type-1 SPD, such as GDTs, may have been built directly into those exploding meters of yours. Type-3 actually degrades human safety by introducing potentially lethal voltages on the ground or neutral wires: your ground or neutral wire might rise to over 200V while your equipment is shunting a 500A surge through it. If your devices are designed properly and passed their HI-POT tests, you would be safer leaving 2kV unclamped on the hot wire without Type-3/4/5 SPDs but your devices might not survive.

Most people do not like their devices frying on the first minor surge so nearly all decent electronics include at least minimal surge protection like a single 14D331K MOV across L-N.

 

[westom]

Most people do not like their devices frying on the first minor surge so nearly all decent electronics include at least minimal surge protection like a single 14D331K MOV across L-N.

Earliest Apple Computers once had that MOV (ie Apple II). Then stopped. An internal MOV does nothing useful. For same reasons that Monster does so little. Better protection inside computers is provided by existing circuitry. Surges that might destroy that 14D331K are also consumed by power supplies as electricity. Converted to stable, low voltage and well regulated DC to power its semiconductors. Teardown does not discuss this.

First, a current is incoming to a protector only because the current's objective is a better outgoing path. Both an incoming and outgoing path must exist - simultaneously. Incoming to a protector. Outgoing to earth destructively via attached appliances. An incoming surge current does not exist if an outgoing connection to earth via appliance does not exist. An incoming current does not exist if that current connects to earth BEFORE entering the building. Once inside, that current connects to earth destructively via appliances.

A Type 3 protector must block or absorb that current. The teardown does not say how.

An IEEE brochure demonstrates this with numbers. A Type 3 protector adjacent to TVs earthed a surge 8000 volts destructively through one TV. Current increased voltage, as necessary, to blow through internal TV protection. Voltage increased to find a best connection to earth 8000 volts destructively via that TV. Using a connection created by that Type 3 protector. And due to no low impedance earthing at the service entrance.

If a 'whole house' protector is earthed, then a surge current is not inside that building. Protection is always about no surge inside. Then protection inside every appliance (clocks, furnace, refrigerator, GFCIs) is not overwhelmed. As was understood even 100 years ago.

Second, in facilities that cannot have damage, an employee may even be dismissed for using a Monster. Nobody need spend so much money for so little protection. Nobody wants internal equipment protection compromised. Nobody wants the fire risk. Even that Monster must be protected by a 'whole house' solution.

As noted, some protectors might include a 60 mh choke to soften a surge. So that tinier protector parts can be used. But that Monster already has tiny protection - as discussed next.

Third, Type 3 protector failure may be reported by an indicator light. That failure gets the naive to assume, "My protector sacrificed itself to save my computer". Nonsense. A surge too tiny to harm a computer also destroys that tiny protector. Sales increase. A naive consumer would assume his protector did something useful.

MOVs disconnect as fast as possible from a surge that is left connected to attached appliances. What kind of protection is that? MOV protector part disconnects because it need not provide protection. And because it must not create a fire. Teardown did not discuss this.

Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground - which neither Monster nor the teardown discuss. If adjacent to an appliance, a tiny Type 3 protector must either block or absorb that current. Tiny MOVs cannot. Teardown does not say how Monster provides protection. 100 years of science and experience says how other effective (and much less expensive) solutions do it.

A protector is only as effective as its earth ground. Single point earth ground. Teardown shows no dedicated earthing connection. Teardown ignores why MOVs disconnect leaving a surge still connected to appliances. Teardown does not discuss human safety problems created when a Type 3 protector is too close to the service entrance (breaker box). Teardown does not say how hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate. Teardown does not discuss layers of protection and THE most critical component in any protection system. Informed consumers earth a 'whole house' protector - to even protect a Type 3 Monster.

MOV inside an appliance is also not the superior protection routinely implemented in electrionics. Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules are harmlessly absorbed. Neither Monster nor the teardown discuss that number. An indication of inferior, undersized, or ineffective protection.

 

[Daniel Sauvageau]

A Type 3 protector must block or absorb that current. The teardown does not say how.

It uses an effin' MOV combined with the electrical wiring's own inductance and resistance as its primary protection, just like the 12 or so other surge protectors I have torn down before. Nothing new here, so no reason to comment on it.

MOVs disconnect as fast as possible from a surge that is left connected to attached appliances. What kind of protection is that? MOV protector part disconnects because it need not provide protection. And because it must not create a fire. Teardown did not discuss this.

I did comment on that: that's what the thermal fuses are for, just like all other surge protectors I have torn down before. Thermal disconnect is nowhere "fast" though. On the better surge protectors like the Tripp-Lite, Belkin APC, CyberPower and Monster, the main thermal fuse is in series with mains live so when the MOVs overheat, it blows the fuse and disconnect power to the bar. I'm not bothering to point that out because it should be expected from the better power strips. There is no point in wasting limited text space on basic stuff turning out as expected when I can spend character count on pointing out things that are different from typical instead.

Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate.

You do not need surges in the thousands of joules to ruin equipment and the "tiny protectors" combined with in-wall wiring characteristics can protect equipment from everyday surges.

If you have a 6kV surge at the breaker box and no protection before your devices, your devices are going to see their input voltage rise to 6kV very quickly and that will destroy your equipment's 600V input rectifier bridge. Even if the reverse voltage does not kill them, the forward current into the filter cap for the forward-biased diodes might be well beyond their non-repetitive forward surge current rating. Depending on how large the input cap is, the surge may also raise its voltage well beyond its safe rating and blow it up, same goes for all of the remaining circuitry on the primary side. If you take a 680µF capacitor already charged to 350V by the PFC circuitry and add a 1000J surge to it, it ends up "charged" to 1.75kV. Pretty sure your PSU's whole back-end goes boom. A "tiny surge protector", be it separate or built-in, would have kept the input voltage below 400V and your PSU would probably have survived.

 

[westom]

It uses an effin' MOV combined with the electrical wiring's own inductance and resistance as its primary protection, just like the 12 or so other surge protectors I have torn down before.

Even a child can teardown something and still not learn anything. For example, basic knowledge says a minimally sufficient protector for hundreds of thousands of joules is also the solution for tiny tens thousand joule surges. Effective protection means one knows where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate. Then a tiny tens of thousand joules surge is also irrelevant. Spend $90 per for the Monster. Or spend about $1 per for another and proven solution that says where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate. You can argue. Or you can learn from someone who was doing this stuff even before PCs exists. Your choice. Learn the numbers and what they mean. Or just "effin" know otherwise - an emotional outburst.

Clearly you have no idea what a thermal fuse is.

the main thermal fuse is in series with mains live so when the MOVs overheat, it blows the fuse and disconnect power to the bar.

Wrong wrong wrong. That circuit breaker clearly is not a thermal fuse. It does not do what you have only assumed using speculation. Maybe read some manufacturer datasheets before making such assumptions.

All power strips (with or without protector parts) must have a circuit breaker (typically 15 amps) to protect humans from overloads. You have called that a thermal fuse. Circuit breaker does nothing for overheating. It is not a thermal fuse. It was made easy to see the difference. A thermal fuse only disconnects protector parts (MOVs). It leaves a surge still connected to attached appliances. Find that essential, required, and other part - a thermal fuse. It is quite tiny because it must disconnect near zero protector parts as fast as possible ... to avert a house fire. And leaves appliances still connected to the surge and AC mains.

MOVs (especially in lesser quality protectors from Tripp-Lite, Belkin APC, and Monster) can become a fire hazard when absorbing tiny hundreds or a thousand joule surge. One need only read its specification numbers. High profit protectors from companies with less integrity do not even claim to safely absorb tiny tens of thousand joule surges - as you otherwise imply. Why mention surges that Monster does not even claim to protect from? Anybody can read those spec numbers. How many joules do protectors from Tripplite, Belkin, Monster et al claim to absorb? Clearly not even 'one' ten thousand joules.

A typically less than 1 amp thermal fuse (which you confuse with the mains circuit breaker) only disconnects MOVs that would otherwise cause house fires. A surge remains connected to attached appliances. Attached appliances are not even damaged by surges that can destroy the Belkin. Many have seen this. Its failure indicator light reports a blown thermal fuse in a protector. Power strip still powers attached appliances. Appliance remains unharmed because that surge was so tiny.

How can this be if you *know* a thermal fuse "disconnects power to the bar". It doesn’t. Please learn before posting wild speculation. Others have seen their surge protector still provide power while its indicator light says MOV protector parts have been disconnected by a thermal fuse.

Schneider Electric recently purchased APC. Then announced that some APC protectors are so dangerous as to be removed *immediately*. Is that a better manufacturer? Of course not. APC ignored fires for how long? Meanwhile, we disassembled one. Thermal fuses were mounted in a manner that did not provide thermal (and fire) protection. Even $10 power strip protectors from WalMart were safer. And yet you somehow know this company has integrity? And you did not even know thermal fuses must exist? You did not even know the difference between a 15 amp circuit breaker and a less than 1 amp thermal fuse after how many teardowns?

Teardowns were biased by insufficient knowledge of what protectors do, what MOVs do, and what advertising has promoted. Companies of integrity include Square D, Keison, Siemens, General Electric, Clipsal, Intermatic, Polyphaser (an industry benchmark), Ditek, ABB, Syscom, Leviton, Novaris, and Cutler-Hammer (Eaton) – to name but a few. Companies that any guy knows for reliable products. A 'whole house' protector from these more responsible companies is essential to even protect undersized protectors from Belkin, APC, Monster, et al.

You do not understand how surge protection works. Increased impedance and resistance inside protectors only makes things worse; resulting in higher voltages. Obvious by learning the difference between a voltage source and a current source.

For example, 6k volts at a service entrance (breaker box) exist when someone foolishly tried to block or absorb a surge. Destructive surges typically can be 20,000 amps (ie a direct lightning strike). Solution, proven by over 100 years of science and experience, connects that current 'low impedance' to earth resulting in a near zero voltage. I did not say resistance for obvious technical reasons – “impedance”. Surges are current sources. Voltage only increases to 6000+ volts when someone foolishly tries to block it.

Surge protection does what lightning rods also do. Lightning rods connect a direct strike to earth so that a massive current creates a near zero voltage. To protect a structure. Protectors (from companies with better integrity) connect a direct strike (or other surge) to earth so that a massive current creates a near zero voltage. To protect appliances. Franklin demonstrated lightning rods in 1752. Effective surge protection has been doing same since the late 1800s. A Monster 'magic box' does not do what well proven (and less expensive) solutions have done even hundreds of years ago.

Why do we know protectors from Belkin, APC, Monster, et al do not claim to protect from the typically destructive surge? Where is a low impedance (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection to single point earth ground? What is the most critical component in every protection system? Earth ground. What do Belkin, APC, Tripplite, Monster et al not have and will not discuss? Earth ground. What is the critical feature found in protectors from companies with better integrity? Earth ground. Where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate? Earth ground. What do you never discuss due to rhetoric from Belkin, Tripplite, Monster, et al? Earth ground. Where in the teardown is a low impedance connection to earth ground?

A teardown should discuss another part critical for protecting human life - its thermal fuse.

Monster has a long history of identifying scams. Then selling something equivalent for higher prices. Monster sold speaker wire with ends marked for the amplifier and speakers. Monster said if the speaker end was connected to an amp, then audio would be perverted. Many could even hear a difference. Scams are that easily promoted. Monster sold $7 speaker wire for $70. This is a company with integrity? Tearing apart their products makes you informed? If Monster is selling something equivalent, expect equivalent products to also be inferior. Monster has a long history of duplicating scams for even higher profits.

Best protection is a hardwire to earth. One 'whole house' protector does a next best thing on utility wires that cannot connect 'low impedance' to earth. Either way, proven protection makes a "hundreds of thousands joule" surge so irrelevant that nobody even knew a surge existed. This other, proven, and much less expensive solution is rated by what is relevant in surge protection: current (ie 50,000 amps). Current connected low impedance to earth creates a near zero voltage – no 6000 volts - and no appliance damage.

 

[westom]

If you have a 6kV surge at the breaker box and no protection before your devices, your devices are going to see their input voltage rise to 6kV very quickly and that will destroy your equipment's 600V input rectifier bridge.

You have again ignored what was posted. And have not learned some basic electrical concepts. Again:

Third, a surge that creates 5000 volts on the black (hot) wire may be connected to a white (neutral) wire by a 330 volt MOV. That means 5000 volts on the black wire and 4670 volts on the white and green (safety ground) wires. What did an MOV do? Give that surge current even more paths to get into adjacent appliances - destructively.

Meanwhile we also investigated same - a power strip protector earthed a surge destructively through a network of powered off computers. It simply bypassed superior protection in the power supply. Using your numbers, a 6000 volt surge was connected by the adjacent protector into a first computer at 5670 volts. Protector did what the Monster also does.

Of course, the view board agreed. Damage created by adjacent protectors doing what they are designed to do was seen previously

 

[Daniel Sauvageau]

Even a child can teardown something and still not learn anything. For example, basic knowledge says a minimally sufficient protector for hundreds of thousands of joules is also the solution for tiny tens thousand joule surges.

Put a fast enough edge across your ideal surge suppressor and you will still see a voltage spike in the hundreds of volts on downstream circuits due parasitic inductance in the cables between your electrical panel and the surge protector itself. There may also be induced voltages from magnetic coupling between wiring from wherever the surge is entering to wherever the bulk of it is being shunted to. You will still need secondary surge suppression closer to loads to take care of the let-through if you want to give your equipment the best possible chance of surviving a catastrophic surge.

A large central surge protector also does nothing to protect loads from locally generated surges or induced voltages from other sources. Type 1/2 SPDs have their uses but they cannot cover all possible cases on their own.

Quit ranting about it already. There are different classes of SPDs and they each serve their own purposes. Since you pretend to be so knowledgeable about surge protection, you should know that UL's 8/25 surge waveform is intended to represent the worst-case surge that in-building wiring should ever be subjected to under normal circumstances and for type-3, that waveform translates to less than 400 joules. The type-1/2's job is to make sure it stays that way.

Wrong wrong wrong. That circuit breaker clearly is not a thermal fuse. It does not do what you have only assumed using speculation. Maybe read some manufacturer datasheets before making such assumptions.

You must be blind or not looking at the right thing.

 

[westom]

There may also be induced voltages from magnetic coupling between wiring from wherever the surge is entering to wherever the bulk of it is being shunted to. You will still need secondary surge suppression closer to loads to take care of the let-through if you want to give your equipment the best possible chance of surviving a catastrophic surge.

First, voltage from an induced magnetic field does exist. Then we include numbers so repeatedly ignored. A sub-milliamp NE-2 neon glow lamp makes that current irrelevant. Again, you never did this stuff. Myths that promote ineffective and highly profitable Monster products do not prove protection. Even Monster does not claim protection from parables.

A direct lightning strike only tens of feet from a long wire antenna can create thousands of volts on that antenna. Then an NE-2, that conducts less than 1 milliamp, reduces that thousands of voltage to tens of volts. NE-2 noen bulbs (also found in lighted wall switched) were implemented to protect even early 1960 semiconductors radios.

Lightning struck a lightning rod. Its wire to earth conducted maybe 20,000 amps outside and only four feet from an IBM PC. That PC and other office equipment did not even blink. Because a magnetic transient from an adjacent 20,000 amp transient created a voltage ... that was made irrelevant by what already exists in appliances. A destructive magnetically induced surge only exists in wild speculation. Please obtain experience and learn numbers before posting advertising myths.

Second, and again. A 330 volt let-through voltage means one wire may have 5000 volts incoming. Other incoming wires have 4670 volts. Why do you intentionally ignore this? Relative concepts such as longitudinal current were never learned. A 330 let-through voltage means some 4670 volts is now incoming on other appliance wires. Why do you keep ignoring well understood science and numbers?

Third, if locally generated surges exist (ie from vacuum or furnace), then you are replacing clocks and GFCIs hourly or daily. Why does that wildly speculated surge not damage radios, CFL bulbs, and smoke detectors? Urban myths (without numbers) hype noise as a surge. Appliance generated transients are, at most, tens of volts. Near zero. Even the Monster ignores it.

If an appliance is generating destructive surges, then 1) it is destroying itself. And 2) the protector should be on the surge source – not on the other 100 potential victims.

If any household appliance (ie refrigerator) creates a surge, a 'whole house' protector obviously eliminates it. Monster only claims to protect from one type of surge. A many times less expensive 'whole house' solution protects from all types of surges. Again, please obtain experience and learn numbers before posting these myths.

Fourth, 8/20 microseconds is a numeric standard to quantify protector parts. Protector parts (even the slowest GDTs) respond in nanoseconds; not in microseconds as that you only assumed. Again, please obtain experience and learn these numbers before posting accusations.

Fifth and again, Type 1/2/3 are standards for human safety. 'Type' does not define protection. A Type 3 protector located at the service entrance can become a fire hazard. Type 3 protectors are so undersized as to be damaged even by a surge that cannot harm appliances. A Type 3 protector located at the service entrance is risky - as defined by human safety standards..

Electronics routinely convert tiny surges into stable, clean, low voltage DC electricity to power semiconductors. A 400 joule surge, that might destroy a grossly undersized and expensive Type 3 protector, is simply noise to electronic appliances. Superior protection is routinely inside electronic appliances. Not from some MOV that you speculated was inside. Superior protection is provided by other circuits that one should first learn about before making recommendations.

Again, a question repeatedly ignored to recommend a Monster. Where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate? The question defines effective "protection layers" and bogus Monster products.

Sixth, every layer of protection is defined by what harmlessly dissipates joules - earth ground. Many protection layers do not even have protectors. But every protection layer is always defined by what absorbs hundred of thousands of joules. Concepts ignored to promote Belkin, Monster, Tripplite, et al products.

'Primary' surge protection layer is defined by what has been compromised in this picture: http://www.tvtower.com/fpl.html . Informed homeowners inspect this critically important protection layer.

'Secondary' protection layer is what a 'whole house' protector connects to. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground. Monster's six foot power cord obviously means no 'less than 10 foot' connection can exist. An earthing connection (this is critical) must be low impedance (ie 'less than 10 foot') to earth. Education, experience and numbers make obvious why a connection to earth must be low impedance (ie 'less than 10 feet'). A Monster teardown identifies no dedicated earth connection. Monster is not a protection layer. What inside a Monster magically absorbs destructive energy? It only claims to protect from a type of surge that typically causes no damage. Read its specification numbers. Or view near zero protectors pictured in that teardown.

Why do telco COs all over the world suffer about 100 surges per storm without damage? Telcos carefully define each protection layers using protection such as Ufer grounds. This was done long before semiconductors existed. Protection layer is never defined by a protector. Some protection layers have no protectors. But every protection layer always features the item that harmlessly absorbs energy. Each protection layer absorb energy. It is that simple.

Separation between appliance and protector further increases protection. Telcos want up to 50 meter separation between protector and electronics. Why do you not know any of this?

Bottom line, repeatedly ignored, is this simple. Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate. A protector is only as effective as its protection - earth ground. That teardown ignores everything relevant.

 

[Daniel Sauvageau]

First, voltage from an induced magnetic field does exist.

Tell that to every electrical transformer on the planet. Electromagnetism 101: current through a wire generates a magnetic field and a conductor passing through a varying magnetic field will develop an induced voltage proportional to the magnetic field's rate of change.

I'm done here, this isn't going anywhere.