Surge protector questions how many things can I have plugged in at once

[Carroll Ware]

I have bought my self a new GE surge protector with 1500 joules rating. My question is how devices can I have plugged into it at once. It has six outlets I plan on using my laptop, small refrigerator , a Dyson fan during the summer months, A Bose Speaker and a Dyson Vacuum obviously whenever I use the Vacuum will unplug the fan and laptop. I just do not want to have to many things plugged in and have it shut it's self off the surge protector that is or damage anything that might plugged into it.

I am also curious the more things you have plugged into it will that shorten the life time of the surge protector say I just had two protectors. One just has my laptop plugged into it and the other one has the fan, refrigerator, speaker and vacuum. Will the one with just the laptop last longer compared to the other one with four devices plugged in because the one is using just one device using less power and therefore the joules will last longer???

 

[kanewolf]

I wouldn't recommend using the vacuum on the power strip. I would use it directly from the wall.

If you look at any of the articles on teardown of power strips on this site, you will see that the parts generally don't care how much is plugged in. The surge parts are only activated when input voltage spikes trigger them. The number of things plugged in after the surge protectors does not contribute.

Also if you look at several of the teardown articles you will see that the quality of the product varies significantly. The gauge of wire, the inductors, and even the MOVs in a high quality (and higher priced) unit are better than the cheap one. You get what you pay for.

 

[Carroll Ware]

So will a higher Joules rating help at all or is that even necessary concern ? I am not familiar with the term MOV'S could you explain it please.

 

[synphul]

Ditto to what kanewolf suggested. Also I'd be concerned running a mini fridge off a power strip as well. Vacuums and devices which use electricity to convert to heat or cooling (space heater, air conditioning units, refrigerators etc) tend to draw a fair amount of amps. A power strip would be more suited to running a pc tower, monitor, the fan, laptop and the speakers. If you have the refrigerator running and turn on the vacuum, both plugged into the same power strip I'd almost bet it will pop the internal breaker.

 

[Mr5oh]

Surge protectors are damaged a little every time they protect you from a surge. So each surge it takes reduces it's ability to control those surges. Joule ratings are how much of a surge it can take, higher the better. However realize that even small surges still slowly kill it. Also note it works just as a power strip after the surge circuitry has died, so you need to replace them every now and then as you really don't have a way of knowing when it's "bad".

As for what you can plug in, up to what it's rated. Most consumer power strips are rated 15 amps, as most "smaller" standard house circuits are 15 amp. Having more or less plugged into the power strip doesn't kill it, or save it the surge circuitry either way. So plug whatever you want into it, just don't go over the amp rating it says.

 

[makkem]

Hi
I wouldn't plug the vacuum,fan or refrigerator into it.
None of these will benefit from surge protection and they all have motors.
Anything with a motor has suppressor circuitry to prevent the motor putting noise into the electrical line and emitting RF interference,however this suppressor circuitry can and does fail and if that happens it will put spikes of high voltage into the electrical line which will very rapidly destroy your surge protection circuitry.

 

[kanewolf]

So will a higher Joules rating help at all or is that even necessary concern ? I am not familiar with the term MOV'S could you explain it please.

A MOV is a metal oxide varistor -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varistor
They are used to clamp voltage spikes. Often that is a destructive, to the MOV, clamp.

 

[westom]

So will a higher Joules rating help at all or is that even necessary concern ? I am not familiar with the term MOV'S could you explain it please.

First read a number on its box. A let-through voltage of 330 volts means it does absolutely nothing until 120 volts well exceeds 330 volts. Is a vacuum or anything else creating 330+ volt spikes? Of course not. But myths that promote ineffective products will not discuss such numbers.

MOVs degrade with use. Destructive surges can be hundreds of thousands of joules. So a near zero 1500 joule protector will degrade or fail catastrophically on a first surge. Meanwhile, something completely different (also called a surge protector) is found in facilities that cannot have damage. Lightning may be 20,000 amps. So a minimal 'whole house' protector is 50,000 amps. Because an effective protector is sized to remain functional for decades and after mutliple direct lightning strikes.

How much did you pay for a power strip? A properly earthed 'whole house' protector costs about $1 per protected appliance. Is mostly unknown to an overwhelming majority educated only by hearsay and advertising. It's not hard. Bogus recommendations will not discuss numbers. Proven solution are defined by numbers.

At 1500 joules, if protector parts do not disconnect fast enough during a large surge, then fire can result. Never locate these tiny protectors on a rug or behind furniture. Even some firehouses had fires created by power strip protectors. Protector parts must disconect from large surges - leaving that surge still connected to attached appliances. A surge too tiny to overwhelm robust protection inside all appliances can also degrade./ catastrophically damage MOVs inside near zero power strip protectors.

Even that power strip needs protection only possible by earthing a 'whole house' protector. Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules are harmlessly absorbed. So a 'whole house' protector connects to - single point earth ground. Via a dedicated and low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) connection.

Again, other who never learned 100+ years of science and who ignore spec numbers would not know any of this.