Do I need a surge protector?

“I just bought a 50-inch Plasma TV and the sales person strongly recommended that I bought a surge protector as well. Do I need that?”

Buy it now! Your new Plasma TV is worth thousands of dollars and a surge protector can provide very cheap insurance against power surges (damage caused by power surges are usually not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty).

You may not be aware, but power surges happen all the time. They can be caused by lightning but more often they are caused by other electrical equipment. When a high-power electrical device such as a refrigerator, washing machine or air conditioner switches off or turns on, it creates a sudden, brief demand for power which upset the steady voltage flow in the electrical system. These surges can damage electrical equipment immediately or gradually.

A surge protector regulates the current to connected equipment by either blocking or shorting to ground any voltage that is not safe for your equipment. It may save the life – and certainly extend the life – of any high-end electronic equipment, e.g. computers, TVs and other entertainment centre components.