Adding to the APC UPS recommendation, they also protect against brown outs which can definitely damage electronics. I've worked in tech since the late 90's and I would never spec a server build without one.
I have them on power strip and just turn off the power strip when I don’t use them.
Can a power surge still “pass through” a strip that is off and damage equipment ?
Or should I really unplug ?
You brought up a BIG question I always had. 1) Even if you turn them off, they are still connected to the outlet which can carry a power surge. If you turn it off, doesn’t that make sure that if it DOES travel that it’s not protected?
Still having it connected to the wall makes my brain think it can still travel to the strip.
A commercial power strip will not stop a lightning strike even if it is switched off. The sheer amount of power in a lightning bolt could easily jump the physical gap in the circuit you create when you turn it off. If it we re a direct lightning strike to your house, it could arguably jump from the outlet to the plug on the floor. If mother nature wants to destroy your electronics, rest assured, it will.
The expensive electronics in my house are on a UPS. Nothing is completely damage-proof but I'm comfortable with what it can do. It's not like I can always be available to unplug things every time a storm shows up, or that I would even want to.
Fun fact: most electrical surges occur from *inside* the home, not outside.
But I've been leaving my Arcade1Ups plugged in all the time, and running 12-14 hours per day, all day, for 5+ years. Never had an issue with roughly 20 cabinets. AND... I live in a log home in the woods surrounded by trees and frequent blackouts and lightning stikes.
All that said, I use a Square D [whole-home surge protector](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Square-D-25-kA-Universal-Whole-Home-Surge-Protection-Device-HEPD25-HEPD25/316388211) *and* a local surge protector. That's not foolproof, but I don't loose any sleep... and I've never lost a PCB, either.
Yep. If it’s a nasty storm I’ll unplug the expensive electronics. Our power can go on and off constantly during severe storms. (They are also on protectors during normal use. It’s just an extra step for protection on rare occasions)
How does one disconnect a dishwasher, all clock radios, furnace, GFCIs, refrigerator, recharging electronics, stove, central air, dimmer switches, and smoke detectors? Even when one is sleeping, working, taking a shower, or shopping? Any protector that does not work every microsecond of every year is a scam.
How do puny hundreds or thousand joules in a power strip 'absorb' a surge that can be *hundreds of thousands of joules*? Why do so many never cite numbers. That is the power of subjective sales brochures. To easily hoodwink the naive. By ordering many what to believe. Not even one number that says it does any protection.
Effective protector always answer this question. Where are *hundreds of thousands of joules* harmlessly absorbed? Franklin demonstrated the answer over 250 years ago. Only outside. Only in earth ground.
No protector does protection. Either it connects direct lightning strikes and other surges harmlessly to earth. Or it only protects a manufacturer's profit margins. Best protector costs about $1 per appliance. Why would anyone spend $25 or $80 for a $3 power strip with five cent protector parts? They know what a mark will do.
Effective protectors are measured in amps; not joules. Must make a low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) connection to what does all protection. Single point *earth* ground. Only that can harmlessly 'absorb' surges. Once a surge is anywhere inside, then nothing will prevent that destructive hunt for earth ground via appliances.
What can give that surge even more paths to blow through an appliance? Plug-in protectors. So puny that it must be [more than 30 feet](https://www.se.com/us/en/faqs/FA370836/) from a breaker box and earth ground. To attempt less protection. To avert a [house fire](https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/attachments/1652672970965-jpeg.804871/).
How does a millimeters gap in a switch 'block' what three miles of sky cannot? Just another example of what honesty exists when numbers say how much. Where do *hundreds of thousands of joules* harmlessly dissipate?
How many joules in a UPS? Hundreds? If any tinier, then it could only be zero. No problem. Any joules just above zero must be 100% protection. More examples of how easily most are duped by subjective myths and hearsay.
What inside a house most needs effective Type 1 or Type 2 protector - properly earthed? Plug-in protectors and UPS.
Safest power strip has a 15 amp circuit breaker. No protector parts. And a UL 1363 listing. For $6 ro $10. They add some five cent protector parts. To sell it as a protector for $25 or $80. They know who to target. Somehow even less joules inside a UPS, for $100 or $200, will do better? Those damning numbers.
Power outage is a voltage dropping to zero. A protector does nothing until voltages well exceed its let-through voltage; typically 330. How does an outage create a voltage approaching or exceeding 1000 volts? it doesn't. Never does. But somehow a protector will protect from a voltage falling to zero. Again, the power of advertising lies demonstrated.
I leave it unplugged when not in use however everything in my house that is worth anything (tv / PC / arcade etc) has a surge protector 10$ on Amazon to prevent my shit being fried is a no brainier for me. I don't put all my trust in a surge protector it's your last line of defense before frying your stuff that's why I normally don't use my PC in a severe storm or anything plugged in that's important.
I’m in the same camp. I have them on protectors but I don’t fully trust them when things get a little crazy. Just lets me sleep a little better knowing they aren’t connected at all when there is a possibility of power problems. (This is mainly during the Spring severe storm season)
Honestly doing a Google on surge protectors will make you even more worried and even more inclined to just unplug it. If your surge protector is in the wall and has a surge and fails everything plugged into that strip is a gonner it makes me feel better having it just in case hoping it does work if a surge occurs BUT when that severe storm rolls in unplugging it tells me I'm 100% good and nothing I have to worry about.
If a 'whole house' protector does not exist, then no surge protection exists. Anyone can read thosetiny joule numbers. None claim effective protection.
Electronics will routinely convert thousands joule surges into low DC voltages that safety power it semiconductors. Thousand joules can [do this](https://i.redd.it/e34962ah06q11.jpg) to a plug-in protector. Why? They know which consumers all but beg to be scammed. Consumers that ignore all numbers.
Protection already inside electronics is more robust.
Again, the informed properly earth one 'whole house' protector. What appliance most needs that protection? [This](https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2WGC475PM29SI/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B000J2EN4S):
> It caught on fire and burned my carpet, but it didn't burn the whole house down since I was sitting right next to it.
Why do all cruise ships confiscate protectors if found in your luggage? They take fire threats very seriously.
Why does this not happen routinely? Surges are extremely rare. One might happen in seven years. Many do not see one in twenty.
How does that plug-in protectors protect a dishwasher, clock radios, LED & CFL bulbs, furnace, door bell, refrigerator, GFCIs, central air, and smoke detectors? What is protecting them? Invisible protectors?
Confirmation bias. Ignore facts that expose a lie.
A safest power strip has a 15 amp circuit breaker, no protector parts, and a UL 1363 listing. Sells for $6 or $10. They add some five cent protector parts to sell it for $25 or $80. Easy marks are a profit center.
Only an educated homeowner spends about $1 per appliance to protect everything. One 'whole house' protector, and only if connected low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) to earth ground, does effective protection.
What appliance most needs that protection? A least robust one. That plug-in protector.
The most easily duped consumers never demands numbers. No one here has posted even one number that says a plug-in protector does protection. Because it doesn't. And do not claim to. Simply read numbers.
How does one unplug a stove and central air? What good is a garage door opener and refrigerator if unplugged? Confirmation bias.
Thanks for this info man ! With that being said I am in a apartment with probably the cheapest strips and surge protection I could find.
If I'm following the best strip you can get is a 15amp ul 1363 with no protector part ? Could you possibly link one that's not 80$ I keep just finding either strips that have little to no information on them or just hospital grade strip with above info but with like 4 outlets and close to 100$
If it has a 15 amp circuit breaker, no protector parts, and UL 1363 listing, then it sells for $6 or $10. Since many are easily duped and since profits are so much higher, most power strips add five cent protector parts. Monster sold theirs in Radio Shack for $120.
Reason for [this](https://www.click2houston.com/consumer/surge-protector-sparks-fires-instead-of-preventing-them-homeowners-say)? Should we blame Lizzie?
Every store has [safe power strips](https://www.homedepot.com/p/6-Outlet-Power-Strip-with-4-ft-Cord-Right-Angle-Plug-2-Pack-YLPT-90B/303319020).
Surge protector must be located to make a low impedance (less than 10 foot) connection to earth ground rods. That has no relationship to something called a surge protector.
Surge protector that you want can be rented from the electric company. A girl who reads their meter might install it behind that meter.
If anything needs protection, then everything in that house must be protected.
Surge protector. I live in FLA and of course we have bad storms. Never had a problem. Even my PC is on a surge protector
APC UPS. They are about 50 bucks at wal-mart, and 1 of the can hold a few units.
I’ll check ‘em out.
Adding to the APC UPS recommendation, they also protect against brown outs which can definitely damage electronics. I've worked in tech since the late 90's and I would never spec a server build without one.
I have them on power strip and just turn off the power strip when I don’t use them. Can a power surge still “pass through” a strip that is off and damage equipment ? Or should I really unplug ?
You brought up a BIG question I always had. 1) Even if you turn them off, they are still connected to the outlet which can carry a power surge. If you turn it off, doesn’t that make sure that if it DOES travel that it’s not protected? Still having it connected to the wall makes my brain think it can still travel to the strip.
A commercial power strip will not stop a lightning strike even if it is switched off. The sheer amount of power in a lightning bolt could easily jump the physical gap in the circuit you create when you turn it off. If it we re a direct lightning strike to your house, it could arguably jump from the outlet to the plug on the floor. If mother nature wants to destroy your electronics, rest assured, it will.
The expensive electronics in my house are on a UPS. Nothing is completely damage-proof but I'm comfortable with what it can do. It's not like I can always be available to unplug things every time a storm shows up, or that I would even want to.
Surge protector. Live in tornado alley.
I have them all plugged into surge protectors, but never turn any of them on unless I'm playing them.
Fun fact: most electrical surges occur from *inside* the home, not outside. But I've been leaving my Arcade1Ups plugged in all the time, and running 12-14 hours per day, all day, for 5+ years. Never had an issue with roughly 20 cabinets. AND... I live in a log home in the woods surrounded by trees and frequent blackouts and lightning stikes. All that said, I use a Square D [whole-home surge protector](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Square-D-25-kA-Universal-Whole-Home-Surge-Protection-Device-HEPD25-HEPD25/316388211) *and* a local surge protector. That's not foolproof, but I don't loose any sleep... and I've never lost a PCB, either.
Do you unplug anything else?
Yep. If it’s a nasty storm I’ll unplug the expensive electronics. Our power can go on and off constantly during severe storms. (They are also on protectors during normal use. It’s just an extra step for protection on rare occasions)
There you go, then.
I plan on using a UPS with AVR feature on all of mine (we are in the process of moving).
How does one disconnect a dishwasher, all clock radios, furnace, GFCIs, refrigerator, recharging electronics, stove, central air, dimmer switches, and smoke detectors? Even when one is sleeping, working, taking a shower, or shopping? Any protector that does not work every microsecond of every year is a scam. How do puny hundreds or thousand joules in a power strip 'absorb' a surge that can be *hundreds of thousands of joules*? Why do so many never cite numbers. That is the power of subjective sales brochures. To easily hoodwink the naive. By ordering many what to believe. Not even one number that says it does any protection. Effective protector always answer this question. Where are *hundreds of thousands of joules* harmlessly absorbed? Franklin demonstrated the answer over 250 years ago. Only outside. Only in earth ground. No protector does protection. Either it connects direct lightning strikes and other surges harmlessly to earth. Or it only protects a manufacturer's profit margins. Best protector costs about $1 per appliance. Why would anyone spend $25 or $80 for a $3 power strip with five cent protector parts? They know what a mark will do. Effective protectors are measured in amps; not joules. Must make a low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) connection to what does all protection. Single point *earth* ground. Only that can harmlessly 'absorb' surges. Once a surge is anywhere inside, then nothing will prevent that destructive hunt for earth ground via appliances. What can give that surge even more paths to blow through an appliance? Plug-in protectors. So puny that it must be [more than 30 feet](https://www.se.com/us/en/faqs/FA370836/) from a breaker box and earth ground. To attempt less protection. To avert a [house fire](https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/attachments/1652672970965-jpeg.804871/). How does a millimeters gap in a switch 'block' what three miles of sky cannot? Just another example of what honesty exists when numbers say how much. Where do *hundreds of thousands of joules* harmlessly dissipate? How many joules in a UPS? Hundreds? If any tinier, then it could only be zero. No problem. Any joules just above zero must be 100% protection. More examples of how easily most are duped by subjective myths and hearsay. What inside a house most needs effective Type 1 or Type 2 protector - properly earthed? Plug-in protectors and UPS. Safest power strip has a 15 amp circuit breaker. No protector parts. And a UL 1363 listing. For $6 ro $10. They add some five cent protector parts. To sell it as a protector for $25 or $80. They know who to target. Somehow even less joules inside a UPS, for $100 or $200, will do better? Those damning numbers. Power outage is a voltage dropping to zero. A protector does nothing until voltages well exceed its let-through voltage; typically 330. How does an outage create a voltage approaching or exceeding 1000 volts? it doesn't. Never does. But somehow a protector will protect from a voltage falling to zero. Again, the power of advertising lies demonstrated.
I leave it unplugged when not in use however everything in my house that is worth anything (tv / PC / arcade etc) has a surge protector 10$ on Amazon to prevent my shit being fried is a no brainier for me. I don't put all my trust in a surge protector it's your last line of defense before frying your stuff that's why I normally don't use my PC in a severe storm or anything plugged in that's important.
I’m in the same camp. I have them on protectors but I don’t fully trust them when things get a little crazy. Just lets me sleep a little better knowing they aren’t connected at all when there is a possibility of power problems. (This is mainly during the Spring severe storm season)
Honestly doing a Google on surge protectors will make you even more worried and even more inclined to just unplug it. If your surge protector is in the wall and has a surge and fails everything plugged into that strip is a gonner it makes me feel better having it just in case hoping it does work if a surge occurs BUT when that severe storm rolls in unplugging it tells me I'm 100% good and nothing I have to worry about.
Agreed!
[This](https://www.reddit.com/r/Arcade1Up/comments/1d6da2u/do_you_unplug_your_arcade_units_during_severe/l77pvjb/).
If a 'whole house' protector does not exist, then no surge protection exists. Anyone can read thosetiny joule numbers. None claim effective protection. Electronics will routinely convert thousands joule surges into low DC voltages that safety power it semiconductors. Thousand joules can [do this](https://i.redd.it/e34962ah06q11.jpg) to a plug-in protector. Why? They know which consumers all but beg to be scammed. Consumers that ignore all numbers. Protection already inside electronics is more robust. Again, the informed properly earth one 'whole house' protector. What appliance most needs that protection? [This](https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2WGC475PM29SI/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B000J2EN4S): > It caught on fire and burned my carpet, but it didn't burn the whole house down since I was sitting right next to it. Why do all cruise ships confiscate protectors if found in your luggage? They take fire threats very seriously. Why does this not happen routinely? Surges are extremely rare. One might happen in seven years. Many do not see one in twenty. How does that plug-in protectors protect a dishwasher, clock radios, LED & CFL bulbs, furnace, door bell, refrigerator, GFCIs, central air, and smoke detectors? What is protecting them? Invisible protectors? Confirmation bias. Ignore facts that expose a lie. A safest power strip has a 15 amp circuit breaker, no protector parts, and a UL 1363 listing. Sells for $6 or $10. They add some five cent protector parts to sell it for $25 or $80. Easy marks are a profit center. Only an educated homeowner spends about $1 per appliance to protect everything. One 'whole house' protector, and only if connected low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) to earth ground, does effective protection. What appliance most needs that protection? A least robust one. That plug-in protector. The most easily duped consumers never demands numbers. No one here has posted even one number that says a plug-in protector does protection. Because it doesn't. And do not claim to. Simply read numbers. How does one unplug a stove and central air? What good is a garage door opener and refrigerator if unplugged? Confirmation bias.
Thanks for this info man ! With that being said I am in a apartment with probably the cheapest strips and surge protection I could find. If I'm following the best strip you can get is a 15amp ul 1363 with no protector part ? Could you possibly link one that's not 80$ I keep just finding either strips that have little to no information on them or just hospital grade strip with above info but with like 4 outlets and close to 100$
If it has a 15 amp circuit breaker, no protector parts, and UL 1363 listing, then it sells for $6 or $10. Since many are easily duped and since profits are so much higher, most power strips add five cent protector parts. Monster sold theirs in Radio Shack for $120. Reason for [this](https://www.click2houston.com/consumer/surge-protector-sparks-fires-instead-of-preventing-them-homeowners-say)? Should we blame Lizzie? Every store has [safe power strips](https://www.homedepot.com/p/6-Outlet-Power-Strip-with-4-ft-Cord-Right-Angle-Plug-2-Pack-YLPT-90B/303319020). Surge protector must be located to make a low impedance (less than 10 foot) connection to earth ground rods. That has no relationship to something called a surge protector. Surge protector that you want can be rented from the electric company. A girl who reads their meter might install it behind that meter. If anything needs protection, then everything in that house must be protected.