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From: radzy@calma.UUCP (Tim Radzykewycz)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Surge Protectors
Message-ID: <181@calma.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Mar-86 17:35:21 EST
Article-I.D.: calma.181
Posted: Tue Mar 11 17:35:21 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Mar-86 04:43:20 EST
References: <12323@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: radzy@calma.UUCP (Tim Radzykewycz)
Organization: GE/Calma Co., R&D Systems Engineering, Milpitas, CA
Lines: 24
Keywords: Serious hardware damage

In article <12323@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> naparst@cartan.BERKELEY.EDU (Harold Naparst) writes:
>Every time my refeigerator turns on and off I am afraid I am frying my
>CPU or putting potholes in my hard disk.  Are these fears founded at all ?
>Should I buy a surge protector ?  Does anyone have experience with these
>things ?  There appear to be several types, including a strip like thing 
>for about $20, which I could spring for if it does something useful.

Generally, refridgerators are on separate circuits than the rest of the
house, and on a dedicated circuit (same as washer/dryer).  If you insist
on worrying about something causing a surge and damaging computer equipment,
worry about the coffee maker or microwave oven or toaster.  Even that is
probably wasted worry, though, since most houses have separate circuits for
the kitchen than for the rest of the house.

The cheap surge protectors are simply an extension cord with a couple
or three MOVs (metal oxide variable resistors) jumpered between the power
leads.  This is supposed to channel off the excess voltage (current?)
to the ground lead.  I don't have any experience with them.
-- 
Tim (radzy) Radzykewycz, The Incredible Radical Cabbage.
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