All You Need to Know About Power Strips and Surge Protectors - A Complete Guide

If you require more electrical outlets, surge protectors and power strips could be purchased offline or online. Have you ever been unsure how to tell a power strip from a surge protector? Have you ever wondered how to distinguish between them? To help you decide what you need, we've broken down the differences between surge protectors and power strips and given a quick tutorial on everything you need to know about them.

Difference Between a Power Strip and a Surge Protector?

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A power strip offers more outlet space than a surge protector, which is how they differ. On the other hand, a surge protector guards against dangerous voltage spikes that can harm your appliances, equipment, and devices, while a power strip only offers power extension capabilities.

However, if the package carries a joules rating, you might be able to distinguish between the power strip and the surge protector, even though they seem similar. They will only give surge protectors this rating.

The unit of measure to energy is the joule. They calculate the length of time they will protect your appliances. Significantly, it may only take one powerful surge to exceed the number of joules your equipment is shielded from, but it can take ten or fifteen weak surges.

What distinguishes a surge protector from a power strip, then? The quick response is that you must always look at the device's characteristics to determine. Surge protectors include a basic alarm system that notifies you when it's time to replace the unit, while some surge protectors have a light that illuminates when the reservoir is low.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Power Strip

What outlet configuration and cord length do you need?

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Different power strips have additional electric cord requirements. Determine how far your power strip will be from your grounded AC outlet, and choose a power strip with a chord length of at least that long.

Outlet strips with electric cord lengths of up to 24 feet are available. Also, standard, right-angle, front-facing, rear-facing, and end-mounted power strip outlet layouts are available. A standard outlet arrangement is usually suitable for most uses, although front-facing, rear-facing, and end-mounted outlets are also available for particular needs.

Does your application require enhanced safety features?

Some power strips have all-metal housings that are virtually unbreakable and 15- or 20-amp circuit breakers to prevent severe system overload. GFCI types, commonly used in wet environments, prevent shock by rapidly disconnecting the electrical circuit during a power surge.

Does your application require hospital-grade power strips?

Some power strips are intended for usage in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. These plug strips are also appropriate for usage in administrative areas and resident rooms when no line-powered electrical equipment is available for diagnostic, treatment, or monitoring.

In hospitals and other medical settings, a unique antimicrobial coating helps to lower the incidence of healthcare-acquired infections.

How many outlets do you need, including transformer outlets?

Select a power strip that can fit at least the number of devices you intend to connect to, and consider adding more outlets for future equipment. Most outlet strips come with up to 24 outlets. Please keep in mind that transformer plugs are more significant than regular plugs. Fortunately, specific power strips are engineered to accommodate transformer connectors while leaving adjacent outlets unobstructed.

Why Choose a Power Strip?

Power strips are great if you have a lot of equipment close to one another. Adding strip is helpful because most outlets in homes and businesses only have a few sockets, which is frequently insufficient. Power strips are perfect for businesses or restaurants looking to save energy because they often come with many outlets, a circuit breaker, and an on/off switch.

Significantly, some power strips come with a surge protector, but not all of them do, leaving your equipment open to a power surge.

Price-wise, power strips are relatively inexpensive. Therefore, this is the best option if you only need a few more electrical connectors.

Things You Shouldn't Do with Power Strips

1. Never connect one power strip to another.

If your power strips don't go far enough or you need more connections, it's tempting to connect them by daisy-chaining them by plugging one into the next. In a nutshell, don't. It not only violates several OSHA requirements in a professional setting, but it can also cause one or more of the strips to catch fire or possibly fail.

2. Never Place a Power Strip Under a Rug

Electrons can generate heat as they flow as electricity. This isn't often a problem, but putting your power strip under a rug or in a tightly enclosed room can cause a fire hazard. Furthermore, stepping on it or any related power lines can damage them, posing a shock and fire hazard.

3. Never Leave Them Near Children

Numerous horror stories about kids sticking their fingers, toys, and forks into outlets and power strips can be easily found online. Please don't assume that they are aware of better options. Children should be taught to stay away from extension outlets. Significantly, outlet plugs should be installed in wall outlets, and power strips should not be left in areas where young children can mistake them for toys.

4. Never Plug in a Sump Pump

Not only should you avoid getting your power strip wet, but you should also avoid leaving it in damp areas like bathrooms and basements. It could be smart to plug your sump pump into a power strip, but reconsider; what if the pump fails and leads to flooding? It is advisable to use a GFCI outlet higher than the floor level.

5. Never Overload a Power Strip

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A power strip with several outlets does not imply that you can or should plug in items in every outlet. It depends on what you're connecting with.

Certain items, such as an alarm clock or a cooling fan, do not consume a lot of electricity. Even a computer or television does not consume a lot of power.

However, heating appliances such as a toaster, hair dryer, crockpot, or electric skillet consume significantly more electricity or current. This is especially true for continually operated appliances, such as a space heater or crockpot. Limit yourself to one per power strip.

What is an Electrical Power Surge?

Power surges are precisely what their name implies: electrical power surges are more significant than expected. In most nations, typical voltage levels for domestic appliances and electronics range between 110 and 220 volts. When significantly more voltage passes via wires into equipment, it's known as a power surge. These surges might be tiny or substantial, reducing performance or potentially destroying plugged-in devices.

What Causes a Power Surge?

1. Lightning Strike

A lightning strike on electricity lines generates a high voltage and typically causes damage. The electrical system has no choice but to absorb the overwhelming excessive current in this situation. Due to this, there is a considerable voltage spike and corresponding power surge.

2. Faulty Wiring

Power surges may be internally caused by faulty wiring, which is more likely to occur with damaged or exposed electrical lines. If the wire is hidden behind walls, it could be challenging to tell if it is faulty.

There are yet further indications of poor wiring. These warning indicators include burn marks, a buzzing sound emanating from outlets, a burning odor from wiring or outlets, and often tripping circuit breakers.

Why Choose a Surge Protector?

Surge protectors, like power strips, are helpful when you have a lot of equipment nearby. A surge protector with numerous electrical outlets can contain the cords for your smartphone, desktop system, or television, allowing them to charge while protecting them from a power spike.

This defense is measured in joules. Surge protectors are also reasonably priced, so they are excellent choices if you want to protect your television, computer, and home entertainment system. These are typically available for less than $20, although some costly options protect up to a larger quantity of joules.

Suppose you have a significant operation with essential appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners, as well as PCs and servers. In that case, you might need to consider industrial surge protectors unless pitched against a UPS.

Moreover, commercial power protectors are relatively costlier. But remember that replacing the products that would be harmed in a power surge is less expensive. Additionally, some surge protectors even come with a warranty.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Surge Protector

1. Clamping Voltage

The surge protector starts diverting extra power from the plugged-in devices when the clamping voltage is reached. So, a surge protector with a lower clamping voltage will activate earlier and protect your devices.

2. Indicator Lights

Surge protectors have a finite lifespan based on how hard they are used. Even when the surge protector correctly diverts a surge, the protector itself can suffer harm in the process.

As a result, an indicator light is one of the most crucial features. An indicator light will indicate whether or not your surge protector is operational. Is the indicator light broken? It's time to get a new surge protector.

Where Will I Install My Surge Protector?

• Will you be able to easily see LED lights or hear your surge protector warning if protection is compromised? If you want to protect gadgets that run when you are not around, choose a model with an auto-shutoff feature.

• Make sure the surge protector has mounting tabs or screw holes if you need to put it on a wall or along the side of a desk.

• If there will be furniture or other items between your surge protector and its AC outlet, measure the distance and get a device with a long enough input cord. Right-angle plug models may be able to traverse tighter connection areas.

• Consider a surge protector with a metal casing if it will be positioned in a high-traffic area or is otherwise susceptible to the occasional collision.

What Am I Protecting?

When selecting a surge protector, the most crucial factor is the value of the equipment you wish to safeguard. Devices essential for work/life balance and those that are otherwise expensive or fragile require a higher level of security. A higher joule rating is the best sign of more excellent protection.

• Choose a surge protector with a joule rating of at least 200 to 600. Computers, monitors, and audio/video equipment, which are sensitive or expensive, require a joule rating of at least 1000. A joule rating of 2000 or higher offers maximum protection.

How Many Outlets Do I Need?

• Count the devices you intend to connect to your surge protector and get one with at least that many outlets.

• If any of your gadgets use right-angle plugs or transformers, choose a model with enough outlet space to support them.

• Consider charging USB devices from your surge protector and look for models with USB-A charging ports to avoid using adapters.

Response Time

The surge protector's response time is the period it takes for an electrical surge to be detected. A lower score indicates a faster response. This lessens the time your plugged-in devices are exposed to the surge, better protecting them.

Ideal surge protection has a reaction time of 1 millisecond or less.

UL Rating

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Regarding protective power, suitable surge protectors will have a UL certification issued by the independent Underwriters Laboratories, which tests the safety of electrical products.

Avoid using a surge protector that does not have a UL rating. Additionally, ensure that the product is a "transient voltage surge suppressor," as many UL-rated power strips do not provide surge protection.

Joule Rating

This is the most energy that the surge protector can absorb. If the surge exceeds this limit, the surge protector becomes ineffective.

The greater the joule rating, the more energy the surge protector can absorb. Hence a higher joule rating frequently indicates a longer product lifespan.

How Long Can a Surge Protector Last?

Surge protectors are valuable equipment, but they have limitations. They can only manage a limited number of joules. Significantly, surge protectors typically last 3 to 5 years; however, they can wear out quickly if subjected to multiple or intense power surges. Replacing them every two years is preferable to staying on the safe side.

Bottomline

You can make a more informed selection and take better care of your electrical gadgets if you understand the difference between a strip and surge protectors. Whether you're looking for a few additional electrical outlets or protection for your more oversized cost products, you now know what to look for to ensure you're getting the most bang for your money.