Surge suppressors

Most surges are caused by disturbances inside your home. About 60 percent of surges are caused by routine operations, such as washing machines and dishwashers switching through their normal cycles. These low-level disturbances are so brief you probably don't notice them, but over time they can shorten the life of your equipment.

Surge suppressors are the simplest, least expensive and most effective way to prevent problems with your electronic appliances.Surge suppressor

Suppressors are installed between the appliance and the wall outlet, and their job is to reduce the size of voltage surges to a safe level. It's best to ask the manufacturer of the appliance you want to protect what brand of surge protector is recommended.

If no information is available, here are a few tips:

  • The surge suppressor should be tested and have received the UL listing for the following tests: IEEE standard 587A, 587B and UL1449. These will be verified on the back of the device by the presence of a UL sticker.
  • The surge suppressor should have an indicator light or some other feature that shows you whether it has been struck by a power spike and still works. 
  • The surge suppressor must bleed energy from a power surge to ground, NOT to neutral. This will be listed in the manufacturer's literature.

You can purchase point-of-use surge suppressors at stores that sell or repair computers, stereos and other electronic devices.