SundanceKid

Hey,

Can anybody recommend if first of all i should get a surge protector and if so which one of the following is best suited to me.

Basically its for the Home Computer,which has a printer,speakers,monitor and broadband attached to it,altogether there is 5 sockets being used already.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/9829749.htm

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/9827143.htm

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/0460891.htm

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/9828836.htm

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/9829770.htm

Terrister

Yes, you need to have a surge protector.
Any of the Belkin surge protectors above will be fine.

pharoah

personally id get something like this battery backup unit

minster9

try to get one that offers reimbursement for equipment damaged in case something really bad happens,like a nearby lightning strike. I always unplug the surge strip from the wall when a severe storm is near;ain't no surge strip going to stop lightning running right through it.

TheMatt

It is always good to get a UPS because it will maintain proper voltages in the event of a brownout (where the AC voltages dip below acceptable levels) and during a total power failure.

Make sure you get a "True UPS" though and not one that is really an SPS. If you see a spec about to the UPS that says "Switch Time", then it is really an SPS in disguise. This is because a "True UPS" will not have a switch time because it is always really running off the battery and charging it at the same time.

minster9

Thanks,TheMatt! I've always been wanting to get a ups,but you clarified something I never thought about. A sps(switching power supply) is not constant current like a battery in a nanosecond power loss event. Logically speaking,a true ups feeds the hardware through the battery,right? And the sensing circuit is in front of the battery,instead of being paralleld on line voltage & battery? Probably use some hefty caps,huh?

TheMatt

Yep, the UPS is really always running off the battery and converting AC to DC and then to AC again. When the power goes out or goes below a programed voltage, the UPS will simply stop charging the battery from the AC outlet.

Just watch out for UPSs that have a minimum current requirement. Some always require a load on them like around ~5a, otherwise the UPS will sound an alarm signifying that the battery could overload. In this case, you must plug in a device or unplug the UPS.

I actually picked up a UPS for my laptop even though it has a battery. This is because it has a surge protector and has protection for battery backup devices from brownouts. I set my UPS to automatically switch to battery if the AC voltage goes below 96v or above 136v.