expired Posted by phoinix | Staff • Mar 3, 2025
Mar 3, 2025 10:20 AM
Item 1 of 1
expired Posted by phoinix | Staff • Mar 3, 2025
Mar 3, 2025 10:20 AM
Anker 12-Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip w/ 5' Cord
$22
$30
26% offAmazon
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None of the reviews seems to have found it either, at least one Amazon reviewer said a rep told them it was 1200V, a second also claimed it was 1200V. The one saying 300V seems to be speculating. For anyone reading who doesn't know what this means, it's what voltage the protector will try to limit the voltage spike to and it's often recommended to look for 300-400V or less.
A different model of their protectors was recently called out for it's terrible clamping voltage so if they're unwilling to state it I ain't buying it.
Honestly, Anker need to get on top of this.
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Testing for most things is done to some 1000V spikes. Now where you want to set protection limit... Higher spikes are much less frequent, 300 V do happen. Protection against 300V spikes is like spending entire paycheck at dollar store. Yes, it buys a lot of cool stuff - but what if you need new brakes?
I would definitely not bother for less than 600, and I am not sure you need these at all in a reasonable quality grid.
Testing for most things is done to some 1000V spikes. Now where you want to set protection limit... Higher spikes are much less frequent, 300 V do happen. Protection against 300V spikes is like spending entire paycheck at dollar store. Yes, it buys a lot of cool stuff - but what if you need new brakes?
I would definitely not bother for less than 600, and I am not sure you need these at all in a reasonable quality grid.
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We should be able to see this in order to make a purchasing decision, which is what I originally said: If they aren't going to publish it in an easy to find place then they won't be selling one to me.
We should be able to see this in order to make a purchasing decision, which is what I originally said: If they aren't going to publish it in an easy to find place then they won't be selling one to me.
If you don't believe it matters that's fine, enjoy your discount surge protector.
If you don't believe it matters that's fine, enjoy your discount surge protector.
How often does your home circuit experience a 300v surge? 1200v surge? How long is that surge? "Short burst" is what? 1 second? 5 seconds? At what surge voltages do components begin to fail? What kind of failures? How many surges can components take? Why not go the other direction, get something with 200v clamping? 150v? Why not 130v? After all, the U.S. the standard voltage for the U.S. household is 120v +/- 5%. Can you even tell me where that 300v number comes from?
Don't you think these are important questions to have answered? Shouldn't you be able to answer these questions to be offering advice about what clamping voltage is important? or are you just repeating a number you read once on a web forum?
This is SlickDeals. It's not anyone's job here to educate you on what is common knowledge. You can find information about clamping voltage for surge protectors by simply googling it and you can easily find recommendations from half a dozen reputable equipment manufacturers that say 300-400v is a desirable characteristic and lower is better. One reason you don't see even lower is because MOVs have finite ability to clamp and if clamping level gets too close to the mains voltage they will burn up early so margin is required.
UL even has their own informational document that says you don't want a protector with high clamping voltage and lower is better.
Do you honestly expect a scientific education in a SlickDeals post. Google is there, tons of information is literally right there at your finger tips, written by experts, and overwhelmingly consistent.
This is SlickDeals. It's not anyone's job here to educate you on what is common knowledge. You can find information about clamping voltage for surge protectors by simply googling it and you can easily find recommendations from half a dozen reputable equipment manufacturers that say 300-400v is a desirable characteristic and lower is better. One reason you don't see even lower is because MOVs have finite ability to clamp and if clamping level gets too close to the mains voltage they will burn up early so margin is required.
UL even has their own informational document that says you don't want a protector with high clamping voltage and lower is better.
Do you honestly expect a scientific education in a SlickDeals post. Google is there, tons of information is literally right there at your finger tips, written by experts, and overwhelmingly consistent.
I have not asked a single question I don't already know the answer to. A couple months ago someone just like you said the same thing you did: Only get a 300v surge protector. And, like you, they're incapable of actually answering why that is. So I spent a little time reading about surge protectors. This is a good place to start. [nist.gov]
The reality is that 330v doesn't matter that much. You can google it all you want, it comes back to the same people repeating the same line over and over again on internet forums going back decades. The reason 330v is cited is because it's the lowest rating that UL will certify.
UL is a fire-safety company, not a product-reliability company. They don't care about your TV getting zapped by a surge. Their 330v minimum listing isn't a survival ceiling for your electronics, it's a floor for fire safety. 330v is the minimum clamping voltage that UL will certify because as you go lower, you significantly increase the risk of surge protector catching fire. It's not the surge protector 'burning up' UL cares about, it's _you_ burning up.
UL lists all the way up to 4kv as a certification ceiling. You have to look at the voluminous testing data to actually find a practical limit for consumers. 6kv is generally where testing stops. Unprotected devices will likely have long failed by this point, and beyond 6kv you start experiencing flashover in your service entrance--your electrical panel.
But where do components start failing? It's at 1500v for some things, 2kv for others. Incandescent Light Bulbs, in their most vulnerable state, fail as low as 800v.
When's the last time you replaced a lightbulb due to a surge? Your furnace? Your garage-door opener? How often do you plug your phone's charger directly into the wall as opposed to a dedicated surge protector? Aren't you risking the life of your $1000 phone?
Like most people, the only reason you're buying a surge protector is because you know you need one. You don't know why. Like most people you're buying a surge protector because you don't have enough outlets. You want to turn your two receptacles into 10 receptacles.
The single most important factor in purchasing a surge protector is that it's UL rated. That's for safety. The second most important factor is the number and orientation of outlets. That's because that's the reason you're buying the device. Tertiary characteristics, like clamping voltage, lifespan, failure mode, energy rating, insurance policy, etc are less important as to be irrelevant. If it's a UL certified surge protector it's going to work. And it's going to work because you haven't replaced a house full of lightbulbs.
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3. Understanding the Effectiveness of a Surge Protector There are a few ratings that are important and can assist in understanding the effectiveness of a protector. These ratings include, clamping voltage, energy absorption/dissipation, and response time. Clamping voltage is the voltage that will cause the MOV to conduct electricity to the ground line. A lower clamping voltage indicates better protection. There are three levels of protection in the UL rating, 330V, 400V, and 500V. Generally, a clamping voltage more than 400V is too high. Energy absorption/dissipation is how much energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. A higher number indicates greater protection. Average protection is within 200 to 400 joules while better protection is greater than 600 joules. Response time is the time it takes for a surge protector to activate. Because the surge protector is reacting to an electrical force, there is a slight delay in the surge protector's response. Better surge protectors should respond within one nanosecond.
http://www.cozen.com/admin/files/...954411.pdf
The Underwriters Laboratories Voltage Protection Rating (UL VPR) indicates the surge protector's clamping voltage — the highest voltage the surge protector allows through before restricting additional voltage. The lower the rating, the better the protection. The lowest UL rating for clamping voltage is 330 volts.
http://www.lowes.com/n/buying-gui...ying-guide
3. Understanding the Effectiveness of a Surge Protector There are a few ratings that are important and can assist in understanding the effectiveness of a protector. These ratings include, clamping voltage, energy absorption/dissipation, and response time. Clamping voltage is the voltage that will cause the MOV to conduct electricity to the ground line. A lower clamping voltage indicates better protection. There are three levels of protection in the UL rating, 330V, 400V, and 500V. Generally, a clamping voltage more than 400V is too high. Energy absorption/dissipation is how much energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. A higher number indicates greater protection. Average protection is within 200 to 400 joules while better protection is greater than 600 joules. Response time is the time it takes for a surge protector to activate. Because the surge protector is reacting to an electrical force, there is a slight delay in the surge protector's response. Better surge protectors should respond within one nanosecond.
http://www.cozen.com/admin/files/...954411.pdf
The Underwriters Laboratories Voltage Protection Rating (UL VPR) indicates the surge protector's clamping voltage — the highest voltage the surge protector allows through before restricting additional voltage. The lower the rating, the better the protection. The lowest UL rating for clamping voltage is 330 volts.
http://www.lowes.com/n/buying-gui...ying-guide
"Lower is better" is like saying "more horsepower is better" when buying a car, but you'd call me an asshole if I told you you should only buy cars with 800bhp or more.