Advice on a power strip/ surge suppressor

Hi cajoco
there are many options
i went with a Belkin 9700 joules with 9 outlets with phone plugs ( for connecting phone line to my dsl modem)
i have everything plugged in (Computer,Printer, usb hub, external drive, dsl modem, wireless router etc
check out Belkin.com
hope this helps
Bryan

Message was edited by: bmoraski

Message was edited by: bmoraski

Usually you want a suppressor that works across all 3 legs (positive, neutral and ground) for protection. Lightning and power spikes can come up any available conductor(s). I bought a Cyberpower 685AVR from Best Buy and the Mac recognized and configured it all on its own. I put everything on it (printer, etc) but it has battery backed up and non backed up outlets. This way your Mac can gracefully power down, but the printer's protection is just to spikes. At worst a print job is cancelled in a power loss.

Whatever device you choose—and, I am partial to product from APC: American Power Conversion—you should know that all surge suppressors essentially 'wear out' as they act over time to protect your equipment. The more surges you experience, and the less effective the protection to begin with, the sooner such devices effectively 'wear out' and fail to provide the protection you paid for and believe you have.

You should likely look for a device which includes bundled insurance, as an AC line or analog or digital communications path to your computer can all induce substantial loads from service surges or lightning strikes, and frequently require the replacement of a logic board in the relatively rare cases where a catastrophic event occurs.

The batteries on board UPS—or, uninterruptible power supply—units also wear out over time, and must be changed to insure ongoing provision of power when primary service fails. Because the battery technology used in virtually all UPSs is equivalent, they all perform pretty much identically in this respect.

Hi John,

You appear to be very knowledgeable on this subject so perhaps I can get your opinion. I recently purchase an iMac 2.66GHz... go it home, did my set up and realized the power cord won't fit in my surge protector. Forgive my lack of correct terminology on this... the two straight prongs are ok, but the round one just won't fit. I took the power cord with me to Radio Shack and couldn't find anything there.

Your iMac connected ok to this Cyberpower 685AVR from Best Buy without an adapter?

TIA,

Carolyn 🙂

The iMac intel power cord is terminated at one end—that which plugs into the AC source—with a standard NEMA 5-15 125 volt 15 amp 2 pole 3 wire grounding plug, intended to mate with any standard NEMA 5-15 125 volt 15 amp 2 pole 3 wire grounding or NEMA 5-20 T-slot 125 volt 20 amp 2 pole 3 wire grounding receptacle.

It's hard to imagine why this standard power cord would not fit off-the-shelf surge suppressors sold in the US.

Just how is it that the circular ground pin does not fit the various sockets you attempted to mate it with? Is the pin in this molded plug offset from the mating pole in the receptacle? Or, is there some other issue?

Are you certain that you have the US power cord, and not a roughly similar looking by incompatible foreign power cord?

Thanks for taking the time to help me...

"It's hard to imagine why this standard power cord would not fit off-the-shelf surge suppressors sold in the US." I agree ...

"Just how is it that the circular ground pin does not fit the various sockets you attempted to mate it with? Is the pin in this molded plug offset from the mating pole in the receptacle?" The circular pin on the power cord is just a tad different configuration than the surge protector.

Yes, it's the US cord.

This power cord fits perfectly in any wall socket in the house. Just not in the surge protector I have.


Carolyn 🙂

Message was edited by: Carolyn Samit

And, it's the rounded ground pin that is the issue, not the common or hot vertical blades on the plug?

I ask, because in handling literally thousand of such device for more than twenty years, I have never seen an outlet strip, surge suppressor or uninterruptible power supply that did not accept standard NEMA plugs. Seriously: never.

National Electrical Manu Associa... my dad was an electrical contractor and I'm doing good to change a light bulb.

I think what I'm going to do is take my iMac power cord to my nearby Apple store with my surge protector and see what they say.

Thanks for you invaluable input!!!!


Carolyn 🙂