Surge filter: what is it for, requirements, differences from an extension cord

What is a surge protector and why is it needed?

The reasons for the failure of computers and other sensitive equipment are voltage surges and distortion of the frequency of electric current. A surge filter is a noise suppression device that automatically disconnects devices from the network or smoothes out a voltage sinusoid that is broken from interference.

Inside the surge protector that controls the voltage, there are varistors, capacitors, fuses and other parts to protect electrical appliances. The main parameter on which the quality of the SF operation depends is the response time. A high-quality device responds in a timely manner to lightning strikes and other network problems.

Tips and tricks for a successful choice

When purchasing a surge protector or extension cord, you must first of all pay attention to the material from which the housing is made. Preference should be given to products made of hard plastic with tight “seams”. In this case, dust and moisture will not get inside and damage the contacts.

Here are a few more points that are also important:

• Manufacturer . You should not skimp on the brand - this is a guarantee of the quality and durability of the device. Before purchasing, be sure to read owner reviews.
• Power . The indicator directly depends on the number of sockets: the more there are, the higher the power figure. To calculate the required indicator, you need to sum up the power of all devices that will be connected to the filter or extension cord in the future, and add another 20-30%. Active power is indicated in the technical specifications and is measured in watts.
• Guarantee . The minimum warranty period should be 3 years; for branded models it reaches 5 years.
• Cable section. The larger the cross-section, the more current it will be possible to transfer from the network to consumers without overheating.

What a surge protector cable should be like for a computer, read the article: How to connect a monitor to a laptop - 3 main connectors and sequence of actions

To buy a good surge protector or extension cord with 100% compatibility with the device, you need not only to understand what it is, but also to clearly understand the purpose of each device, its functions and capabilities. In this case, you will be able to avoid mistakes and unnecessary expenses for equipment repairs.

Types of models

1. Basic devices. Consists of a fuse and basic low-cost components. Protect equipment from surges and short circuits.
2. Advanced options. Smoothes out interference in the electrical network. These are middle-class devices that are used for home appliances.
3. Professional devices. Used for ultra-sensitive electronics.

Individual or general switches are installed on the SF. Expensive models come with remote controls. A surge protector with USB is purchased to connect gadgets to the network without a charger. There are devices that are equipped with fastenings for wires, shutdown indicators, and wall mounts. The length of a typical surge protector cable is from 1 to 10 meters.

What is the difference between an extension cord and a filter?

It will be easier to answer this question by summarizing the main characteristics and parameters of the devices in the table.

You might be interested in reading about equipment that requires a surge protector: Hi-Fi system SONY MHC-ELC99W: powerful sound without barriers

Regulatory requirements

When purchasing, make sure that the 220V surge protector is included with a passport, technical description, and operating instructions.

Basic technical requirements:

The best filters for household appliances

It is worth choosing a filter for home appliances, taking into account various factors.
First of all, you need to know in advance what devices it will be connected to. Small household appliances and powerful devices cannot be protected by a single type of filter. You should also choose devices from reputable manufacturers. When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the markings - for example, the CE mark indicates that this device is proven and of high quality.

How to choose for a refrigerator

Main selection criteria:

• power that the filter can withstand;
• number and type of sockets;
• presence of grounding contacts;
• design features;
• length of cable;
• device appearance and design.

Load is the most important selection parameter. Before purchasing, carefully study the passport of the refrigerator, and only then buy the device.

How to choose for TV

The TV device guarantees uninterrupted operation without interference and surge voltages.
For inexpensive TVs, it will be enough to purchase a 250 V filter. For LCD TVs, you can additionally install stabilizers matched to the outlet voltage.

For uninterruptible power supply

You can connect a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) through a surge protector. It will reduce the load on the uninterruptible power supply.

The surge protector should not be placed between the UPS and the load, as the battery will discharge faster in this case.

Why do you need a surge protector with grounding for a washing machine?

The surge protector for a washing machine is designed in such a way that it suppresses any frequencies other than 50 Hz. A large power surge can damage your washing machine. Excess currents that may arise are discharged to grounding. The washing machine, like other powerful equipment, must be connected separately.

Differences between a filter and a regular extension cord

A board is built into filtering devices to contain voltage surges. A surge protector and a regular extension cord are different devices. They are connected only by a block with sockets and a cable. The main requirement for surge protectors with grounding is the presence of a circuit. Extension cords with one capacitor are often sold under their guise. The part is capable of absorbing a small percentage of impulses. But with strong jumps this does not save the technique.

For an iron, kettle or simple vacuum cleaner, a surge protector with switches is not needed; this equipment is not considered sensitive. The device is necessary for connecting laptops, PCs, cinemas, refrigerators and music centers. The cost of a surge protector for a computer or TV starts from 2,000 rubles. Therefore, the obvious difference from an extension cord without protection is the price.

The surge protector protects equipment from power surges, short circuits, and overheating. The model is selected depending on the type of electronics. Devices are subject to requirements for safe operation. They are structurally different from a simple extension cord.

POWER FILTER vs EXTENSION CORD

Are there more household appliances than sockets? Most of us in this case, without hesitation, go to the store and buy an extension cord. Previously, it was called “carrying” - after all, the extension cord seemed to “carry” the current source to the place we needed.

And 30 years ago it worked! Firstly, an iron, TV, refrigerator and hair dryer - all the simple electrical appliances of an ordinary Soviet family - could easily be connected to one outlet. The devices were not so powerful, and in order to leave the entrance without light, it was necessary, like in the film “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession,” to invent a time machine. Secondly, there was a single GOST, subject to which all Soviet enterprises produced extension cords with a wire cross-section of at least 0.75 mm2. These did not burn and did not pose a danger.

Today, household appliances have become more powerful, and GOST has long been abolished. Therefore, when buying an extension cord, you should know that you should not connect many electrical appliances to it. And pay attention to the cross-section of the wire core. All TM ERA extension cords are produced with a wire cross-section of 0.75 mm2, which corresponds to GOST.

A household extension cord is good if you need to connect a table lamp that is located far from the outlet. One iron or one small portable electric stove in the country. It should be perceived as an “ambulance” when you need to connect simple and inexpensive household appliances.

However, everyone has a personal computer, a plasma TV, expensive electronics... And it often happens that there are not enough sockets for them. A temporary option for connecting such equipment will not work. Here it is worth using beautiful and elegant surge protectors. They will not spoil the interior with their appearance and will protect household appliances.

The fundamental difference between household extension cords and surge protectors is in the “filling”.

All ERA network filters contain a varistor inside, which dissipates impulse noise; capacitor and filtering choke - to combat high-frequency interference; thermal breaker protecting against overvoltage.

Pulse noise in the electrical network can be caused by a lightning strike or a surge of current during an accident at a substation. In some cases, equipment connected to the network may simply fail. Even if the owners of the apartment or house are absent, a refrigerator and TV may be connected to the network, which are most likely to suffer. The surge protector will not allow interference to reach the devices; it will simply stop supplying energy to them.

High-frequency interference is less dangerous; we encounter it often, for example, when we see ripples on the TV screen due to voltage surges in the electrical network. Frequent repetition of this situation is fraught with breakdowns not only of the TV, but also of other devices. A surge protector can protect them.

If there is excessive load in the ERA surge protector, the thermal breaker will operate. Often we cannot independently calculate the load, including several devices (refrigerator, coffee maker, mixer) in the surge protector at the same time. The throughput of ERA network filters is 1300 watts. This is quite enough for kitchen appliances, but if the idea arises of connecting an even more powerful ironing system, the filter will simply turn off.

But this does not happen with extension cords and low-quality filters, which, at a load of 700-800 watts, begin to heat up, smoke and can be simply dangerous.

For this reason, caring owners of expensive equipment know well why a surge protector with one slot is needed.

Does your house have an expensive high-power stereo system? Just connect it to the network through a surge protector! And if you don’t want to pull wires and get tangled in them, and the system itself will be placed near an outlet, then everything is even simpler! TM ERA's assortment includes a surge protector without a wire. A simple solution that requires neither effort nor expense will save expensive equipment!

The best and most reliable filters for your computer

Computers and laptops need protection from power surges and interference. For stable operation, it is important to choose the right filter. There are devices with and without grounding. You should also purchase an uninterruptible power supply for your computer, which will allow you to save data on your PC during a sudden power outage.

With grounding: operating principle

Grounding is the main condition for the safety of the device. In case of overheating or short circuit, the device dumps excess voltage or current to grounding, which protects the device from breakdown or fire.

Without grounding: what does it protect against?

Suppresses short-term impulse noise thanks to the semiconductor element. To suppress network noise, the design contains inductors. There is a special fuse to protect against short circuits.

Built-in wall

In-wall appliances are used in homes with a three-wire network. Popular models of this type of device are Mosaic 45 from Legrand.

How does automatic shutdown work?

Models with automatic shutdown react to excess current/voltage in the network. They turn off the power supply to devices, protecting against fire and damage. Automatic units do not require constant replacement and have a longer service life. To restore operation after a power surge, just press the button on the filter. Such devices are more expensive than classic ones.

How to choose a surge protector

The choice of a surge protector is based on the following characteristics of the device:

1. Permissible load power.
2. Number and type of sockets.
3. Power cord length.
4. Availability of fuses.
5. Availability of indicator light (backlight button).
6. Availability of USB connector.

Household electrical appliances can easily be protected by a filter with a rated load current of 10 A. If you intend to connect office appliances, then the calculation of the load power will be completely different (16 A-20 A). The higher the maximum impulse load, the greater the fluctuations in the network the device will withstand. Some models can even withstand the effects of a lightning strike.

Based on the number of devices that are planned to be connected to the extension filter, the number of sockets in it is determined. If this is an extension cord for a computer, then it is reasonable to assume that you will need to connect a system unit, speaker system, monitor, printer, voltage stabilizer, router and other devices, so you need to choose a device with five or six sockets. Sockets must be of European standard with grounding.

As for the length of the cord, everything is individual. As a rule, 1.8 meters is enough for a home, but there are cords of 3 and 5 meters. In any case, it’s better to take it with a reserve, in case you want to rearrange your home. An important point when choosing is the presence of fuses and their type. Some manufacturers supply devices with several fuses - fusible, thermal and fast-acting. Most devices are equipped with a device functioning indicator. the difference is that the LED turns off immediately when one of the protective elements of the device becomes unusable.

The following brands are recognized as the best surge protectors today:

• APC;
• Vector;
• Defender;
• Pilot;
• BURO;
• DNS;

These companies produce devices:

• simple, the purpose of which is basic protection (Essential);
• optimal with advanced (Note/Office) protection and ratio of price and quality work;
• with professional (Performance) protection of expensive equipment.

Recommendations for use:

1. Filters cannot be connected to each other, as this will lead to an increase in the current in the ground phase.
2. Do not connect devices with high input voltage (refrigerator, air conditioner, vacuum cleaner, heating devices).
3. It is not advisable to connect the device to an uninterruptible power supply - the protective circuits will be damaged.