Posted by Joseph Oberlander on August 31, 2003 at 09:15:13:
In Reply to: Re: Surge suppression? posted by Ed Casares on August 30, 2003 at 04:09:19:
go over to rec.audio.high-end
Ask about surge protection. The short answer is that everything you can buy out there is worthless against more than *maybe* one small surge. What is required is a proper isolation system where the power comes into the house. Supression is the wrong way to go about it because it's like a dike - looks good on paper - but every season you're betting that it won't rain more than it can handle. Unfortunately, most are hopelessly inadequate even for that task - restraining a large surge is one thing - having a lightning strike nearby - like trying to stop a raging flood with a beaver dam.
IsoBar, Monster, and all the rest - good for an outlet strip and RFI/ground loop hum - but complete jokes for surges. Oh - most of these foolishly have large warranties against equipment damage due to marketing forces, so think of it as a $50-$100 insurance policy, nothing more. Worth getting, IMO, for this reason. Bit cheaper than adding the equipment to your home owner's policy.