Re: AC Power Adapter
- From: "Shenan Stanley" <newshelper@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:24:22 -0600
w_tom wrote:
Shenan confuses safety (equipment) ground with earth ground. That
$5 tester does not (and cannot possibly) detect earth ground.
Simple. Where is the complete circuit required to light a testers
light? Obviously, no complete circuit exists through earth ground.
Very much obviously. Shenan - no way for that $5 tester to even
detect an earth ground.
Meanwhile most pre-1990 homes do not have earthing that meets and
exceeds post 1990 NEC earthing requirements. And again, another
important term - 'less than 10 feet'.
Essential to electronics protection is a 'less than 10 foot'
connection to earth. Yes, the utility can also provide a 'whole
house' protector. But still, earthing is responsibility of the
homeowner - not the utility. Earth ground defines effectiveness of
their protector or of one purchased from Home Depot or Lowes (for
less than $50).
As I said - yone should look into it - I stated it - I meant it - and I do
it.
$5.95 a month here. The utility company installed the equipment and I
'lease' it - they maintain it.
Another classic myth concerns what has failed - therefore a power
strip must have done something? Adjacent TV and VCR - one is
damaged and the other not. Why? Both suffered the same surge?
Again, and repeatedly noted - its all about the path to earth
ground. VCR may be damaged and TV not damaged because the VCR made
a better path to earth. Put a plug-in protector anywhere proves
what? It was unknown which was and was not going to be damaged.
Because of how plug-in protectors work, the appliance was not going
to be damaged anyway.
Second reason why something was or was not damaged says little.
Also not damaged were smoke detectors, bathroom GFCI, dishwasher,
dimmer switch, and furnace. None were on a protector and also were
not damaged. How can this be? Just another reason why Shenan's
reasoning is misleading - not based in the science - too often
found in junk science reasoning.
The fact is the surge went to both items - or the surge protector would not
have melted as well.
Could it be coincidence the items on the surge protector were not damaged -
or their internal protection was enough? Sure. But I find stacking three
semi-decent solutions works better than depending on one when there is no
logical reason not to.
In this case - the circuit was this single outlet only. Nothing else went
through it - so nothing else would have been damaged without it jumping to
another circuit. I cannot say for sure it did not - but I do know nothing
else was damaged.
I know my home and most I have worked on have earth grounds (metal rods, 8ft
into the ground, hooked to the electrical system..)
That plug-in protector costs tens of times more money per protected
appliance. And again, what happens to these protectors located
behind a cabinet or atop a desk with papers? Remember those scary
pictures?
Yeah yeah - real scary. It could happen - but so could the house just be
struck by lightning and burn down. You cannot cover everything and those
pictures from the links you gave show 'with age' - as with everything else -
you should replace your surge protection devices periodically.
That $7 protector has even contributed to damage of some powered
off and networked computers. How do I know? We repaired every
computer by doing what most every computer repair technician cannot
do. We traced each surge path AND replaced every damaged IC in
that path. The adjacent protector provided a surge with more
destructive paths through those powered off computers. Protector
contributed to damage of those adjacent computers. Just another
reason why telcos - with a computer connected to overhead wires
everywhere in town - want their protectors up to 50 meters distant
from electronics AND near zero meters to earth ground. Notice
those numbers.
Anything useful from ineffective $7 or $25 or $100 protectors (same
protector circuits; different prices) is already inside the
appliance. But the plug-in protector can even provide a surge with
more and destructive paths through an adjacent appliance. $7
protector too close to electronics may even be worse than $0
protector. But that $7 is better spent on an earthing system since
that is where protection exists.
Why not do both?
What defines protection? Not a protector. Earthing defines
protection. An effective protector makes that 'less than 10 foot'
connection to earth - and costs less money - and does not create
that fire hazard - and is recommended based in well proven science
and numbers. Shenan only speculates that a $7 plug-in protector
does something. If so, then where is the manufacturer numeric spec
that makes that claim? No spec provided because the $7 power strip
protector does not provide such protection. How can it protect when
its own manufacturer will not even make that claim?
I made no claims - I stated experience.
I mentioned only one of dozens.
I would actually recommend UPS (Battery Backup) devices with AVR more than
anything else for all your electrical equipment and I agree - and stated -
that one should look into the 'Whole Home" protection - likely offered for a
monthly fee (small) from their power company.
Can you provide links to the stuff you recommend - or only arguments/test?
--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
.
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