On Monday, December 7, 2015 at 11:39:48 PM UTC-10, gregz wrote:
> John Kuthe > wrote:
> > On Saturday, December 5, 2015 at 1:02:58 PM UTC-6, sf wrote:
> >> On Sat, 05 Dec 2015 11:09:42 -0500, Gary > wrote:
> >>
> >>> Julie Bove wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> I was trying to save some money as I've been hit right and left with added
> >>>> expenses. Luckily the computer repair wasn't as bad as I thought it would
> >>>> be. They think the storms we've been having knocked out the power supply
> >>>> and made the surge protector go bad.
> >>>
> >>> One thing I learned long ago...surge protectors only protect you for
> >>> one time. After that, they are worthless. Most will start blinking the
> >>> led to let you know they are used up and you need to replace it.
> >>
> >> Thanks, I didn't know any of the above. Are you talking about the
> >> surge protector that's on the laptop cord or the one we plug
> >> everything in to?
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >> sf
> >
> > Surge protectors are a joke! Where's this alleged surge supposed to come
> > from? Lightning? Do you know what lightning is? Big time static
> > discharge!! Millions of volts of potential equalizing itself!! It's
> > already ionized and traveled though hundreds maybe thousands of feet of
> > AIR (an insulator), so nothing you're gonna put in a little box is gonna stop it!!
> >
> > John Kuthe...
>
> Surges can occur on the lines with no lightning. Surges can be generated
> locally within your home from motors, and other homes innards, transformer
> inductance. They can help on lighting strikes within the system, but no
> help on direct hit. I had a power glitch few years ago. Lights off, on,
> dim. Bam went my whole house protector. Blew out with loud crack. I didn't
> notice anything happening with my other outlet strips.
>
> Greg

My father-in-law had lights in his small condo building that would go up and down with their elevator. He needed a power buffer for his place.

OTOH, the power supply for this island is pretty well regulated. It's kind of amazing. I'll always get 120V when measured with a digital VOM. I can use the outlets to check the calibration of meters. The frequency is well regulated also. There's a big clock at the main power plant that they use to keep track of the frequency. If it's fast or slow, they'll adjust the frequency in tiny amounts to keep it in sync. Well, that's the way they did it when I was going to school anyway.