Surge Protectors Function. The main job of a surge protector system is to protect electronic devices from “surges.” So if you’re wondering what a surge protector does, the first question is, “What are surges?” And then, “Why do electronics need to be protected from them?” A power surge, or transient voltage, is an increase in voltage significantly above the designated level in a flow of electricity.
If the voltage rises above the acceptable volts, there is a problem, and a surge protector helps to prevent that problem from destroying your computer.
But the other function of a surge protector power strip – protecting the electronics in your computer from surges in power – is far more important.
When you put together a computer system, one piece of standard equipment you’ll probably buy is a surge protector.
We’ll also find out what levels of protection are available and see why you might not have all the protection you need, even if you do use a quality surge protector.
When the increase lasts three nanoseconds (billionths of a second) or more, it’s called a surge.
In this article, we’ll look at surge protectors, also called surge suppressors, to find out what they do, when you need them, and how well they work.
This is the same sort of principle that makes water under pressure flow out of a hose — higher pressure on one end of the hose pushes water toward an area of lower pressure.
Approximately the same thing happens when too much electrical pressure runs through a wire — the wire “bursts.” Actually, it heats up like the filament in a light bulb and burns, but it’s the same idea.
Even if increased voltage doesn’t immediately break your machine, it may put extra strain on the components, wearing them down over time.
This should explain how Surge Protectors Function.