Majority of people have more than one device and there is never enough plugs on the wall, which is why you will find a surge protector behind people’s televisions and under their desks. Although, not every surge protector is the same and some are not even good for your gadget.
You need to know how to choose the best one to avoid dilemma and damaging your device. With the variety of prices and features, it can be difficult to determine which one is worth the money. If you own an RV trailer, it is also important that your surge protector is reliable, especially when you are camping.
To help you choose the best one, here are tips on what you need to look for in a good surge protector.
Each one is different
Power trips are not the same with surge protectors. Normally, power trips are cheaper, have multi-outlets that are only like an expansion of a wall outlet. These normally have some kind of a circuit breaker, but majority don’t have any strong protection from issues with electrical. Some might have the least amount of protection, but they are all a bit like plugging directly into the wall. Surge protectors have a certain level of protection against spikes in power.
But the correct number of ports
You should not assume that all surge protectors have 6 to 8 ports. There are surge protectors that have up to 12 ports and well-spaced so you can use them all at the same time. When you buy the right number of ports, you are sure that you don’t need to daisy chain surge protectors. You also need to consider that if you will use it for your RV trailer and camping, you should be able to plug when you really need to charge a gadget.
Joule rating
It is the feature you need to consider the most when buying a surge protector. It basically measures the energy absorption or surge protector dissipation and it is in the form of Joules. It is the maximum energy value that the surge protector is able to absorb without failing. This means that a higher joule rating gives the surge protector the power to offer more protection to appliances. The joule rating could range from 200 to more than 1000. Actually, in some surge protectors, the manufacturer gives a lifetime warranty on the appliances connected, if the appliances are not able to owe the voltage surge. It is obvious that such surge protectors cost more than the regular ones and has a higher joule rating. You can always try buying a surge protector that has a higher joule rating so that appliances get better protection.
A power conditioner
There are several products on the market that say they condition the power, giving promises about gear performance improvement. Your gear already does this because all electronics have a power supply available that absorbs the incoming current from the wall, filters the noise, and converts it to according what is needed by the device. Almost nothing is actually running about 110 volts, so if your gear is cheap or wacky, and use it in an area with inadequate power, like a trailer park, you don’t need a power conditioner.
Check the UL seal because it should say “transient voltage surge processor”
When you make sure that the surge protector you are thinking of buying is certified has at least UL 1449 standards gives assurance that the surge protector you take home can actually protect whatever equipment or trailer you will use it for.
Response time
If there is a large voltage surge, the protector does not start right away. It can some time before it starts to kick in. This time before the start of the instant power surge starts and the instant surge protector begins to function is known as the response time. The time being talked about here is only a few nanoseconds, but it has enough power to damage appliances. With lesser response time, lesser is the time for the appliances to run on spiked voltage and this is safer for appliances.
You need a portable power strip
Via overstock.com
While it does not offer enough protection, a power strip that is portable might be able to prevent a lot of friction, and/or cause bliss from travel companions. Majority of hotels and hostels have limited accessible outlets, but everyone have a lot of devices that need to be recharged. Majority of portable power strips can add two to three additional outlets, and offer direct USB charging.
Check if the warranty is good
Some surge protectors put warranty on the devices connected to it for certain amount of damages in case a power surge happens. Check what is covered by the surge protector and what is not, and how you can file a warranty claim in case there is failure in the surge protector.
Reminder:
It is not advisable to Daisy chain surge protectors
There is a tendency for you to do this, or you plugged the power strip into another power strip or surge protector when you needed more outlets. This is very dangerous even if it is easy to do. This does not work. The first strip is going to trip if a second one is plugged and is being used. Theoretically, you can do this to power trips because they lack surge protection, but it is really not advisable. This is similar to the cords plugged in all at once during Christmas time and can blow into a fuse. Except that you are overloading the circuit can be the source of ignition and lead to fire.
When you need to buy a good surge protector for your RV trailer and other devices, consider the factors given above so you won’t make a mistake of buying the wrong kind.