How to choose a surge protector for an LCD TV

Almost every home has a large amount of equipment that is constantly connected to the power supply. This means that it will constantly be affected by voltage surges, which negatively affect the durability of the equipment. In this case, you will need to buy a surge protector.

Why do you need a surge protector?

It is necessary in order to protect household appliances from interference and voltage surges in the network, as well as from short circuits and network overloads. Externally, it is similar to an extension cord, but its internal structure is significantly different. It includes:

• automatic thermobimetallic fuse for overload protection;
• three varistors for protection against pulse currents, they convert energy into heat, which leads to a sharp increase in resistance - for protection against rupture, special gas dischargers are included with them;
• capacitor and choke with ferrite ring to suppress high-frequency interference;
• two-way switch (phase/zero) with light indication.

ATTENTION! The surge protector is only needed to protect against network interference and is not an uninterruptible power supply.This means that if the voltage is exceeded, it automatically turns off the equipment for the sake of fire safety, which means that when connected to a computer there is a risk of losing valuable information in an emergency. To preserve it, it is more advisable to use a UPS.

How to choose a surge protector for your TV

Despite the fact that all TV switching power supplies already contain an RF filter at the input, it is often not enough and it is much better to additionally secure it with a surge filter.

ATTENTION! The source of TV interference may not necessarily be a power outage; the problem may also come from the antenna.

This equipment comes in:

• basic - for simple versions of household equipment;
• advanced - universal in use and relatively inexpensive;
• professional - for particularly sensitive equipment, for example, home theaters.

Accordingly, the more complex the device for which it is intended, the more reliable and durable operation it provides.

Number of sockets

This parameter is often underestimated, but you always need to estimate in advance how many devices will be connected to the surge protector. In addition, it is advisable to leave one socket in reserve for small devices, for example, for charging smartphones, tablets and other gadgets.

In addition, it is also necessary to take into account that each device has its own power, so it is also important to calculate its total indicator, which should be at least 1/3 lower than the maximum power of the surge protector. Failure to comply with this rule may result in the filter overheating and even fire.

REFERENCE! You can find out information about the power of the device in its passport.

Cord length

According to the standard, it is 1.8 meters, but there are also longer options, for example, three or five meters. When choosing a device, pay attention to two points:

• a longer cord provides greater practicality in use, however, there may be problems with hiding it and it may simply get in the way, especially if we are talking about large offices;
• a shorter one is more convenient in this regard, however, before purchasing it is necessary to make accurate measurements of the lengths of the wires connected to the device filter and the distance from it to the outlet.

Be sure to compare the cord length stated by the manufacturer with the actual one, as they are not always the same. In this case, it is better to look for another filter from a more reliable manufacturer.

Availability of a button

Models with an on/off button are, of course, preferable, since it is much more convenient than pulling the cord out of the outlet every time, especially if it is in a hard-to-reach place. The only inconvenience when purchasing may be that externally such a filter can easily be confused with an ordinary extension cord. Therefore, the only thing that can be recommended in this case is not to forget to carefully inspect the packaging.

Some varieties, for additional convenience, are equipped with control buttons for each of the sockets individually and one common, as well as a variety of indicators signaling the operating status.

The most popular brands of surge protectors

In Russia, this list includes the following models:

1. SVEN - with 5 sockets with protective curtains, each socket has its own switch, cord length 1.8 meters. The maximum power is 2200 W at a load of 10 A. It contains fuses to protect against overloads and short circuits.
2. PS Audio Dectet Power Center - with 10 outlets, divided into zones for digital and analog equipment and with additional protection against common mode and differential interference.
3. APC - with 4 sockets, a power of 2500 W and a wire length of 1 m, there is one switch. The filter is equipped with fuses and a bimetallic circuit breaker, can withstand loads of up to 10 A, is inexpensive, and is reliable and durable. There are curtains to limit children's access to electricity.

Having information about the features and popular brands of surge protectors for TVs makes it much easier to make a purchase choice.