It is known that modern expensive equipment is sensitive to voltage fluctuations in the network, which an ordinary user simply does not notice. Situations are not excluded when, for this reason, some of its samples fail. Connecting the equipment through a surge protector (photo below) will help prevent the unpleasant consequences of instability in the supply voltage.
What it is?
A surge protector is an electrical device designed to smooth out impulse and high-frequency pulsations that are often observed in the power grid. Let us immediately note the fallacy of the prevailing opinion that this is an ordinary, but expensive extension cord. In fact, some models contain sophisticated electronic filling to protect household appliances from high voltage surges.
One of the most important characteristics of this device is the response time of the protective circuit, measured in milliseconds. Expensive samples of surge protectors are capable of almost instantly disconnecting the consumer from the mains at the slightest violation of its operation. In the simplest examples of devices of this class, a tripping function is provided on the model of a "recoverable" fuse.
Design
The mains filter design consists of the following main parts:
- High quality plastic housing.
- A set of connectors for connecting loads.
- Electronic protection circuit.
- Power extension cord.
Another mandatory element of the converter device is the power filter switch (in the photo below it is wide in red).
Additional Information: From the same figure, it can be seen that in some models there is a "own" button for supplying voltage to each socket.
Depending on the version, a specific sample of the device may contain the following protective and filtering elements:
- Electrolytic capacitor to smooth out large voltage "dips" and "spikes".
- Core inductive coils (they serve the same purpose).
- Thermal fuses used to protect against overvoltage during a thunderstorm, for example.
In the design of any modern filter, a grounding bus is required, which provides reliable protection of devices and people from high voltage. It is effective in a situation when the electrical network of the house is connected to a full-fledged grounding circuit, which ensures the reduction of dangerous voltage when it hits the device case.
What is it for?
The main purpose of the surge protector is to create conditions for the safe operation of household appliances. The latter includes such common examples as a refrigerator, PC, microwave, TV and a number of other appliances found in modern homes. When considering using a filter at home, it is important not to confuse it with a stabilizer that can regulate the output voltage. All that can be foreseen in a surge protector is to build a network indicator into it.