Developing a Consumer-Oriented Guide on Surge Protection

Caught among contradictory stories on the need for surge protection as well as unsupported anecdotes of surge-related failures, the typical consumer is in a quandary on how to best allocate personal resources to protect the expensive electronic equipment found his in a modern household. To help provide some answers to this quandary, a team of experts is currently developing a practical application guide on the basics of surge protection, providing a tutorial suitable for the “average consumer. ” This paper shows how the guide intends to take the reader through the thicket of surge protective devices and applications. The guide covers a range of application issues from basic information on the occurrence of lightning and switching surges to the selection of cost-effective and technically sound mitigation methods. It explains how protection applications must be suitable for the geographic area (lightning flash density), power distribution type (urban or suburban), and grounding practices (recent NEC or grandfather). The ultimate goal is that the guide will become the basis for better mitigation practices, will decrease losses and the number of loss claims, and will reduce the fear and frustration levels among end-users relative to surge-related upset or damage to their appliances and electronics