Surge protector didnt work

My computer recently died. I have been told that the power supply has died and was most likely caused by the lightning storm the other night. I have it plugged into a surge suppressor that I thought was meant to protect my computer. Why didn’t the surge suppressor protect my computer?

Richard, Hamilton South

Hi Richard,

When talking about surge suppressors the biggest things that come into play are how much you spend and how old the surge suppressor is.

There are a couple of different types of surge suppressor devices used. If you purchase a $5 surge suppressor from your local supermarket then generally all you are getting is a power board with a fuse. This fuse takes seconds to blow and won’t be activated by a power surge that lasts nanoseconds.

In more expensive surge suppressors generally a Metal oxide varistor (MOV) or Gas discharge tube (GDT) is used. Both of these devices work by short circuiting when they reach a threshold voltage. This causes the surge to bypass the connected devices.

While MOV and GDT devices act a lot faster than a fuse they still take a few nanoseconds. Also when activated they can generally only limit the voltage to 3 times the input voltage. This means that your computer may still be hit with up to 720 volts when a surge happens.

The other major thing that comes into play is how old the surge suppressor is. The parts in a surge suppressor have a finite life. They can only take so much and eventually fail leaving you unprotected. Some high end surge suppressors have a warning light to signal you when it is time to replace them however most of the lower end models don’t.

There is no written rule on how long a surge suppressor will last. It is entirely based on how many surges and the size of the surge it has protected you from.

When it comes to surge protectors we generally recommend you spend a little bit more and save yourself in the long run. We generally recommend you stick to well-known brands such as APC, Belkin and Eaton.

So even though your computer is plugged into a surge protector it may not be a surge protector at all. It may be past its life or the surge simply overwhelmed it.