Why didn't people use SPD many years ago?

Power surge is a regular occurrence, however, old-fashioned electric appliance like a vacuum tube receiver or the giant ENIAC that use thousands of big vacuum tubes, are insensitive to slight voltage or current shift. For such old machine, even if one vacuum tube is damaged, we can change a new one easily and the whole device is still operational.

Why do we need SPD for our appliances now?

Modern electronic devices are much smaller and often use LSI circuit. They are more delicate than vacuum tube used in older machines, and are more sensitive to current increase or voltage shift. For example, modern microprocessors, which are an integral part of all computers as well as many home appliances, can contain several billion transistors. It is particularly sensitive to surges, and will not function properly when even one of the billions transistors fails.

To what appliance should I apply a SPD?

Whether or not you should get a surge protector depends on what sort of device you are hooking up to the power supply.

For instance, a SPD can cost ten times as much as a light bulb. It is not necessary to hook up a light bulb to a surge protector because the worst that is likely to happen is that your light bulb will burn out.

However, you should use a surge protector with your computer. It is filled with voltage-sensitive components that a power surge could damage very easily. Best-case scenario, a computer affected by frequent surge will shorten its life. Furthermore, it could very easily wipe out all of your saved data or destroy your system. The price of a computer data restoration could be exorbitant, so it is makes very good sense to invest in a quality surge protector.

For other high-end electronic equipment, it is also a good idea to use surge protectors. Any cable carrying signals into your home bear the chance of carrying a power surge, whether caused by lightning or other factors. If your computer is connected to the phone lines via a modem, you should get a surge protector to prevent possible incoming surge. If you have a coaxial cable line hooked up to expensive equipment, consider a cable surge protector. Surges on these lines can do just as much damage as surges over power lines.

When must I use SPD?

For a major city that is hardly suffer from a blackout, SPD can be optional for home use. However, there are indeed some special circumstances that we must apply SPD to our household appliances:

1. You live in a lightning-active area

2. Your local power grid is unstable

3. You are living off the grid and using a generator to provide power

These are all high risk factors for surge to occur.

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