Two Surge Protectors?

Jim Norman wrote:
OK, So am I to understand that the two SurgeGuard brand units I have, the built in unit as well as the plug in unit are essentially useless as surge protectors?

First, let's define a word 'surge'. It is subjective. So a low voltage is a surge. Frequency variation is a surge. Reverse polarity is a surge. Too much current and resulting low voltage from a USB port is a surge.

This will discuss a potentially destructive surge that is a current transient - typically in microseconds.

Effective surge protection will always answer this question. Where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate? World's best protector is ineffective IF it does not make a low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) connection to earth ground. Earth ground does not exist in any receptacle. Earth ground is typically in a pole.

At home, best protection for TV cable is a hardwire (installed for free) that connects that coax cable low impedance (ie less than 10 feet) to earth. No protector required for best protection.

Phone line cannot connect direct to earth. So your telco installs and earths a protector. Protector is only doing what the above hardwire does better. Connects a surge low impedance to earth.

Protection for an RV is simalar. If a protector connects low impedance to a pole, then that protector can connect hundreds of thousands of joules to dissipate harmlessly in earth. Then effective protection exists.

Again, protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules are harmlessly absorbed. Any protector is only as effective as its earth ground - an item that does the protection.