Understanding Surge High and low voltage
After reading these surge protection threads I still don't understand a few things. 1, If you are plugged in to a FHU campsite and don't have an appliance on like your AC and you get a high or low vol...
Forum Discussion
When referencing "surge" in typical RV use, there is actually the under/over voltage situations, a deviance in the supply that exceeds recommended range of 5% above/below (114v-126v) and an instantaneous over voltage spike introduced by lightning or other induction much above the 120v standard.
Most appliances will survive a small bit beyond the 5% deviation (maybe 108v-130V) for short durations. Most appliances and circuit boards will not withstand a voltage spike with high voltage surge like lightning.
Your $10 surge strip may protect from the high voltage spike, once. They do nothing to remedy low or high voltage deviations, the most common situation in RV parks.
You probably won't need an electrical management system device for 99% of the time. But that 1% can mean a lost circuit board or appliance. If the appliance is not being used, the under/over voltage situation won't effect it. The surge spike, though, can ruin anything that is in contact with the spiked circuit. Televisions seem to be especially prone to this. I use a better surge strip for my entertainment devices. In fact, if powered by the inverter, I use two of them.
Most appliances will survive a small bit beyond the 5% deviation (maybe 108v-130V) for short durations. Most appliances and circuit boards will not withstand a voltage spike with high voltage surge like lightning.
Your $10 surge strip may protect from the high voltage spike, once. They do nothing to remedy low or high voltage deviations, the most common situation in RV parks.
You probably won't need an electrical management system device for 99% of the time. But that 1% can mean a lost circuit board or appliance. If the appliance is not being used, the under/over voltage situation won't effect it. The surge spike, though, can ruin anything that is in contact with the spiked circuit. Televisions seem to be especially prone to this. I use a better surge strip for my entertainment devices. In fact, if powered by the inverter, I use two of them.
