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
Electrical spikes lasting thousandths of a second beat-up transistors and integrated circuits depending on how many thousands or millions a component manages to see before failing, and how high of voltage the spike achieves.
Constant "high voltage" can do everything from simply shorten the life of an appliance to outright fry it.
"Surge Protector" is a buzz word. From batteries to transistors, the industry treats unseen, unsmelled, electricity fraudulently or stupidly, take your choice.
A SPIKE PROTECTOR is supposed to be one of those power strips. A good power strip costs thirty to fifty dollars. A cheap power strip works about as well as putting a set of Volkswagen shock absorbers on a class A motorhome.
A VOLTAGE CORRECTOR is supposed to do as advertised. Take high or low voltage and correct it. Voltage correction has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with protection from voltage spikes.
Most voltage correction devices are based on a type of transformer called an autotransformer. An autotransformer DOES NOT PROTECT against voltage spikes.
A COMBINATION spike protector and voltage correction device is what you need to offer BASIC protection for RV electrical.
An energy management system works like a bank, when funds (correct voltage) are not available it bounces the "check" with the power company and the lights go off.
Despite the hoodoo voodoo I see just about everywhere in reference to RV systems, the best way to protect electricals from SHORE POWER PROBLEMS happens to be the most expensive way hence almost impossible to find.
A ferro-resonant line transformer adjusts bad voltage from around 70 to 145 to 120 volts. No "Autoformer" has nearly as wide a range of operation. With precise voltage output regulation. Not even in the same league.
An ISOLATION TRANSFORMER will kill ALL electrical spikes (transients) like nothing else ever made.
Sadly, the Chinese haven't figured out the need or sales potential for a reasonably priced combination unit.
Hope this helps. Twelve cents worth of MOV's (metal oxide varistors) in a seven dollar power strip are nearly worthless. Use the seven dollars more intelligently and go have a cold beer.
Constant "high voltage" can do everything from simply shorten the life of an appliance to outright fry it.
"Surge Protector" is a buzz word. From batteries to transistors, the industry treats unseen, unsmelled, electricity fraudulently or stupidly, take your choice.
A SPIKE PROTECTOR is supposed to be one of those power strips. A good power strip costs thirty to fifty dollars. A cheap power strip works about as well as putting a set of Volkswagen shock absorbers on a class A motorhome.
A VOLTAGE CORRECTOR is supposed to do as advertised. Take high or low voltage and correct it. Voltage correction has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with protection from voltage spikes.
Most voltage correction devices are based on a type of transformer called an autotransformer. An autotransformer DOES NOT PROTECT against voltage spikes.
A COMBINATION spike protector and voltage correction device is what you need to offer BASIC protection for RV electrical.
An energy management system works like a bank, when funds (correct voltage) are not available it bounces the "check" with the power company and the lights go off.
Despite the hoodoo voodoo I see just about everywhere in reference to RV systems, the best way to protect electricals from SHORE POWER PROBLEMS happens to be the most expensive way hence almost impossible to find.
A ferro-resonant line transformer adjusts bad voltage from around 70 to 145 to 120 volts. No "Autoformer" has nearly as wide a range of operation. With precise voltage output regulation. Not even in the same league.
An ISOLATION TRANSFORMER will kill ALL electrical spikes (transients) like nothing else ever made.
Sadly, the Chinese haven't figured out the need or sales potential for a reasonably priced combination unit.
Hope this helps. Twelve cents worth of MOV's (metal oxide varistors) in a seven dollar power strip are nearly worthless. Use the seven dollars more intelligently and go have a cold beer.
