Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsDon't Buy One, Buy Three!
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2019
This is the best available surge suppressor of this type and at this price level. Don’t buy just one, you should buy at least three. Let me explain why.
Most surge suppressors use a device called a MOV (Metal Oxide Varistor) which absorbs energy from spikes, but usually the device has only one MOV between hot and neutral (H-N). This device has three MOVS providing 3-way protection, a MOV between H-N, but also between hot and ground (H-G) and neutral land ground (N-G). See specs from packaging in the first photo. Very few consumer suppressors at this price have 3-way protection.
The amount of surge energy or spike a MOV can absorb is rated in Joules. This device provides a total of 1080 total Joules protection, not too bad. Compare this with other devices.
Here is the important point: No device can be guaranteed to absorb any amount energy at any voltage level. There are many types of surge devices besides MOVs, but all have some limits such as response time, clamping voltage and energy absorption. There is always a possibility that a surge of enough energy will destroy the protector and connected equipment: There can be no absolute guarantee. Those who rated this Belkin device poorly may have encountered such a spike.
So here’s why you should buy 3 or more: put two or more surge protectors in series! I always plug on of these directly into the wall, then plug another surge protector such as a protected outlet strip or UPS directly into this device. NO, it is not a problem or violation of any electrical code to do this. You are not increasing the amount of current you draw from your power outlet, you are just increasing the number stages of surge protection. But careful: NEVER plug one UPS device into another UPS device! A UPS device should only plug into a passive surge device such as this Belkin device.
The more stages of surge suppression you have, the better the protection. For example, for my high end computer server station, I plug this Belkin unit into the wall outlet, then a line conditioner (transformer based constant voltage device) into this Belklin device, then plug a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) into the line conditioner, then plug in a power distribution box with switched outlets and other forms of line conditioners into the UPS (see photos). The distribution box has 3 types of devices: MOVs, semiconductor transient surge suppressors and gas discharge tube surge arrestors.
Did you count those? That’s (at least) four levels of surge protection with 5 different types of surge protection devices if you include the active circuit of the UPS as one of them (which may have additional levels of protection stages). I feel I have a pretty good system that will suppress most surges, but am not foolish enough to believe my surge suppression configuration can withstand any surge: A nearby lightning strike can certainly destroy all the equipment.
Those who buy one of these Belkin devices and think that’s all you need, think again! Buy three so you always have one on hand as a first level of surge protection. Then plug another surge devices into the Belkin for even better protection. But never, never plug any expensive electronics (or any device you don’t want to fail, such as your garage door opener) directly into a wall outlet: At the very least always have one of these Belkin 3-way 1080 Joule Belkin devices on hand to plug into the wall outlet first.
