Some manufacturers of surge suppressors provide coverage of electronic components plugged into the suppressor as part of the product warranty.  I.e., if any equipment is fried while plugged into their surge suppressor, they will pay for its repair or replacement.  That would seem to be a worthwhile feature to look for when shopping for a power strip!

-----Original Message-----
From: John Lee [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 8:35 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: OT: Power company problems


OK you well-rounded group, here's my story:

Yesterday, my kids come home to find we've had a power outage for a couple
hours and the TV's aren't working.  When I get home, I find that 6
electronic components have been "fried" (2 VCRs, DVD, TV, tape
deck,satellite receiver) and they were all on a surge protector (about a
$30 one).  My home PC has about a $100 APC surge protector on it...the
protector is fried, but the PC still powers up.  I call the power company
and they send someone out.  Turns out a car had hit a power pole causing
the outage and according to this person, probably sent either a surge
through the line or current through the ground line, hence doing all this
damage.  He said "it happens all the time...there's nothing you can do"..I
don't believe him.  How many of you have had electronic equipment at  home
fried?  How often?  Does anybody know what the power company's obligations
are as far as delivering clean and constant power?  The person I talked to
said they had no obligation, and that frequently replacing electronic
components is a fact of life today.  Well, I can't afford to replace PC's
and stereo equipment every time a squirrel jumps on the line and shorts it
out, as I was told happens "all the time".

Anybody using a "whole-house power conditioner"?

John Lee

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