how do you select a high quality surge protector?

There are all types of surge protector on the market. how does one differentiate the bad one from good one.

Two factors... Clamping Time and Energy Dissapation.

In other words, how quick can it clamp down the incoming surge (miliseconds) and how big a surge can it deal with (joules). Most residential products still use MOVs I believe; often stacked one after another. These work pretty well if designed right.

If you can't find the two specs I mentioned, then brand can be a good indicator. Panamax and APC are two of the best for home products. Not the cheapest, but if you are concerned about good protection those are it. Second tier but still good are products like MonsterCable, Belden, etc. Stay away from cheap generics. The really bad ones are no better than a fuse inside! (SUPER slow)

One last tip... don't forget that often lightning strikes can come in through cable lines/modem wires/etc. Not sure what you are protecting but if it has another wire out to the world, you might want to consider a product that protects that line as well if lightning is your worry.

Hope this helps,

There are also installed units that an electrician can put in for you. Generally located out by the breaker panel, they range from single circuit to whole system protection. I have had a few done on residences, and thousands on communications shelters, and like everything else you get what you pay for. (not always then)

I did not do a whole house system on my home at the time of construction (too expensive even at cost only), only dedicated circuits, and those are backed up with surge protectors at the appliance.

Good Luck

I would recommend getting a good UPS vs. a simple surge protector. Besides being excellent surge suppressors in their own right, UPS's will also protect you from under voltages ("brownouts") and over voltages ("slow surges"). Not to mention that the battery will hold up your equipment long enough for a clean shutdown (if you happen to be talking about computers). APC makes decent UPS's that don't cost very much.

UPS's are also handy emergency gear above and beyond protecting your computer (or whatever). If you have a long blackout you can charge your cell phones with one. I used one to power my digital piano during a blackout once so I could keep practicing. A small 500VA unit keep the piano going for just shy of four hours, and that was after it had served it's main duty in bringing the computers down gracefully.

What's a UPS? Also, can you supply a source or online info?

"UPS" = "Uninterruptible Power Supply"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uninterruptible_power_supply

Everybody sells them ... office supply stores, computer stores, etc. They are often on sale, sometimes at ridiculously low prices. For example, I bought two APC 500VA units for $12 a piece. That's right - TWELVE DOLLARS each. Staples Office Supply store was clearing them out because the new year model was a 550VA unit. Plus, they had a pricing mixup - I pointed this out to them - but they said "Wow, this is your lucky day. We'll give them to you for this price anyway." I was quite happy about that!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842101343

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?...d=1188559784051

Also check Office Depot, OfficeMax, Staples, Costco, etc. Circuit City might have a good price on one since they're going bankrupt. But you have to watch those Going Out Of Business sales ... sometimes their "discount" prices are HIGHER than everybody else. Don't be fooled by the 50% off signs. Do your homework first.

My computer repair place says ANY surge protector is only effective for about six months after you plug it in. Does that sound right?

Sue

Nope. A good surge protector should last right up until it blows. MOVs are pretty much a standard and like MedB says. MOVs will go bad after a long time, or if subjected to poor environmental conditions. I've seen some really good ones that use SCRs that will trip at a very specific threshold and shut the system down quite fast, faster than MOVs if engineered right. Swinging Chokes used to be an old fashioned way to regulate minor surges back when the utilities weren't quite so reliable.

Sounds to me like your computer repair place is trying to sell you something, or maybe they are only experienced with low end products.

Most consumer designed "UPS" systems are actually SPS's, or stand-by power supplies. A true UPS is not going to be that inexpensive, and not really suitable for most residential applications. With a true UPS, the battery source is dedicated to the supply output. With an SPS, the batteries are charged and then held out of the supply circuit unless the Primary source goes down, in which case the control circuitry switches to battery supply quicker than most equipment would feel the dropout (electrolytics hold the output up long enough for the switchover to kick in, so long as the load isn't excessive). We're talking milliseconds, since none of the system relies on a mechanical switch over (it used to be relay controlled, but solid state has become reliable and beefy enough to handle it all at much faster switch times). SPS systems also provide decent protection from surges, but not the isolation that a true UPS does.