Don’t Forget to Protect!

You already spent your hard earned money on good equipment, why wouldn’t you want to protect it?

It has always been a debate of whether or not you should have power protection on your A/V equipment. The fact is, not only should you have power protection on your A/V equipment, but you should have power protection for all of your electronic equipment such as your computer.

Many power companies such as Waterloo North Hydro, Toronto Hydro, and Hydro One all recommend the use of surge protectors to protect your electronic equipment. Not only will surge protectors prevent damage to your equipment, it will also clean out any noise from the power which can send distorted signal information to your A/V equipment.

What is a Power Surge?

Have you seen your lights flicker? That’s just one example of a power surge. Power surges are quick, unexpected spikes of voltage through an electrical line which can carry tens of thousands of volts. Power surges can be caused by a number of factors such as lightening, downed power lines, short circuits or even a sudden change of electricity usage in your neighbourhood. Needless to say, power surges are inevitable and you can’t really tell Mother Nature to try not to strike lightening near your home. You can however, protect your equipment from the damage that power surges can cause.

What will a Power Surge do to my equipment?

Larger spikes in hydro can actually fry circuit boards, crash hard drives and could potentially ruin any device thats affected by the power surge. Small spikes in hydro can slowly reduce the lifespan of critical components in your equipment and eventually cause failure.

What will a Surge Protector cost me?

Surge protectors have always been conceived as just an expensive ‘add-on’. However, surge protectors start from just $35 for a multi-outlet unit from MonsterCable. Monster Cable Surge Protectors come with a lifetime warranty which covers any manufacturer defects.

All Monster Surge Protectors also include a Monster Cable Insurance Policy which financially covers the connected equipment against damage from power surges. The amount of the policy varies dependent on the unit you choose. An entry-level Monster surge protector covers up to $10,000 while we have some surge protectors here at Gibson’s which will cover up to $500,000.

Wouldn’t a Power Bar serve the same purpose?

A power bar is simply just a multiple outlet device that allows you to plug more equipment into it. A surge protector does this plus protects your equipment against power surges. Power bars also do not have lifetime warranty coverage, nor does it have an insurance policy to cover the connected equipment.

The final answer

Surge protectors are a must-have for your electronic equipment. They’re affordable and with a lifetime warranty on Monster branded surge protectors, you get the comfort in knowing that your equipment is protected. You can’t predict when or where a power surge will happen, but at least you can prevent it from doing any damage to your electronics. There are even surge protectors out there that have energy-saving features which can even save you money on your hydro bill.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at gary@shopgibson.com or visit me here at Gibson’s. You can check out some of our surge protectors here on our website.

-Gary Van Dyk