Are you the type of person who has, in the past, been guilty of plugging your electronic items into a bunch of different extension cords? You’re not alone. Embarrassingly enough, I am in that club with you. But when setting up my home office, I decided it was time for a change. So I shot this question at our on-staff Contractor to get some tips on when and where to use surge protectors to protect the electronic gadgets that you undoubtedly have spent a lot of money to acquire. You’ll want to use surge protectors on any electronic equipment, computer, AV equipment, or anything that has solid state electronics in it. The more commonly found ones will just plug into the wall and you plug your other items into it. So, before you purchase one, you’ll need to consider how many things you are plugging into it and what the wattage draw of each item is. For example, an outlet that is just supporting your computer would require less wattage than one that was holding your computer, your western light fixture, and your TV. If you don’t feel like doing the math, there are surge protectors you can purchase for your whole house. These act as a main breaker for your main electrical panel. Generally they’re rated for around 200 amps, which protects most households usage today. These are, however, a little more involved and a lot more expensive to purchase and install. They are somewhere around $300 to purchase and probably at least that much to install, depending on where you’re at. So weigh your options and protect your stuff!
