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Whole house surge protector?

Whole house surge protector?

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by: dotti573 Active Indicator LED Icon 15 OP 
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 12:18pm  
Does anyone have one of these on their house?  I saw someone running a special for $150.00 and we almost lost my DH's computer again the other night when it was barely storming and the lights kept flickering even though it was connected to one of the so called expensive top of the line surge protectors. 
 
In August we lost his computer, modem, router, whole house air condition for 7 days and I can't even remember what else.  We rent but wondering if this is worth it for me to save everything in my house.
 
Any input anyone has would be greatly appreciated.  Also, does anyone use battery backup for their computer?  If yes, what brand and approximate price?  We are trying to see if we can at least attach his computer to one of those so he has time to shut down and not fry the computer again. TIA 4951
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beastmode Active Indicator LED Icon 12
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 1:26pm  
It depends on how strong of a surge. If the surge is stronger than capacity of the protector it will fail. Unplugging is fail proof before a storm and it's free. I would not spend $150 on it. I have small surge protectors for electronics. That should be enough for most surges. I'm not an electrician, just talked to one about it. Do you have renter's insurance? That may be the cheaper route.  4951
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Fallon Active Indicator LED Icon 18
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 1:31pm  
Removed By Request 4951
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beastmode Active Indicator LED Icon 12
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 1:34pm  
Good to know. Insurance companies will cover it but there is normally an additional charge. It depends on how long you plan on staying there. Short term insurance, long term, say 2-3 years it might be a good idea to get something permanent.  4951
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Fallon Active Indicator LED Icon 18
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 1:37pm  
Removed By Request 4951
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Stealth83 Active Indicator LED Icon 16
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 1:58pm  
Removed By Request 4951
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angiekaye Active Indicator LED Icon 16
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 2:20pm  
just keep in mind these are great but nothing will protect from a "low surge"  We get these often out here too.  also the surge protectors will have to be replaced often, I think the life of them is about 2 years. 4951
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KellyG Active Indicator LED Icon 3
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 3:36pm  
We have one. Like @Fallon said, fantastic investment in your home.
 
Read up about them, you won't be disappointed.
 
www.thisoldhouse.com /toh/m/article/0,,38 7874,00.html 4951
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tatertot58 Active Indicator LED Icon 15
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 3:36pm  
 also the surge protectors will have to be replaced often, I think the life of them is about 2 years.
 
The life span of a decent quality whole house surge protector is approximately 8 years.  Should cost no more than $250.00 to install.  There are some higher end models that come with a limited lifetime warranty but I think I would prefer to have the warranty on my appliances, TV, computer etc.  Still cheaper than purchasing new appliances in the long run.
4951
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Fallon Active Indicator LED Icon 18
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 6:52pm  
Removed By Request 4951
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dotti573 Active Indicator LED Icon 15 OP 
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 8:05pm  
Thanks for all the info everyone.  I will definitely be checking with my landlord.  I think it would be a benefit to them as well since the storm in August killed the A/C and that was something they had to fix.My DH is working on his masters degree and it's a pain when he is in the middle of something and we will get the wind blown surge and his computer goes crazy.  We already replaced it once since August. 4951
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cgm10sne1 Active Indicator LED Icon 10
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 8:46pm  
Intersting...http://www.doityourself.com/forum/electrical-ac-dc/446850-lets-talk-whole-house-surge-protection.html#b 4951
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KTownTexican Active Indicator LED Icon 11
~ 8 years ago   Apr 28, '15 11:16pm  
I think Reliant,,, had something installed or some sort of insurance for issues like this. I am not sure. 4951
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Fallon Active Indicator LED Icon 18
~ 8 years ago   Apr 29, '15 11:33am  
Removed By Request 4951
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dotti573 Active Indicator LED Icon 15 OP 
~ 8 years ago   Apr 29, '15 11:39am  
You want to be very careful doing anything like this yourself.  You can, but I haven't found one yet that will warranty the surge protector if it is not installed by a licensed electrician.
@Fallon: The website we don't talk about...lol...has a thread for a company that is supposed to be licensed and they are offering the $150.00 for the protector and installation.  This is defintely not something I would try myself. 4951
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DanStanton Active Indicator LED Icon 3
~ 8 years ago   Apr 29, '15 7:00pm  
If you are getting power surges often, I would have the landlord check the wiring in the house. You might want to check to see if your ground wire outside is connected. If you are renting, I would suggest getting a portable surge protector. 4951
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