When you consider surge protectors, you generally think about small attachments that you can plug into your electrical outlets, designed with outlets of their own to plug appliances into. While these types of surge protectors are more visible, most of the actual protection from electrical surges is done by primary surge protectors.
Primary surge protectors are an important type of surge protector that is installed where power lines enter the building. These devices are extremely important, as they can protect a building’s inner wiring from power surges, as well as appliances on the inside.
Primary surge protectors can be quite large, as they do not have to fit inside a room in a building and share it with furniture, appliances, and floor space. This means that they can be quite powerful. In addition to this advantage, primary surge protectors can use the internal ground wires of a building to increase their effectiveness.
Secondary Type Surge Protectors
Secondary types surge protectors are probably what springs to mind when you imagine a surge protector. They are small, and designed to be plugged into electrical outlets. Secondary type surge protectors are less powerful than primary surge protectors, but also more convenient, portable, and easy to use.
Power Strips
Power strips are a type of secondary surge protector. A power strip can be plugged into any electrical outlet. What makes power strips unique is the fact that they come with multiple outlets that multiple appliances can plug into.
Power strips will cut power if there is an electrical surge. This is their most useful feature in terms of protecting your appliances from damage.
