Which Surge Protector To Use? (1 Viewer)

[Debbie--W.]

I have done some research and think the Tripplight Isobar is the one for me.My question is which model,the htpowerbar10 at 5700 joule rated Or the ht10dbs at 3570 joule rated,or the ht-1010sat3 at 3345 joules.This is for my home theater setup..direct tv sat,dvd,vcr,tv,subwoofer..etc.Or can anyone recomended if there is another Tripplight that would be good.I want to keep it at $100 or less.Where is the best place to get one at?Thanks in advance!

 

[Alf S]

Having had a friend go through a lightning storm (hit her house)and losing several of her audio video equipment that was connected to a Monster powerstrip, I highly recommend them...for the simple fact that all she did was make a phone call to Monster and provided receipts of the repair estimates and they sent her a new strip within a week and cut her a check to cover the costs of all the repairs shortly after.

She said they were a pleasure to deal with and stood by their product 100%.



This one should fit your bill.

 

[Chu Gai]

I'd politely try to steer you into a whole-house approach Debbie provided you own your own home. There's a thread in Tweaks at the top outlining things.

I'm not a big fan of these attached equipment warranties. Some people have had remarkable success as in the story that AlfS recounted. Others have not been any where near so lucky. The warranties are fairly vague and people tend to be pretty optimistic. Better, in my opinion, is to rely upon a homeowners or renter's policy that specifically covers your equipment and provides for full replacement costs and not some pro-rated value. If you have your equipment for a few years and a damaging surge knocks them out, you might find your warranty paying 10 cents on the dollar. 'Course you'll get a new surge protector, but that's precious little comfort.

Of the three you mentioned, the HTPowerBar10 has the highest joule rating. Essentially that means the unit has the potential to last you the longest and has the greatest ability to effectively deal with larger surges and/or multiple smaller ones. To some extent you should base your decision upon two things.
1) The propensity for surges, typically originating from lightning strikes to the ground. Areas in the US that have larger numbers of those are in certain parts of Florida, the Texas area, and midwest.
2) Your own paranoia level. The more concerned you are about this, then the more proactive you need to be.

As an aside, you need to make sure that the outlet you plug the unit into has a functioning ground. If it's an older home or apartment, then none of the units will be effective.

 

[Shane Martin]

If so I haven't met them. If you include AlfS's person, I know atleast 10 people whom made easy succesfful claims with regards to their Monster/Panamax warranty.

Then there is the idea that if you make a claim on insurance, your rates go up. That is rather typical. I know Allstate dropped a friend of mine after 1 claim on his car.