Surge Protection

Does anyone know if a GFI receptacle will protect an appliance that has electronic controls?
As well as/or better than a surge protection power strip?
In the event of a utility power surge on regular household current?
We do have a small APC battery backup for the computer, but I'm wondering about the refrigerator and credit card terminal.
Both have electronic controls.

Oh, this is in my shop where I do tractor stuff.
There, kept on topic.

I've seen surge protectors that mount on the AC panel and wired in between the CB and the outlet wiring. You might have to go to a electrical supplie warehouse to get one.

Don

I use a “Perma Power” automatic voltage regular on my computer and it’s components and had very good luck the past three or four years. Before that, replaced tower, monitor or printer very regular. I assume they have electronic controls, not very savvy on those thangs.

A Ground Fault Circut Interupter GFCI protects agains current on the ground to protect against shocks to the user.
A Surge supprssor protects the device against voltage surges.
Two completely different devices.
A large enough capacity surge protector will protect an appliance. However the motor or heating circuits draw the largest demand and the protector would have to be sized to accomidate them as well as the controls. On most devices the motor /heating elements do not need to be protected to the extend the controls do. By rights the surge protector should be only on the control curcuit. Not a job for the average home owner.

Mornin John,

You ask?

Does anyone know if a GFI receptacle will protect an appliance that has electronic controls?
As well as/or better than a surge protection power strip?

Answer NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


A straight GFI is NOT a surge protector
A straight surge protector is NOT a GFI

They each have different purposes providing different modes of protection.

A GFI opens the circuit (i.e. disconnects the hot feed) in the event of a fault whereby even only a small minute amount of the current supplied by the hot line conductor is NOT being returned by the Neutral. i.e. theres a short allowing return current flow elsewhere AND YOU DONT WANT IT THROUGH YOUR OLD TICKER. Its purpose is to SAVE LIVES by shutting off the power should a short develop such as a bare feed coming in contact with the case/frame of a tool or appliance.

A SURGE PROTECTOR IS TO SAVE THE DEVICE such as sensitive electronic components. If theres a high voltage spike or surge (that could damage electronics) it diverts/blocks the same from getting to and damaging the device.

GFI is required near kitchen or bathroom sinks and other locations such as in garages with concrete floors, outdoor receptacles and a few other locations AGAIN ITS TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE and isnt concerned with device protection. SURGE PROTECTION is to prevent damage to electronic devices from high voltage spikes/surges.

Arc Fault protectors shut the power off if arcing is detected which may not trip a circuit breaker (not high current flow) but can still cause a fire. These are used in say a bedroom branch circuit where an extension cord could short out and not trip a normal thermal magnetic circuit breaker but still create heat to start a fire.

Hope this helps and others can add more

John T

I use a surge protector that goes right in the main panel. Mine has a light that shows that it is still OK. I don't know how effective they are. I see that they are fairly expensive. I was able to find one at a swap meet for $5 or I probably wouldn't have one. Below is a link showing a number of surge protectors. If you click on the individual picture it will give a better description of what it does and they say that you may also want another protector right at the appliance.
Panel surge protectors

Our apartment and shop was built this year, and we have the GFI receptacles in the bath and kitchen as required.
Last week we heard a loud bang coming from the utility transformer that feeds our house, and lost utility power.
Power company came, repaired the transformer, restored utility.
Then we started discovering all the electronic appliances in home and shop that were toasted.
Some appliances that were plugged into GFI's are okay, toaster for one.
One electrician suggested that the neutral failed in the transformer, and both legs became momentarily energized with 240 vac.
After everyone's comments, I think I'm going to look for an overcurrent, over/under voltage sensing relay and corresponding main breaker.
Thanks for everyone's comments about the GFI's and SP's.

As accurately noted, the GFCI is to protect humans. A surge protector is almost defined accurately.

A surge protector earths destructive surges. Surges that are connected to earth outside the building, then, do not go searching for earth destructively via appliances. Then protection already inside all appliances is not overwhelmed.

GFCI is for human safety. Effective surge protection is for transistor safety. The protector is not protection. The protector either connects surges harmlessly to protection. Or it does virtually nothing.

Essential to transistor protection is a 'whole house' protector connected within feet of single point earth ground. Where does massive energy harmlessly dissipate? In the protection - single point earth ground.

Effective protectors are sold by more responsible companies including Leviton, Square D, General Electric, Siemens, ABB, and Intermatic. A Cutler-Hammer solution sells for less than $50 in Lowes and Home Depot.

Why does one 'whole house' protector protect everything? Because it is connected 'less than 10 feet' to single point earth ground. What is the #1 item always inspected or upgraded to protect all appliances? Where is even a direct lightning strike harmlessly absorbed? Lightning is typically 20,000 amps. So one 50,000 amp 'whole house' protector connects even direct lightning strikes harmlessly (and short) to the upgraded single point earth ground - the protection.