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is a surge protected extension/powerstrip any use without upfront SPDs

psychicwarrior

hello goodly morrow

If a T3 SPD, 'must not' be used, as per 7671,  without upfront (T1+)T2 SPD  (for want of better words) ,  what real value is a plugged in surge protected extension lead/powerstrip  (which is a T3 in effect one presumes) without a T2 somewhere upfront ?

Or is it really just a sacrificial item and really is better to have.

Perhaps the components are pretty useless and cheap in most of the consumer grade surge leads/strips.  May be connected devices (via power blocks and transformers etc) can cope just as well  ;-)

Engineering references and regs are not going to use the anything is better than nothing finger in the air style and have to present a considered, tested and  co-ordinated approach. The consumer market takes a different view it seems and makes little to no effort (does it) to advise that surge protected powerstrips/leads 'must not be used' without upfront SPD,  but if course such is not part of fixed wiring any way so no need, or is there a need . 

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    I'm thinking that T2s need the cables to and from it to be as short as possible. So how effective would a combined T2&T3 power strip actually be? They could be sited anywhere in a property and are at the end of a bit of flex.

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    I'm thinking that T2s need the cables to and from it to be as short as possible. So how effective would a combined T2&T3 power strip actually be? They could be sited anywhere in a property and are at the end of a bit of flex.

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  • 0 in reply to OlympusMons
    OlympusMons said:
    I'm thinking that T2s need the cables to and from it to be as short as possible. So how effective would a combined T2&T3 power strip actually be? They could be sited anywhere in a property and are at the end of a bit of flex

    They should protect things plugged directly into the strip OK (as those appliances only see the voltage difference across the SPD itself - presuming they don't have an earth reference to anywhere else - like an old fashioned RS-232 interface to other equipment powered from elsewhere) - but the rest of the installation would receive less, if any, benefit.

    In some circumstances drawing the surge through the installation to a remote point might actually harm some upstream devices (I had an unfortunate experience with PC modem on a PBX and a sure protector with a phone line facility some years ago). I suspect most 30mA RCDs for instance would prefer a SPD upstream of them rather than just one downstream.

       - Andy.

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