Surge Protector

[melosu58]

Last nite while we were asleep a car hit the power line behind my house and caused a power surge. I have under my tank a surge protector and a power strip. The surge protector did it`s job and cut off while the power strip burned up to a piece of charred plastic. Luckily the house did not catch on fire as we slept. The reason I am writing this is that if you have power strips under your tank please change them to surge protectors and protect your tankmates and your family. The Lord was really looking out for us but I learned my lesson about power strips. Thankfully nothing happened to anything in my tank. Hopefully a hard lesson learned by me could be some useful info to someone else. Have a good week.

 

[Jchillin]

Great observation and extremely good advice melosu. Thank goodness you had the foresight to do the right thing and save your family from a potential disaster.

 

[melosu58]

Hopefully someone can use this info.

 

[noteworthy]

Question... I have a very heavy appliance gauge rated extention going to a $45 dollar surge protector - I forgot the ratings but it was the best I could find in the store. I then have three seperate power strips going off that single surge protector. The protector should stop it from going and frying all the power strips shouldn't it?

 

[melosu58]

I imagine that if it goes through the surge protector first you will be OK. I just chose to get rid of all power strips no matter what after I saw the mess it made.

 

[ferretttt]

I did one better. I installed 2 UPS power supplies like you use for PCs. Not only is there surge protection, but also a battery backup, that lasts a while.

 

[trotty]

how much were the UPS, and what sort of wattage will they run?

 

[DarylF2]

Be sure to test this setup. Many aquarium motors, such as those used by many filters and powerheads, require a power source with a sine wave shape. Only more expensive UPSs (like the APC SmartUPS brand) supply power with a sine wave shape (APC BackUPS and BackUPS Pro models do not, and will not properly power my filter or my powerheads).

 

[neilster1]

60hz 110v power is 60hz 110v power.. the "sine wave" is the picture of that. any consumer-grade ups is just fine. Sounds like someone was trying to milk more money out of you for a ups.

 

[lando]

8O Thanks for the heads-up. It is very good info. I am glad everything turned out alright for you!

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

glad you and your fam and fishies are ok!

 

[melosu58]

Thanks guys