Some considerations before you purchase surge suppressors

If you must wade, here are some considerations before you purchase:

• The suppressor should have at least a UL 1449-330-volt let-through rating (the lowest amount of voltage the suppressor allows to pass through). This is basically a safety rating. A higher rating, UL Adjunct Endurance Testing, meets tougher government Commercial Item Description (CID) Class, Grade, and Mode specifications.
• Telephone line, fax line, and coaxial cable line protection should be provided. ➤ It should have a high joule rating. (This measures your suppressor’s capability to absorb energy, which is measured in joules.)
• It should have high surge amp ratings.
• The suppressor should have an indicator light to show that the device is working.
• It should provide protection in all three modes (surges between hot, neutral, and ground lines).
• It should have instantaneous response time.
• The unit should shut off power to all of its outlets once the unit has reached its capacity to protect.
• It should offer a broad degree of EMI/RFI noise reduction. Competing claims among surge-suppressor manufacturers start sounding like taunts between opposing cliques in the schoolyard.

It begins to sound like the Macintosh versus PC battle. My advice? I’d still buy the suppressor with the best guarantee for my price range. Any damage to your equipment or data then becomes the manufacturer’s problem. (Read the guarantee carefully.)