Surge Assure
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Preventing electrical surge damage has traditionally been left to the consumer to guess at what to do. Do you buy a 20 outlet plug strip with a million dollar warranty? Do you spend time running around the house unplugging everything in sight? Or do you just do nothing and rely on your homeowner’s policy to cover any surge losses that may occur? You don’t do any of these; instead you protect your investment using proven protection principles applied to industrial/commercial facilities that protect equipment valued in the millions.
Zoned surge protection for industrial/commercial facilities uses common sense techniques and heavy duty surge protectors geared toward eliminating harmful surges.
1. First surge protection is applied to the incoming power, cable, and telephone services.
2. Then at key locations throughout the facility, localized protection is provided to safeguard against residual surges coming from the main service and any internally generated surges.
To apply this type or protection for the home, surgeassure™ developed Total Zone Protection, which consists of dividing your home into three zones. Specialized surge protectors are designed for each zone location:
Main Zone
Interior Zone
External Zone
Main Zone
Main Zone Protection stops surges before they enter the home and make up the first line of defense. Applying these units knocks down high energy surges making Interior and Exterior Zone protector’s job easier. These units come with a 10 year/$100,000 warranty for “white appliances”. Refer to the warranty section of this site for detailed information on what is covered. All main zone protectors should be installed by a certified electrician.
Breaker panel Protector
This unit is the heart of industrial protection for your home. We’ve included features not seen in the marketplace until now. As the main line of defense, it prevents high energy surges from ever entering your home – and provides the best defense for white appliances like your dishwasher and dryer.
Utilizing technology used in our industrial line, the Panel Protector utilizes suppression elements called metal oxide varistors able to withstand surges trying to enter your home up to 40,000 Amps. In addition, we’ve included safeguards only found in more expensive industrial units.
Our parent company, APT, is an industry leader due to superior products and service. All APT's products deliver superior performance while leading the industry with patented safety circuitry. This know-how helps us to achieve one of the highest safety ratings for residential suppressors. On top of this, our unique Ground Status Monitoring ensures optimum performance throughout the life of the unit.
For electrical equipment to function properly, neutral to ground voltage need to be as close to zero volts as possible. Over time, their connection may wear away or weaken, and voltage between neutral and ground could increase beyond zero volts. You may have experienced this type of electrical fault before. When operating stereo equipment, you hear a constant hum. The hum could be the result of a bad neutral to ground connection.
Our Ground Status Monitoring sees this change and alerts you by activating its intermittent audible alarm and flash the red fault light. If this occurs, don’t panic, turn off the breaker feeding the protector, and call Surgeassure™.
Main Telephone Protector
Main Cable Protector
Imagine a watermelon traveling down inside a garden hose. That is exactly what happens when a power surge travels down the telephone/data or cable lines. It turns out that telephone and cable line surges suffer an overwhelming majority of all surge induced damages where the equipment was thought to be already protected but had a back door such as an unprotected modem or cable line. Network interface cards, in particular, can be destroyed by relatively mild spikes.
Point of use equipment incorporating cable/telephone protection is needed to protect sensitive equipment. However, these devices are not designed for or don’t have the room to utilize robust protection. Installing our telephone and cable suppressors at the incoming line makes the point of use protector’s job easier.
Interior Zone
Insurance claim statistics show video equipment surge damage as the most common. Our family of interior zone protectors reduces this possibility for not only for video equipment but for home office, appliances, and other key items in your home. No longer will you have to run around the house to un-plug everything when there is a storm. Complete protection is achieved when Interior and Main Zones are installed.
Home Theatre 8 outlet point-of-use plug-in
As more and more homes transform their standard TV and VCR to a full fledged home theatre system, surge protectors for these new systems need to be upgraded.
surgeassure™ ’s 8-outlet product is designed to protect the modern Home Theatre systems by incorporating features that weren’t present in similar devices manufactured a few years ago such as increased surge current capabilities, BlockSpacing™, and thermal fusing.
Home Office 6 outlet point-of-use plug-in UPS
The Home Office UPS offers battery backup and surge protection for the home office. Small businesses can’t afford to loose data. With enough power outlets to protect your entire system, built-in phone/fax/modem line (DSL compatible) protection, and easy-to-install safe system shutdown software make this power protection solution ideal for home offices.
Secondary TV/game system 6 outlet plug-in point-of-use protector
For TV’s in the bed rooms and gaming systems in the kids room, this device provides ideal protection for these items without having an extra cord. It mounts over the wall outlet secured with a center mounting screw. Also available without Coax TV/video device "F-type" connector (click here for details).
Interior Zone Application - Microwave, refrigerator, appliance, and garage door
Exterior Zone – Irrigation and lighting controls
Single outlet plug-in point-of-use protector
Our most versatile suppressor protects your most common appliances including but not limited to Microwaves, refrigerators, small appliances. Large surge current capability ensures long installed life.
Fax machine, cordless phone, or answering machine single outlet plug-in point-of-use protector with telephone protection
Our most versatile suppressor protects your most common appliances including but not limited to Microwaves, refrigerators, small appliances. Large surge current capability ensures long installed life.
General use 7 outlet point-of-use plug-in
For items that don’t have coax or telephone connect, but just power, this is an excellent solution when multiple outlets are needed. For example, if a there is a stereo system separate from the Home Theatre. This unit would provide sufficient outlets along with superior power protection.
Exterior Zone
The Exterior Zone is the third line of defense protecting your Air Conditioner, Pool equipment, and Irrigation controls from remnant surge voltages left over from the main panel, entering equipment outside your home.
General
I’ve never had equipment damaged by electricity – Why do I need this?
Aren’t my circuit breakers enough?
How often do these disturbances occur?
Will these devices prevent my clocks from blinking?
My electronics have built-in surge protection. Why do I need more?
My home has 2-pronged electrical outlets only. Can I still get Zone protection?
How long will my protection devices last?
Surge Protectors
How do I hookup my plug-in surge protector?
The phone is not working when plugged into the surge protector?
Outlets aren't grounded, can I use an adapter?
Can I daisy chain surge protectors?
What if my TV (or appliance) is damaged, but surge suppressor’s the lights are still on?
What service is the Main Zone Breaker Panel protector rated for?
Can the Main Zone Protectors be installed outside?
What doesn't the Main Zone protect?
How do I know if the surge protection devices are still working?
How do I know if the telephone or cable is blown?
Warranty
How do I register for the warranty?
Do I have a warranty claim?
How long does the warranty process take?
What does fair market value (blue book) mean?
What can I do about personal property damage?
Is data loss covered?
Is installation labor covered?
General
I’ve never had equipment damaged by electricity – Why do I need this?
surgeassure™ is designed for those who would like peace of mind and protection for their sensitive electronics. You may not need it. However, it is possible you have had equipment damage and don’t know it. Many “mysterious” computer problems such as contaminated or irretrievable files are actually due to electrical surges. Also, breakdowns and replacements of electronic equipment due to what you think of as “normal” wear and tear may actually be due to internally or externally caused surges.
Aren’t my circuit breakers enough?
Common AC circuit breakers don’t react quickly enough to protect sensitive electronic equipment. surgeassure™’s Main Zone protector reacts in less that a billionth of a second. Also, it’s important to note that Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) circuit breakers are not surge protectors and therefore do not provide surge protection. They protect against shock hazard.
How often do these disturbances occur?
Because we use so many things like refrigerators, pumps, heating and air conditioning systems all the time, disturbances happen all the time as well. A 17-month study done by IBM in 49 cities across the country found that an average of 128.3 disturbances happened in each monitored facility, every month. Most were surges that did not cause immediate damage, but which could wear down equipment over time.
Will these devices prevent my clocks from blinking?
No. Neither the main, interior, nor exterior zone protectors can eliminate blinking clocks. Blinking is caused by momentary sags or outages, which are solved by the use of a UPS unit or buying electronics with built-in battery back-up.
My electronics have built-in surge protection. Why do I need more?
Built-in surge protectors often aren’t strong enough to handle larger surges and spikes and, like other smaller surge protectors, can wear out without your even knowing it, leaving you with no protection at all. Built-in protection for one piece of equipment may still leave you without protection for important peripherals such as answering machines, modems, printers, etc. In addition, built-in protectors don’t provide back-up power which lets you perform orderly shut-downs.
My home has 2-pronged electrical outlets only. Can I still get Zone protection?
Although you won’t be able to use the Interior Zone protectors (they require use of a grounded three-pronged outlet), you can still have the main zone protector installed. Your standard electrical equipment that is “hard-wired” will then be covered under the Main Zone’s connected equipment warranty.
Homes with a combination of two- and three-pronged outlets may take advantage of the Interior Zone protectors, as long as properly wired and grounded three-pronged outlets are used for all UPS and plug-in protectors. Use of two to three-pronged adapters is expressly disallowed with the surgeassure™ program.
How long will my protection devices last?
Under normal operation, these devices will operate indefinitely. The devices have been engineered by APT, an "ISO 9001: 2000 Certified" industry leading manufacturer. A world class test facility assures maximum design efficiencies and assures maximum accuracy, quality, and dependability. surgeassure™ demonstrates its faith in these products with a 10-year product warranty for the Main Zone protectors. Interior Zone plug-in protectors offer a lifetime product warranty and 10 year connected equipment warranty. Also, our UPS system come with a 2 year product and connected equipment warranties.
Surge Protectors
How do I hookup my plug-in surge protector?
Plug the surge protector into a powered wall outlet. Be sure the switch on the surge protector is set "ON" by pushing down on the reset side. If the surge protector has LED's, be sure they are lighted according to the enclosed instruction manual. If not check your wall outlet. Connect equipment into the outlets on the power strip or surge protector. Be sure to plug in your phone/fax or TV/coax if surge protector has this option.
The phone is not working when plugged into the surge protector?
Unplug and reinstall the phone/fax input cable on the surge protector. If that doesn't work, plug the phone/fax directly into the phone wall jack. If the phone/fax works in the wall jack, the surge protector has been damaged by a surge or could be failed (phone/fax protection circuits are separate and not related to the indicator lights). If the phone doesn't work check your phone in another outlet you may have a defective phone. Or you may have a damaged main zone telephone protector.
If other in-home phones are working then the phone is probably damaged. If the other phones work, but you have a bad signal, the main zone telephone protector is probably damaged. To verify main zone telephone protector is damaged, unplug telephone cables, and connect them with Radio Shack Inline Coupler Cat# 279-434. If telephone signal is restored, the main zone telephone protector needs to be replaced. If signal is still bad, contact the telephone company.
Outlets aren't grounded, can I use an adapter?
No. Your surge protector must be plugged directly plugged into a three-pronged grounded outlet. If you use an adapter the warranty will be void.
Can I daisy chain surge protectors?
No. Surge protectors must be plugged directly into a grounded outlet to work properly. (Underwriters Laboratories prohibits daisy chaining)
What if my TV (or appliance) is damaged, but surge suppressor’s the lights are still on?
Then a transient did not damage the appliance. The units are designed to show evidence of a transient passing through it. If the lights are on, there is some other cause of the damage to the appliance.
What service is the Main Zone Breaker Panel protector rated for?
It is rated for 120/240 VAC, split phase systems. A 20 A breaker must be used to connect the Main Protector to the breaker panel.
Can the Main Zone Protectors be installed outside?
Main Zone protectors are rated for indoor and outdoor applications.
What doesn't the Main Zone protect?
Medical and life support equipment.
How do I know if the surge protection devices are still working?
Properly functionality of the suppressors differs by zones:
1. Main Zone Protectors
i. Main Breaker Panel Protector – TE/1C/40
With advanced monitoring capabilities, this device not only monitors the surge protection integrity, it monitors your home’s grounding. The table below identifies visual and audio conditions along with a corresponding action that needs to take place:
LED1 |
LED2 |
RED |
ALARM |
ACTION |
Green |
Green |
Out |
Off |
Unit is functioning Properly |
Out |
Out |
Out |
Off |
Reset Breaker. If re-opens replace suppressor |
Green |
Green |
Blinks |
Sounds |
Replace Unit |
Out |
Green |
Blinks |
Sounds |
Replace Unit |
Green |
Out |
Blinks |
Sounds |
Replace Unit |
ii. Main Telephone Protector –SAT1
This device has no external indicators to tell you if it is operating normally or in need of replacement. But it’s pretty easy to find out if it needs replacing.
When this device reaches the end of its life, it stops the telephone signal from entering the rest of the home. You will either get static signal or no signal, and you won’t be able to dial out.
iii. Main Coax Protector – SAV1
This device has no external indicators to tell you if it is operating normally or in need of replacement. But it’s pretty easy to find out if it needs replacing.
When this device reaches the end of its life, it stops the coax cable signal from entering the rest of the home. You will either get weak signal or no signal, and you won’t be able to see anything but static or a poor snowy picture.
How do I know if the telephone or cable is blown?
If the telephone or cable portion of the device fails -- the telephone line or cable service is interrupted and appears to be "dead" -- in many cases the service can be established by connecting the cable or phone line directly into the wall. Call surgeassure™ at 800-727-0669 for directions to return your product for replacement.
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Warranty
How do I register for the warranty?
There is no registration process for the warranty. If you have an incident where connected equipment is damaged your surge protector will act as proof of purchase. Please contact us to place a claim under the warranty.
Do I have a warranty claim?
Once your surge protector is received, the warranty department will perform forensic testing along with a review the information you supplied. You will be notified as to the warranty departments findings along with your claim status within three weeks of receipt of the surge protector.
How long does the warranty process take?
The average turn around time from receipt of damaged surge protector to settlement is three weeks.
What does fair market value (blue book) mean?
It is the price that equivalent “Like Kind & quality” equipment can be purchased. For example, Orion Blue Book, UCE.com reseller and eBay provide information relating to equipment value.
What can I do about personal property damage?
Only connected equipment is covered. Personal property damage should be discussed with your homeowner’s insurance carrier.
Is data loss covered?
Data loss is not covered.
Is installation labor covered?
Installation and labor is not covered.
