Re: Line Conditioner to Protect Electronics
By Will Dahlgren
> Ten years ago a Sola 2- or 3-kva ferro-resonant line conditioner for > 60 Hz cost about $2000; it will run indefinitely with no maintenance, > and protect all the computers and consumer electronics found in a home. > I think it's very well-suited for places like Florida and Jakarta!
I think, starting at $2000, one might consider a few solar arrays and at least power your electronics off the grid.
I have had a couple of "events" here when 14,000-volt lines got knocked into our local grid (probably 2000-3000 volts). Several of my $9.99 plug strips were fried and provided no protection. The MOVs just couldn't hold on until the breaker tripped.
[ MOV = Metal-Oxide-Varistor, which is the popular semiconductor device [ used in the plug-strips. -- Robbie
However, the $60 computer-type devices worked. Also, since many of these come with $10,000 to $25,000 damage warranties, hey, it's worth a try. I admit the small print suggests some major difficulties on the collection end, but if you don't have $2000, it may give some cheap insurance.
Will Dahlgren
[ I'd like to see the "incident report" from the power company for that [ event. It must have caused big damage. [ [ Battery-to-AC convertors for motor homes are now around $200 for a [ 400-watt unit; then all I need is a well-charged car battery, and I'm [ prepared for the wind and lightning storms. I'm seriously thinking [ about this! -- Robbie
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(Message sent Fri 10 Jan 1997, 05:08:02 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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