Surge protection?

[bettz1]

Found an old masterplug 4 gang extension and was wondering if it had surge protection?

 

[accelerator]

My view is unlikely unless it says it does.

It looks pretty basic.

 

[bettz1]

My view is unlikely unless it says it does.

It looks pretty basic.

Yeah it's at least 10 years old found it upstairs tucked away.
I only need an extension for the router and eufy doorbell

 

[morqthana]

Why do you want surge protection?

What sort of surges do you worry might happen? i.e. what would be the cause of them? How big would they be?

 

[bettz1]

Why do you want surge protection?

What sort of surges do you worry might happen? i.e. what would be the cause of them? How big would they be?

Tbh I have no idea, if I need it. I've got one on my pc etc.

I thought it was what you needed these days?

 

[flameport]

I thought it was what you needed these days?

Surge protection is recommended for most electrical installations.

Plugging in a random adaptor which claims to have surge protection of some kind will achieve very little.

 

[morqthana]

Surge protection is recommended for most electrical installations.

How many of these installations have had a proper risk assessment, and have been judged to

a) be at risk of a "surge"
b) be at risk of significant loss/damage in the event of one?

Plugging in a random adaptor which claims to have surge protection of some kind will achieve very little.

And how many consumer SPDs installed in or next to people's CUs have been installed in such a way that they will provide meaningful protection?

 

[JohnW2]

How many of these installations have had a proper risk assessment, and have been judged to
a) be at risk of a "surge"
b) be at risk of significant loss/damage in the event of one?

Quite so. In another ongoing thread I've been repeating my view about what would have been more 'cost-effective' (the 'cost' being human lives) had the money spent on RCDs been otherwise spent,, and it looks as if we're now seeing even worse with SPDs - which, unless one really scrapes barrels, don't even claim to "save lives" (whereas the money spent on SPDs could, if otherwise used).

 

[flameport]

Not only are those things unknown, they will never be known.

 

[bettz1]

Surge protection is recommended for most electrical installations.

Plugging in a random adaptor which claims to have surge protection of some kind will achieve very little.

I wasn't sure that why I posted it, it's an old masterplug.

I usually buy pro elec It's just going to have the router, eufy doorbell hub and dehumidifier plugged into it

 

[accelerator]

I wasn't sure that why I posted it, it's an old masterplug.

I usually buy pro elec It's just going to have the router, eufy doorbell hub and dehumidifier plugged into it

It looks in good condition and should be fine for that.

 

[JohnW2]

Not only are those things unknown, they will never be known.

We will never know how many lives have been saved by RCDs, but we know quite a few things. For example, we know that domestic RCDs cannot have "saved lots of lives" ... even if RCDs had eliminated all domestic electrocutions (which they clearly haven't, or could have done), that wouldn't have represent 'lots of saved lives' because there have (perhaps surprisingly) always been so relatively few domestic electrocutions in UK. We could also make a stab at estimating the (enormous) amount of money that been spent on RCDs and their installation, testing and replacement (and not forgetting that they were very expensive for the first few years).

However, whilst one can 'talk about it' and have opinions about the situation, there's clearly no prospect of the clock being turned back as far as RCDs are concerned, so that wasn't my point in this thread. Rather, I was pointing out that the same seems to be happening, but 'worse', with SPDs. 'Worse' because, other than in extraordinarily improbable situations, SPDs are never going to save any lives. They may reduce the (very small) risk of electronic equipment being damaged, so some individuals might wish to do things to reduce that very small risk, but we are rapidly moving towards the situation in which these devices will be 'required', in general (or, at least, 'pushed' onto members of the public who don't understand what they can and cannot do) - which seems (to me) to be more than a little inappropriate.

There are perhaps more than a few parallels with the way that 'Smart' meters are being pushed onto the public, by seriously 'overselling' the benefits to the consumer which will result.

 

[morqthana]

Maybe the problem is that we have now reached the stage where things are so safe that the regulations no longer need updating, so we no longer need to keep paying the people whose job it has been to keep updating them.

But rather than recognise that, and agree that they should become redundant, those people keep looking for new "updates needed" even if they are of SFA value from a safety POV.

 

[ebee]

Quite so. In another ongoing thread I've been repeating my view about what would have been more 'cost-effective' (the 'cost' being human lives) had the money spent on RCDs been otherwise spent,, and it looks as if we're now seeing even worse with SPDs - which, unless one really scrapes barrels, don't even claim to "save lives" (whereas the money spent on SPDs could, if otherwise used).

Do not mention AFDDs then!

 

[ebee]

Voltage optimisers v snake oil ???