Surge Protectors

squid13 wrote:I have whole house surge protection and I got it from my power company. It installs in the panel outside and then the electric meter plugs into it. They also put protection on the incoming cable line plus phone line. I've had it for about 15 years.

Do you recall what it cost? Does it have a "pilot light" that tells you it's still working?

DME told me the problem with the oxygen generator was the surge protector and not to use one.

My DME will repair or replace my cpap through the insurance . Unsure if I'd have to repay my deductible.

(Yes, when I realized it was a brick I did wonder if it couldn't just get hit by a power surge as we get them multiple times a month -possibly due to living on a hill? Actually bought a back up generator for power.)

Hum maybe I should plug it back in even though I'm not using it in case I'd get lucky and could get a repalcement with support from the DME?

It cost $9 a month thru the power company on your bill. It has 2 red lights that glow to show that it is OK. If it blows or what ever they'll take care of it as far as replacing. I know I could of hired it done for a lot less, this was the easiest way to go. It's like anything else you pay for a service.

squid13 wrote:It cost $9 a month thru the power company on your bill. It has 2 red lights that glow to show that it is OK. If it blows or what ever they'll take care of it as far as replacing. I know I could of hired it done for a lot less, this was the easiest way to go. It's like anything else you pay for a service.

Interesting, I didn't know they provided that service. Of course, the power company should do it free of charge, given that they are responsible for that side of the meter. Oh well, maybe some century. But, you still need a local surge protector at the device you want to protect, to be sure. Spikes can also originate in your house, from motors going on/off, arc welding, that short of thing...

moresleep wrote:

squid13 wrote:It cost $9 a month thru the power company on your bill. It has 2 red lights that glow to show that it is OK. If it blows or what ever they'll take care of it as far as replacing. I know I could of hired it done for a lot less, this was the easiest way to go. It's like anything else you pay for a service.

Interesting, I didn't know they provided that service. Of course, the power company should do it free of charge, given that they are responsible for that side of the meter. Oh well, maybe some century. But, you still need a local surge protector at the device you want to protect, to be sure. Spikes can also originate in your house, from motors going on/off, arc welding, that short of thing...

Thanks for the info squid. Was there an installation charge?

Moresleep, you're right about needing the protector at the device as well. A nearby lightning strike can induce voltages on the wiring between your CPAP and the whole house surge protector.

Never plug the arc welder into the same outlet strip as the CPAP machine.

No install charge at that time.

Common power quality disturbances include surges, spikes and sags in power source voltage and harmonics (or “noise”)
on the power line. Each of these occurrences is discussed briefly below.

Surge – A rapid short-term increase in voltage. Surges often are caused when high power demand devices such as air
conditioners turn off and the extra voltage is dissipated through the power line. Since sensitive electronic devices require a
constant voltage, surges stress delicate components and cause premature failure.

Spike – An extremely high and nearly instantaneous increase in voltage with a very short duration measured in
microseconds. Spikes are often caused by lightning or by events such as power coming back on after an outage. A spike
can damage or destroy sensitive electronic equipment. Turn the equipment off during a power outage. Wait a few minutes
after power is restored before turning it on, then turn on one device at a time.

Sag – A rapid short-term decrease in voltage. A sag typically is caused by simultaneous high power demand of many
electrical devices such as motors, compressors and so on. The effect of a sag is to “starve” electronic equipment of power
causing unexpected crashes and lost or corrupted data. Sags also reduce the efficiency and life span of equipment such as
electric motors.

Noise – A disturbance in the smooth flow of electricity. Often technically referred to as electro-magnetic interference
(EMI) or radio frequency interference (RFI). “Harmonics” are a special category of power line noise that causes
distortions in electrical voltage. Noise can be caused by motors and electronic devices in the immediate vicinity or far
away. Noise can affect performance of some equipment and introduce glitches and errors into software programs and data
files.

My DME told me to get a good surge protector to plug my CPAP into.I have surge suppressors on my computer equipment because i work from home on the computer and since it is my livelihood. I do not have my TV on one. I don't want my CPAP to get hosed with any power problems, they are much too expensive to buy by myself. And since i just got mine this year, I don't think the insurance will spring for a new one for another 4 and a half years.

Snuff-L-Reddy wrote:My tech said that he did not think so, and that in two years of working there, no one had ask that question.

DME has some really dumb customers. And that translates to a really dumb DME.