Lightning Strike

Which industry standard would that be? Computer Business
Equipment Manufacturer's Association? National Electrical
Code? Underwriter's Laboratory? CSA? ISO? FCC Part 68? US
Army's TM5-690?

Which type of transients does APC claim to protect from? As
stated previously, protection from a surge that typically does
not exist. They do not claim protection from surges that
typically damage electronics - or even ponds. So they make an
ambiguous statement about protecting from "some" spikes and
surges. They don't even say which ones, how long, or how
big. In typical 'junk science' reasoning, they fail to
provide numbers.

Lets look at one standard that a surge protector claims to
meet - UL1449 2nd Edition. UL does not test that anything
works. UL only tests for threats to human safety. Testing
for UL1449 does not care if the surge protector works or even
survives. Survival is not relevant to human safety. UL1449
is about protecting humans from dangerous conditions such as
shock and fire. UL1449 is not about testing to protect a
transistor.

Worded to make many think that UL1449 means a surge
protector is effective. Actually, a surge protector can meet
the criteria for UL1449 by making the protector less
effective. What kind of protection is that? One that does
not burn down the house but also does not protect
transistors. That is effective protection?

Real world surge protectors, such as Polyphaser, don't even
discuss their products in application notes. Instead they
discuss the most critical component of a surge protection
'system' - earth ground. Where does APC even mention earth
ground? Where does APC even ask the homeowner to verify that
most critical 'system' component? You have the paperwork.
Where do they discuss earthing - the component that even
Franklin demonstrated in 1752? APC is mute because they don't
claim protection from that type of surge - the surge that
destroys transistors. Missing statement from APC means they
don't even claim that protection.

You know a surge protector is not effective IF 1) it has no
dedicated connection to earth ground or 2) it avoids all
discussion about earthing. That APC is ineffective twice over
- meets both criteria for ineffective protector. Its called
lying by telling half truths. They make ambiguous statements
because they don't claim protection from surges that damaged
electronics. Where are the specs - with numbers - that claim
common mode surge protection? Real world protectors provide
those numbers.

Back to same concept - why lightning struck that pond is
also why Franklin demonstrated effective protection. Same
protection so well proven that your local phone company,
connected to overhead wires everywhere, need not shutdown
phone service for thunderstorms. All use the most critical
component in lightning protection. Be it a lightning rod over
the pond or a surge protector - effective protection is about
earthing a surge, which that APC UPS does not do and avoids
mentioning.

A surge protector is only as effective as its earth
ground. Polyphaser, an industry benchmark, discusses earthing
extensively in application notes. Where did APC even mention
the word 'earth' even once? Where do they put numbers to
their claims. Where do they even specify which industry
standards? They meet the standard that says the surge
protector will not kill you - human protection. Where is the
claim for transistor protection?. No earth ground means no
effective protection - as was well proven even in 1930s
research papers.

One electronic device essential to ponds and easily
destroyed by surges is that GFCI. Just another reason why
'whole house' protector is important and why a lightning rod
over that pond might be considered (depending on the frequency
of CG lightning).


Anne Lurie wrote:

"w_tom" wrote in message
...
Lightning is not stopped, blocked, or absorbed. Others are
still confused. They actually think a plug-in UPS claims
protection from such surges even though the manufacturer makes
no such claim. A UPS connects appliance directly to AC mains
when not in battery backup mode. No protection there.
Protectors only work when they connect the incoming surge to
surge protection - earth ground.

Well, I happened to have the paperwork from one of our APC UPS
units right here, and it says (in part): "Power line transients
that APC products have been designed to protect against, as
recognized by industry standards, include spikes and surges on
AC power lines."

Anne Lurie
Raleigh, NC