And test we did, and through all of our testing and learning Wattronics has developed one of themost in-depth product catalogues in the world. We are world renowned for our doublecascade filtration and our state of the art UPS and generator systems, and the learning neverstops, and neither will our product research .At Wattronics we strive to ensure that our products areof the highest quality and functionality. No matter what the application, Wattronics will always bethere to protect your investments

Clamping voltage – This tells you what voltage will cause the MOVs to conduct electricity to the ground line. A lower clamping voltage indicates better protection. There are three levels of protection in the UL rating — 330 V, 400 V and 500 V. Generally, a clamping voltage more than 400 V is too high.

Energy absorption/dissipation – This rating, given in joules, tells you how much energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. A higher number indicates greater protection. Look for a protector that is at least rated at 200 to 400 joules. For better protection, look for a rating of 600 joules or more.

Response time – Surge protectors don’t kick in immediately; there is a very slight delay as they respond to the power surge. A longer response time tells you that your computer (or other equipment) will be exposed to the surge for a greater amount of time. Look for a surge protector that responds in less than one nanosecond.

You should also look for a protector with an indicator light that tells you if the protection components are functioning. All MOVs will burn out after repeated power surges, but the protector will still function as a power strip. Without an indicator light, you have no way of knowing if your protector is still functioning properly.

We need surge protectors to keep all the little circuits inside our computers safe from excess voltage peaks. When these power peaks (surges / spikes) occur, it causes the electrical circuit to heat up—kind of like the filament in a light bulb. Although a big surge can cause the circuit to blow on the spot, lesser surges can peck away at it, eventually causing it to fail.

Sometimes these failures are intermittent, causing your computer to do strange and unexpected things. You know, odd lockups, sudden reboots after it warms up, conjuring up lost spirits—that sort of thing.

Most of the time these oddities are not predictable (since they’re intermittent and all), and show no type of pattern. That said, if your computer is acting weird, it’s not automatically a damaged circuit—don’t underestimate Microsoft’s ability to make strange things happen in Windows.

Now, a lot of people think that most of the problems come from thunderstorms—you know, when lightening zaps a power line. Although a good hit can certainly ruin your computer’s day, there are other more common sources of surges you need to be aware of.

Most of these sources are high powered appliances—refrigerators, air conditioners, furnaces, even hair dryers and vacuums. In addition to appliances, those big power transformers you see hanging off electrical poles can cause problems—especially on hot days when the local air conditioning is giving them a workout.

Any one of the above can cause a disruption in the power flow of your house, creating a surge. It may not be as dramatic as lightening, but can cause damage over time.

A play on words?

Some companies are fudging their specs to confuse customers, we have noticed this problem mainly in the UPS and inverter fields for example, some companies are throwing the term IN-LINE around in reference to an ON-LINE UPS systems, but on inspection of the UPS systems you will notice it is a line interactive unit, clever marketing !!

Sales swindle or plain fraud, you decide!

We have listed the main UPS topologies here for your reference

Online double conversion

• • Total protection
• • Suitable for generator power
• • Considered up-market
• • Used for sophisticated equipment and servers

Line interactive

• • Limited protection offered by internal AVR
• • Not suitable for generators
• • Used for basic back-up for PC,s and control equipment

Ferro resonant UPS systems (Not recommended)

• • Out dated UPS topology
• • Low efficiency
• • Gives off lots of heat.

We recommend that before you purchase a UPS that you check to make sure that you are getting the correct equipment for the job you require, and remember you get what you pay for, so take time in making a decision.

International specification (IEC 60664-1) to which most of today’s equipment will
comply specifies the maximum differential mode surge that the equipment
should be able to withstand without damage is 1500 Volt. A surge or a spike is a
transient voltage that last for only a split second.
There are two types of protectors fitted. On the live a metal oxide varistor
(MOV) unit is recommended and for the neutral a spark gap or as it is also referred
to an N-PE type. The value in fitting both is in the way they are configured
to ensure that surges over 1500V are bled off to earth and don’t travel
around the indoor wiring.
In the past it was common to fit the MOV type protectors between line and earth
and neutral and earth.

R229. 00 / unit

Nevertheless, the V-A rating system is better for matching the load to the UPS. This is true because the fundamental factor that limits the output capacity of a UPS is its output CURRENT capability, which is more closely related to the        V-A rating than the Watt rating.

THIS COMPACT AND INEXPENSIVE CORD HAS FULL SUPPRESSION ON ALL CONDUCTORS AND INCORPORATES POWERFUL FILTRATION CIRCUITRY. STANDARD CORD LENGTH ON EACH SIDE OF THE FILTRATION BOX IS 75CM.