Surge protector or Voltage stabilizer?

Los Lobos

New member
Mar 8, 2011
146
0
0
Hello

Kind of goes with the new fridgerator thread. If it is one with sensitive circuit boards what would you use to protect it from the very reliable:D electric grid in DR. Surge protector or voltage stabilizer or both?? Wife ones a new one for stateside and send the older on down for the house. Im just worried about shipping it down and with the first outage frying it.

Thanks
 

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
191
0
38
yahoomail.com
I have lived here for 20 years, I have neither, and have never "Fried" a "Fridge".
A "Surge Protector" is a few dollars, a "Voltage Stabilizer" is NOT, plus, it uses some electricity it'self.
Shipping down a "Fridge" can be several hundred dollars.
Might not be worth it!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
We have a whole house voltage regulator, makes a big difference in the way our appliances run. In our case, our house's voltage runs very low, so this is a miracle for us. Wasn't that expensive, I think about 5000 pesos, maybe less. Our electrician builds them himself.
 

CristoRey

Welcome To Wonderland
Apr 1, 2014
11,715
7,976
113
A chica paid 15,000 for the one in my apartment. Plugs straight into the wall. Electricity goes on and off all day. No electricity,
food and drinks get warm. Electricity comes on (you guessed it) food and drinks get cool. One of my brothers is an
electrician by trade. He told me so long as my apartment isn't struck by lightning it should be just fine. Call me stupid but
I figure I got a better chance of winning the local lottery than being hit by lightning.
 

msmfgf

New member
Jul 12, 2013
144
0
0
you can get fridge protectors ........ they plug into the socket & you plug the fridge into them
they shut off for under & over voltage
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
6,247
113
South Coast
A chica paid 15,000 for the one in my apartment. Plugs straight into the wall. Electricity goes on and off all day. No electricity,
food and drinks get warm. Electricity comes on (you guessed it) food and drinks get cool. One of my brothers is an
electrician by trade. He told me so long as my apartment isn't struck by lightning it should be just fine. Call me stupid but
I figure I got a better chance of winning the local lottery than being hit by lightning.

This is something else. The one we have is the size of a electrical panel box, and it is mounted outside in our pump house between the electrical pole and the house. All the electric for the entire property goes through it first.
 

westom

New member
Dec 4, 2009
16
0
0
If it is one with sensitive circuit boards what would you use to protect it from the very reliable:D electric grid in DR. ... Im just worried about shipping it down and with the first outage frying it.
Ideal voltage for all electronics is even when incandescent bulbs dim to 50% intensity. When voltage goes lower, then electronics simply power off. Where is this 'frying' from a low voltage? Identify a part that is damaged by low voltage? No body can for one simple reason. Fears also proved Martians were invading Browns Mills.

Low voltage damages no electronics. But low voltage can harm electric motors. Voltage variation is quite normal for electronics. But is a threat to motors. So the utility cuts off power if voltage cannot be maintains ... to protect what is actually at risk - the motor.

All electronics have a power supply whose job is to stablize power even when that power can damage a refrigerator's motor. Only hysteria claims blackouts damage electronics. Get over it. Stop worrying about myths invented by others who do not know how electricity works. Who only know because they fear.

Other anomalies exist. Some require other solutions. But each anomaly cited here is only a threat to electric motors and is ideal power for electronics. Blackouts damage no hardware. But again, if a blackout is destructive, then one can identify the part (transistor, resistor, switch, etc) damaged by a blackout. Nobody does for one simple reason. Only damage is to a emotional psyche - that entertains mythical fears.

Another mentions direct lightning strikes. A direct strike to AC wires far down the street is a direct strike to every appliance in a house. How often do such transients exist? Typically once every seven years. A numbers that can vary significantly in every town and that is even defined by geology. That is a different topic for a different anomaly that requires a completely different solution.
 

Olly

Bronze
Mar 12, 2007
1,914
104
63
Los lobos,

For a smal fridges use a Fridge and or freezers protecter- these are availalbe a La Serena for 580 RD$ - at least they are in Puerto Plata - these have high , low , sart up delay of 3 minutes and a limited amount of "Spike " protection which damages electronics here in the DR. These are useful for small fridges that have very limited electronics and the low voltage cut-off prevents motor burn out on low voltages when the compressor tries to restart.
these are also useful on larger more modern fridges but many now have these features built in to the electronics. Spike protections is still a usefull thing to add and the easiest way is a plug in unit at the outlets. Get one with about 500 to 800 joules capability to absorb "Spikes"

Hope that helps - we will try to get the name of the device next time we go to La Serena!

Olly and the Team
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,545
1,327
113
Ideal voltage for all electronics is even when incandescent bulbs dim to 50% intensity. When voltage goes lower, then electronics simply power off. Where is this 'frying' from a low voltage? Identify a part that is damaged by low voltage? No body can for one simple reason. Fears also proved Martians were invading Browns Mills.

Low voltage damages no electronics. But low voltage can harm electric motors. Voltage variation is quite normal for electronics. But is a threat to motors. So the utility cuts off power if voltage cannot be maintains ... to protect what is actually at risk - the motor.

All electronics have a power supply whose job is to stablize power even when that power can damage a refrigerator's motor. Only hysteria claims blackouts damage electronics. Get over it. Stop worrying about myths invented by others who do not know how electricity works. Who only know because they fear.

Other anomalies exist. Some require other solutions. But each anomaly cited here is only a threat to electric motors and is ideal power for electronics. Blackouts damage no hardware. But again, if a blackout is destructive, then one can identify the part (transistor, resistor, switch, etc) damaged by a blackout. Nobody does for one simple reason. Only damage is to a emotional psyche - that entertains mythical fears.

Another mentions direct lightning strikes. A direct strike to AC wires far down the street is a direct strike to every appliance in a house. How often do such transients exist? Typically once every seven years. A numbers that can vary significantly in every town and that is even defined by geology. That is a different topic for a different anomaly that requires a completely different solution.

Seems the martians have visited the dr then.........

Please explain to us why once ure regulator is installed there are no more problems with the fridge....

And of course it helps to have a working fridge....... the regulator sort of stabilises the electricity...... without the fridge doesnt work, with it does...... dont need to know more than that.
 

westom

New member
Dec 4, 2009
16
0
0
Spike protections is still a usefull thing to add and the easiest way is a plug in unit at the outlets. Get one with about 500 to 800 joules capability to absorb "Spikes"
Spikes that are near zero (500 to 800 joules) are routinely absorbed by electronics; converted to low voltage DC to power its semiconductors. Protectors rates that tiny also have a history of creating fires. Fortunately, these undersized protectors have a thermal fuse to disconnect protector parts from larger surges; and leave that surge connected to attached electronics. Then attached electronics make that surge irrelevant.

Then wild speculation says, "My protector sacrificed itself to save my appliance." Nonsense. Appliance protected itself from a surge so tiny as to only destroy a grossly undersized protector (500 - 800 joules).

Effective surge protection must be located elsewhere so that even destructive surges - hundreds of thosuands of joules - cause no damage. No damage even to the protector. These proven devices typically cost about $1 per protected appliance. And are the only solutoin always found in facilities that cannot have damage even from direct lightning strikes. Those facilities do not spend tens or 100 times more money on plug-in protectors.

As noted previously, protection means direct lightning strikes without damage. If a refrigerator needs that protection, then so does a dishwasher, all clocks, TV, air conditioner, and most important smoke detectors. Only a 'whole house' solution provides effective protection. Necessary to even protect that near zero (500 to 800 joule) plug-in protector.

This is irrelevant to a completely different topic about blackouts and low voltage - that can harm motorized appliances and are of no concern to electronic hardware.
 

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
191
0
38
yahoomail.com
15 Years ago, I got a Power Surge, so high that light bulbs started to explode!!!!!!!!
It fried a few pieces of equipment that I had , Cassette recorder, radios,but not the "Frige" thank god.
I put in a claim to the electric "Corporacion" here in SD.
They said it was "My Fault"!!!!!!
I guess they meant for living in the DR!!!!!!!
I am about to buy a new "Fridge" and a 12,000 btu inverter a/c.
I'll post about my experiences, AND my electric bill, now at 20,000 pesos a month!!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

Uzin

Bronze
Oct 26, 2005
1,386
20
38
Note that most protectors of various kinds need an "earth"/"ground" connection, I know many plugs in DR don't have the 3rd "earth" or "ground" connection, so that is an important thing which is completely missed out by electricians on most homes here in DR. Without it none of the protectors or many new appliances can't work as they should, check that first.
 

morganstern

New member
Jun 4, 2014
62
0
0
I would listen to 'Alter Ego' and ignore other conversation. Easy and best choice...do the whole house.
 

Olly

Bronze
Mar 12, 2007
1,914
104
63
Los Lobos -there is a lot of information in an earlier thread that you might want to read as this topic has come up before.

transcient voltage protection

HTH

Olly and the Team

Ps will be going to POP tomorrow so will get a picture of the device they have. It has worked on our freezer for eight years now so have a little experience in the Dr with this situation.
 

Olly

Bronze
Mar 12, 2007
1,914
104
63
Los lobos - There is also another thread on this topic :

Spike protection for electrical items


Also here is details of a device used for the last 8 years for our freezer.



www.tonalpower.com

These items were available at Ochoa for about RD$1000 but are only useful for individual appliances. We have used a TN-1 on our freezer for the last three years with no problems. Has the 3 minute delay to prevent the compressor starting up against pressure. It allows time for the pressure in the compressor to be release which otherwise makes the compressor stall and eventually burn out.

HTH

Olly
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
I figure I got a better chance of winning the local lottery than being hit by lightning.
The odds change considerably if the area circuit gets hit by lightning.

We had an overvoltage condition here a few weeks ago: 160v for an hour. The inverter also acts as a surge suppressor, so we didn't get the brunt of it. Neighbors weren't so lucky.
 

chic

Silver
Nov 20, 2013
4,305
1
0
i never believed(surge) fried t v etc..until a friend of mine who lives very well , has all and is quietly well to do... got hit...lost the tv. fridge and some other things...he wanted to go whole house protector but went and got good surge strip outlets for all appliancess, tvs etc...i didnt ask about neighbors etc...he lives in fancy hood where not too many peeps talk...
 

Olly

Bronze
Mar 12, 2007
1,914
104
63
Los lobos,
The tonalpower link no longer works but La serena have the ones by Avtec at RD$525. By the TV s in POP.

Olly and the Team
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
The best thing you can do for surge prevention is ground your house electrical system. MANY structures in the DR are not grounded.

It's an inexpensive, simple job by an electrician...

A surge suppressor and voltage regulator serve different purposes.