Surge protectors don’t last forever and their lifespan is heavily dependent upon the amount of surges experienced or absorbed.
Why We Use Surge Protectors:
Most of you already know why we use surge protectors but let’s recap. If you experience a sudden increase in electrical current caused by either lightning, electrical grid malfunctions, or power outages your electrical outlet cannot protect your hardware against these spikes.
Standard outlets are just not made to withstand high surges. That’s where the Surge Protector comes into play. Essentially the surge protector diverts energy to an inside component to ensure the right amount of electricity passes through safely
Surge Protector Lifespan
The lifespan of a surge protector depends on the Joules Rating verses years. Joules measure the total energy that can be absorbed by a surge protector before your protection wears out and stops absorbing additional voltage.
An example would be if a 1,000 joules energy rated surge protector experiences a large single power surge measuring 1,000 joules – it will have maxed out its effectiveness.
But how do you know when to replace your Surge Protector?
There isn’t an exact science as to when to replace your surge protector. If you experience a power outage or extensive power surge you should always replace your surge protectors to be safe.
The older the surge protectors the more at risk you are for the surge protector to fail.
A good measuring stick for surge protector replacement is two years - so if you have a five year old surge protector you may want to consider updating to be on safe side.
Final Note: Consider the quality of the surge protector you are purchasing. The higher the joules the greater the protection.
If you have any questions about surge protectors give us a call and we can assist you selecting the proper products today!