For in wall power outlet with surge protected outlets, this is what people are looking for;
Read more on surge receptacles vs power strips.
The use of an in wall surge protector outlet is a smart simple way of protecting your valued appliances against damage that may result from power surges.
1. Amount of Surge that the Outlet can withstand safely
Power surges come in different forms and sizes. It is therefore important that you are aware of the defined rated amount of energy the in wall surge protector can withstand.
This is measured in kilojoules.
Anything above 1Kj is acceptable.
2. Style and Finishing
Although this may seem to come last, it is of great importance. A lot more people are paying attention to the style and finishing of their living spaces.
The in wall surge protector outlet should somehow add to the room aesthetics.
3. USB Ports
Not only does this remove the burden of having to carry your charging accessories but gives a flexible appeal to have all your devices in one place.
The concern here is how well the USB ports can support the different types of devices with no hitches.
Remember to consider the number of USB ports that suit your needs.
A 2A USB port charges much faster than a 1A USB port. Due to this, your choice of the wall outlet surge protector with usb should factor this as well.
4. Grounding and LEDS
This is an important Factor because grounding determines the safety of the device. whenever an electric fault is detected then instead of a human being shocked the current is passed to the ground safely.
The accompanying LED helps tell the status of the device. For example, is it grounded and protected?
5. Warranty
You will also be interested to know whether the device you are purchasing has a warranty from the manufacturer.
Of course a warranty is a sign that the manufacturer put faith that the device will work for the said period.
In most cases if not all, buy from a reputable company that also gives you warranty.
Additionally, some brands offer a warranty on the equipment connected to the surge protector.
For instance, you may find surge protectors that assures you replacement of appliances upto $100,000 in case of a power surge that damages them while connected to the surge protector.
6. Ease of Mounting & Accessories
Nobody wants to buy a product but then keep them in a storage location somewhere because installation was difficult.
Therefore, the ease of mounting and the accessories that come together with the surge protector outlet should make your work easier.
Check out for details and reviews from other customers to ensure you can DIY
7. Number of Outlets and the Rating
You should never forget to consider the number of outlets that you require eg 2, 4, 6 or 8. This determines the number of appliances that you can use with a power socket outlet.
The other variable that is closely related to this is the rating of the in-wall surge protector outlet. This will determine the maximum load that can be connected to that socket outlet. It is common to find ratings of 15 amperes on most power socket outlets.
Whether it is a 2-outlet in-wall surge protector or a single outlet surge protector, you will find them available in the market.
6-outlet surge protector wall tap
4-outlet in wall surge protector
8. Response Time of the Surge Protector
It is not practical to have a surge arrestor that responds immediately when a fault occurs.
Ideally then, there is usually a slight delay between fault detection and when the surge protector kicks in to divert the excessive energy experienced during a lightning or excessive voltage.
This time difference is a critical time as it could bring the difference between allowing the excessive energy to find a way to your appliances or channel away to the ground.
Most surge arresters are designed to respond in about 1 nano second. More than this would result in undesirable effects.
9. Electromagnetic Interference Cancellation
From time to time, radio frequency interference signals may find their way into your socket outlets through the utility power lines.
Some in wall surge protector outlets have an inbuilt feature to filter this noise which could adversely affect the sensitive electronic appliances in your house.
10. End of Life Warning
In our busy schedules, no one remembers when everything in the house will expire, particularly taking notice of a surge protector!
On this account then, a device that will prompt you when it’s due for replacement is advantageous. You won’t miss it unless you put some effort into ignoring it.
In any case with the alert you will be aware that your in-wall surge protector outlet does not shield you from voltage spikes anymore.
Surge protector outlet for TV
You may be wondering whether you need to protect your TV with a surge protector. I think it is a good idea.
More so especially if you live in an area prone to storms, lightning or frequent power instability.
Additionally, if you know you are a heavy user of other appliances such as pumps, driers, heaters etc that are often switched ON and OFF. These appliances may create internal voltage spikes that may find their way to your smart TV.
Over and above the whole house surge protector, an in-wall surge protector for tv will do a great job.
Best Surge Protector Receptacle
This is a frequently asked question – what is the best surge protector receptacle.
Well, it depends on a lot of factors – most of them outlined above. Not all surge protectors are equal. Hence,they will end up having different costs contingent to the features.
Here at HavenHomeTech, we recommend the belkin surge protector.
Belkin Surge protector
FAQs
Do surge protector outlets work?
Yes, surge protector outlets do work. I think the important thing to remember is that they mostly protect you from internal power surges.
They will not be the main guard against external power surges coming through your utility connection for example. You must install a whole house surge protector to fool proof yourself against surges.
Is it better to plug computer into wall or surge protector?
A computer comprises sensitive electronic components such as the motherboard and the hard drive. Although the manufacturers have taken a great effort to ensure that the computer at least withstands normal power disturbances, power surges can be detrimental.
Consequently, when you can, the computer is safer when connected to a surge protector. The good thing is that, instead of using surge strips, surge receptacles are available to do the same function in a much better way.
Does a surge protector have to be plugged into the wall?
Not necessarily. A surge protector can also be plugged to a power strip.
It is crucial to understand how a surge protector works. A surge protector will always require to be connected to the ground.
Hence, if your power strip lacks the ground cable connection and only has 2 cables – hot and neutral, then a surge protector will not work.
That being the case, it is best practice to connect surge protectors into the wall and at the main panel where we are sure the ground cable connection will be present.
Can you mount surge protectors to the wall?
Yes you can mount a surge protector to the wall. The in wall surge protector outlets are specially built for this function.
Conclusion
An in wall surge protector outlet falls in the category of point of use surge arrestors.
A surge arrestor installed nearest to the appliance under protection plays a significant role to ensure your appliances or devices survive power surges.
Hence, besides installing surge arrestors at the mains panel to protect your whole house. It is important to also consider power receptacles that also have surge protection.
This is especially true because certain power surges originate within your home – for example, when you switch ON and switch OFF pumps or other heavy loads.
The whole house surge protector is ideal to protect your home from external power surges. On the other hand, in wall surge protector outlets are suited to guard against internal surges and stray external surges that may have escaped the whole house surge arrestors.
In comparison to power strips with surge protection, the surge receptacles are less bulky and neat with no criss-crossing cables that could either be damaged or make someone trip.
The use of power strips is not recommended unless you find yourself with limited options.