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How Surge Suppressors Protect Your Equipment From Damage

By Morgana Siggins

November 24, 2020

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Power surges are very common and can be caused by a number of different factors. Besides the turning on and shutting off of electronic devices, some other things that cause power surges are lightning strikes, power line disturbances, and even high-frequency electromagnetic noise.

Within the last years, technology has evolved and electronic devices have increasingly become more sensitive to spikes in the electrical currents powering them. Also, more and more companies depend on the visibility provided by systems that capture and monitor data.

These systems are called remote monitoring systems and are heavily relied upon because they protect mission-critical equipment in many different industries. They do this by capturing, monitoring, and notifying about problems in networks. But, monitoring systems are formed by electronic devices that are susceptible to power surge damage as well.

This means that when a power surge happens, its components will be damaged just like any other piece of gear would - leaving your network unprotected.

Although it's almost impossible to avoid power surges, surge suppression can mitigate their impact on your network. Let's dive into how surge suppressors can help you protect your investment in remote monitoring solutions.

Power surge damage
Example of damage caused by power surge.

What Is a Surge Suppressor?

A surge suppressor or surge protector device (SPD) is a device that is used to protect equipment against power surges and voltage spikes while also blocking voltage over a safe threshold. When the voltage goes above the threshold, the SPD shorts to ground voltage or even blocks it.

SPDs are a cost-effective solution to prevent network downtime, improve your system and data reliability, they also help you eliminate equipment damage due to power surges. Common SPD applications include:

Given their high costs and the amount of power they use, protecting mission-critical gear is a priority for many companies. The higher the power of a device or machine, the higher the risks of an electrical disaster. So, if you're constantly worrying about power surges and how you can protect your bottom line, investing in surge protection is critical.

Are you doing everything you can to prevent data disruptions or loss in your facility?

Surge Suppressors Protect Your Monitoring Investment

The main reason that surge suppressors are important is that they protect your monitoring devices from failure. As I've said before, lightning strikes are one of the most dangerous causes of power surges, knowing that we've designed our RTUs to take the hit from lightning strikes and protect your mission-critical equipment from being fried.

Given that your network equipment is responsible for your company's bottom line, you can't simply leave their security to luck. That's why, when a power surge happens, our RTUs will be on the receiving end to protect your network. This means that instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars replacing your critical equipment, you will spend way less to replace your RTU.

But, imagine how much more cost-effective it would be to have a surge suppressor to protect your monitoring devices?

The surge suppressor will take the hit of a power surge, protecting both your monitoring devices - and ultimately your mission-critical equipment as well. The SPD is also much cheaper than your monitoring devices, so if it gets damaged from a surge, replacing it will be a way more affordable cost.

Our Propane Sensor Protector, for example, is able to protect propane gauges from power surges along the analog input lines. Power surges from either side of the Protector will be stopped, so a surge on the cable between monitoring equipment and the sensors will not cause damage. This is ideal for situations where the sensors are not in the building with the RTU, locations with nearby high voltage lines, and areas prone to lightning strikes.

Are you interested in our Propane Sensor Protector? Reach out to us and ask for the part number D-PK-LNPRO.

Propane Sensor Protector
Deploy our Propane Sensor Protector and make sure your tanks are safeguarded against power surges.

Bottom Line

There really isn't any good reason why you shouldn't get a surge protector. Even if you don't have network sites located in an area with lots of thunderstorms, surge protectors for remote monitoring devices and for your network gear are cheap, so they are worth the investment just in case.

In a nutshell, your business relies on equipment that's powered by electricity, and without an SPD you're putting all of your expensive devices at risk.

If you already have a remote monitoring system in place, an efficient RTU might be able to take the hit for your gear when a power surge happens. However, in terms of your bottom line, it's way more cost-effective to replace a surge suppressor that costs less than a hundred dollars than replacing the RTUs that you spent hundreds or even thousands of dollars on.

Our surge suppressors were specially designed to provide top-notch reliability and cost-effectiveness to protect your investment in your remote system and to maintain your network up and running at all times. They were designed and built in-house by our competent engineers. The same ones that you talk to when you reach out to us. They will help you select the proper device to guard your equipment.

Don't let your remote monitoring devices and mission-critical network suffer due to power disruption, contact us today.

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Morgana Siggins

Morgana Siggins

Morgana Siggins is a marketing writer, content creator, and documentation specialist at DPS Telecom. She has created over 200 blog articles and videos sharing her years of experience in the remote monitoring industry.