what is "unswitched?" what is the difference between protected and grounded? " if any, thanks be to ya
2007-08-13 09:51:59 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Other - Hardware
There's a great article from the folks at How Stuff Works at http://computer.howstuffworks.com/surge-protector.htm
2007-08-13 09:56:58 · answer #1 · answered by Jim 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
protected = surge protected
grounded = connected to electrical ground [NOT surge protected]
***
in essence, what a surge protector does is continuously monitor the current flow and voltage in the hot, neutral, and ground wires between your equipment and the wall outlet.
If at any time, the current in the hot and neutral wires differs by more than a fixed amount, the device shuts off the hot lead.
also, if the current in the ground wire ever becomes more than zero, it shuts off the hot lead.
both conditions above imply that your equipment has suffered a short circuit.
surge protectors also check that the total current and/or total voltage does not exceed some preset value ... if so, they disconnect everything. [way too high like this occurs because of a lightning strike, for example.]
in this latter case, the surge protector is usually fried and you need to buy a new one.
does this help?
2007-08-13 10:03:00 · answer #2 · answered by Spock (rhp) 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
surge protectors... uhmmm in a house hold electricity goes up and down with the many things sucking electricity down throughout the day... a surge protector helps regulate that and if you were to get a surge, like a lightning or some thing like that the surge would go out not your expensive items that are connected to it... grounded:there is a safe path for electricity to travel without going anywhere that is not suppost to... and stuff like that...
2007-08-13 09:58:45 · answer #3 · answered by brazilianloser 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unswitched just means that receptacle is still hot when the unit is turned off.
2007-08-13 10:19:01 · answer #4 · answered by rhino72032 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe its a large capacitor or something
2007-08-13 09:56:06 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋