Many people think of surge protectors as a level of protection against lightning strikes. While it is true that surge protectors safeguard home electronics from lightning flashes, they may give people a false sense of security, for the simple reason that lightning strikes are not particularly common. However, surge protectors protect against more than lightning, and therefore it’s essential that when you’re deciding how to organize your desk, you need to incorporate a surge protector.
Surge protectors will not protect electronics that are directly hit by lightning. Fortunately, lightning typically strikes a utility pole rather than the building where electronics are used, or the strike’s energy is dispersed by the building’s wiring before it gets to the valuable electronics. The result is not a direct hit, but rather a surge—or sudden increase of power—typically reaching a maximum of about 6000 volts. Surge protectors not only must withstand that level of voltage, they must also handle the frequency of surges. Some areas have more instances of lightning than others, and know that lightning doesn’t have to be close by to cause damage; the average lightning strike can have an impact on electronics up to a half mile away!
Inductive surges are not as dramatic as lightning, but they can cause a great deal of damage to electronic equipment. These surges are caused by a sudden interruption of current in an inductive electrical circuit, and can deliver much higher voltage than the device is built to receive. No matter what the source of the surge, it’s smart to protect your technology from harm by using surge protectors.
There are several ways to protect electronics from electrical surges.
- For the typical home, a simple surge protecting power strip may suffice. Choose a surge protector for your electronics, rather than a regular power strip; surge protectors have a voltage rating in Joules of energy. Some pieces of furniture, like Atlantic Inc’s Simple Desk, have built-in power strip holders, to make it easy to establish protection when you organize desktop electronics.
- Surge protection cables offer a slightly higher level of protection. Surge protection cables protect home electronics and televisions from lightning flashes just by plugging the cables into the wall.
- Surge arrestors offer extra security for areas that are prone to lightning strikes. A surge arrestor kit contains an arrestor and a grounding wire, and an outdoor arrestor kit uses wireless devices, outdoor cables, and underground wires.
- Topping the protection level is a total surge protection solution. This form of protection requires using multiple outlets, a retention screw, and a ground termination point, to protect several electronic devices at once.
When planning your home office, check out Atlantic Inc. With over 25 years in the media storage business, Atlantic has the supplies you need for media storage and organization. Visit the website to get inspired, stay tuned to the blog for organization tips, and connect with the online community on Facebook and Twitter.











