Hi All,
Need your help tracking down the name of a surge protector I saw in the threads magazine in the notions section. Of course I pulled the page and put it in a safe place … now I don’t remember where.
Thanks in advance
pegyreads
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Do you remember which issue of Threads?
Hi Meg,I don't remember at all except that it from the past 3 years. My machine is 3 years old and I saw it in an issue after the protector I was using allow the brains of my machine to be fried.Edited 8/22/2008 10:29 am ET by pegyreads
Edited 8/22/2008 10:29 am ET by pegyreads
Unless you specifically want the one you saw advertised, a surge protector's easily obtained at computer stores. Try Fry's, or Radio Shack.
Katina
Hi Katrina,I was specifically looking for the one advertised. It offered more protection than usual. I've already had to replace the brains of my machine because it was fried by the surge of power from a tripped fuse box.Do you have back issues of threads? I think this was in the notions section from at least 2 years ago.
Was it an APC surge protector? I have one for my computer equipment with a battery backup. It gives you time to shut down safely in the event of a power surge or blackout. Worth every penny, and not that expensive. Bought mine at a Future Shop. Computer places have them. With the cost of computerized sewing machines, it is worth it for them. I keep even my old Bernina on a regular surge protector, just in case. Cathy
Yes, I have every issue - I'll try to find the ad. ThreadKoe's got the kind we have on our computers, etc - gives you time to shut down if there's a power failure.
Katina
Issue 110, on page 22, in the "Questions" section refers to Surge suppressors. They capitilize UPS (Uninterruptible Power System/Supply), but that is a generic name. A brand would be APC or or Cyber Power. They do not specifically mention a brand by name, just the generic UPS.What it is basically saying is that on computerized machine, you need more than a surger protector, you need an actual back up that will keep you going during a power failure or brown out until you can get your machine shut down.
I went through the notions and supplies as far back as 2004 - found nothing. Junkqueen's found what you were referring to; just what ThreadKoe said you need.
Get one soon!
I have several of the small ones that plug directly into the outlet (no cords). Some have only two outlets and one has six.
My husband selected them based on joules, which I know nothing about.
I do think we got them in the computer/electronics department and not in the area that has power strips and extension cords.
Those are the ones I use with the rest of the equipment in our house, like the TV, stereo, lamps, and such. Because we live in a rural area, where there is a big power drain twice a day when all the milking and feeding equipment goes on, it was hard on all our electrical stuff, and often tripped our electric clocks into thinking we had a power bump. They are great for those things.The surge protectors with battery backups, UPS, kick in to override those fluctuations, and when there is a power bump or blackout, gives you time to save your file, and shut down your machines safely. When a surge happens, a switch shuts off the power to your machines, absorbing the extra, and protecting them. With a UPS, The battery will then switch on, enabling you to shut down safely again. My printer scanner was hit by lightning this summer. It was plugged into the surge only part of my UPS. It no longer works, but my computer is fine, as you can see. Cathy
Threadkoe, when I was still on dial-up, (I have satellite now) I had lightening hits -- twice -- come in though the phone line. I'm a slow learner, but I finally got smart enough to get a battery back up APC, and had the phone line running through it, too. We have extremely "dirty" power out where I live. Had the power company (a Rural Electric Co-op) come out and monitor it for 24 hours. They set up equipment on our roof all hooked up to the incoming power and printed out graphs and charts. The lightening hits weren't the only thing that fried my computer, either. Brown outs and surges because of limbs lying across lines or trees leaning against poles or lines wreak havoc on power and ultimately computers. I hope the full text of the Threads Q&A help some of the people here on the forum.
Yes, my phone and everything (except the printer) goes through my UPS backup system. Even the printer is plugged into it, only through the surge only part of it. The printer took a direct hit from a flash from my kitchen light. Figures. Fortunately, everything else was safe. It happened overnight, and the printer had been left on. Between the thunderstorms we have been having and the usual power fluctuations, it has been a bad season this year. Since the Ice Storm in 98, I do not think they have got around to fixing everything yet, and are having small cascades in the lines as the storms affect the local lines. They have been trimming a lot of trees in the area.
Electronic and computer equipment is very sensitive to power fluctuations. A really good UPS us just over $100. Compared to the price of a computerized sewing/embroidery machine, it is cheap insurance. Cathy
Maybe one of the readers can tell me if this is correct. I read a couple of years ago that it's wise to replace your surge protectors from time to time, (I think they were just discussing those) because if they are doing their job correctly, they become less effective as they age. It sounded reasonable, but I don't think I've ever seen that fact anywhere else.
I have never read that myself, however, I make a practice of regularily replacing mine. Once they start tripping often, or start acting up as the wires in them get sensitive, I throw them out and get new one. A new one does not get warm to the touch. An older will after a few years. I do not want to take the chance of them catching fire, so I replace them. I figure if it has a 5 year warranty, replace after 5 years. Cathy
I'm pretty ignorant about electrical problems but since reading that I've made it a routine to just replace the surge protectors every few years. I mentioned it because I thought there might be others who weren't aware. Thanks for the tip about warm/cold.
I didn't have time when I posted the location of this question to type out the entire content, but, this morning I do. So here is the entire content of the question and answer in its entirety. Source: January 2004, Threads, Issue #110. Questions Department, page 22
Q: Do I need to take special precautions with my sewing machine to prevent damage from an electrical surge?
A: Karna Lackey replies: It is very important to protect any household machine, including a mechanical sewing machine with a surge suppressor (also called a surge protector) that protects against the most damaging of power events. A surge (a power hit over 122 volts) or a spike (over 240 volts) in electricity can occur whenever your fridge or other large appliance shuts off, and the energy is was using is diverted elsewhere. A good-quality surge suppressor has a UL1449 rating, and an internal fuse that can break the circuit if the surge lasts more than a few seconds.
If you own a new computerized sewing and embroidery machine, however, you'll need to LOOK BEYOND A SURGE SUPPRESSOR. [emphasis mine]. A surge suppressor doesn't protect against a sag or a brownout (when you receive 80 percent or less of the normal voltage), and line noice (interference that can scramble computer memory); both can be particularly damaging to computer parts. For computerized machines, and Uninterruptible Power System/Supply (UPS) is the way to go. A UPS (found in office or computer stores) levels the power when a surge or spike occurs, reduces noise, and has a battery backup that will bring the power up to a normal level when the power fails or sags. If you've ever been embroidering a design and the lights dimmed enough to shut down your machine and you had to start all over, you'll definitely appreciate the protection of battery backup. When purchasing a UPS, note that the larger the unit, the longer it will last in a power outage. A sales associate can help you choose the best UPS for your machine.
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