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Appliance Surge Suppressor Needed

John Picard

John Picard

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My 12-year old Whirlpool refrigerator died this past weekend and could not be repaired. The technician was a very nice fellow who recommended that I buy another Whirlpool as they're the least problematic, plus he said the way mine died was very unusual. He further explained that, for a customer, Samsung and LG are the worst and that I should stick with Whirlpool. Just FYI, but Kenmore is going to be built by LG starting next January.

Anyway, it seems that appliances today can't be simple and are now mated to electronic control boards (DUMB!) and he strongly recommended I get a surge suppressor for the new unit so as not to end up with a friend appliance.

I've performed a few searches and am not coming up with reliable hits or sources. Based on what I've read, I want a unit that can handle a minimum of 1,000 Joules and a warning alarm for when the unit should be replaced is recommended. Would anyone assist in finding a source that sells a suppressor that meets the above? I would most likely prefer a unit that provides 1,200 Joules of protection.

Also, I picked up a new Whirlpool at Lowes :) This time, it has a bottom pull-out freezer with an automatic ice maker. No sense in my having to stoop to get into the drawers all the time. My old unit was the first time I'd ever had an ice-maker, and contrary to what my mother told me as a kid, they're NICE!!
 
I don't really think one of these are necessary. Every time a fridge compressor kicks in (because it takes 200 watts or so to kick start it) it causes a small power surge. Since this is a normal function of the appliance, it's going to have built in protection for small to medium surges, and probably better protection from large surges than anything but an electric range.

So unless you've experienced a large number of power outages, or have other items in the house that will momentarily overload your power, I wouldn't consider it essential. Honestly, anything that is likely to blow up your fridge will trip the circuit breaker before it even gets to the fridge. Yet, I do see the appeal of spending a little to be absolutely safe. So, Belkin makes this one, rated at 1,045 joules

http://belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=124922

As an FYI, integrated computers reduce power consumption and systems wear by better managing when and how long to run the compressor. They're a good thing.
 
Thanks for that link. Actually, it isn't the surge from the compressor that concerns me, it's the surge that occurs, or can occur, from the incoming power. For me, that occurs this time of year with people cranking their A/C units full blast. Surges also tend to be an issue whenever there is a storm.
 
What makes putting electronic components in a refrigerator is that, I've always been under the impression that you should not use an
extension cord (or by "extension" a power strip) on large appliances.

This was supposedly due to the heavy power draw of large appliances causing heat.

Fridges are usually 20 Amp and most cords (the plugs at least) are 15 Amp.
 
If your power is surging enough to fry appliances you need to contact your power company and demand they do something about it. In most places they are required by law to correct any problems that could harm your stuff....
 
Ar-Pharazon said:
What makes putting electronic components in a refrigerator is that, I've always been under the impression that you should not use an
extension cord (or by "extension" a power strip) on large appliances.

This was supposedly due to the heavy power draw of large appliances causing heat.

Fridges are usually 20 Amp and most cords (the plugs at least) are 15 Amp.
Click to expand...

This isn't a surge protector like what your computer is probably plugged into. It's basically a big capacitor that sits between the fridge and the wall and soaks up surges of energy and disperses it as heat. It's specifically designed to have a large appliance plugged into it.
 
JustAFriend said:
If your power is surging enough to fry appliances you need to contact your power company and demand they do something about it. In most places they are required by law to correct any problems that could harm your stuff....
Click to expand...


It's not always so easy as that.

If you live in areas with lots of lightening storms (especially in the spring) like Florida, or North Carolina, it is worth your while to either spring for a quality surge suppressor (keep in mind that not all power strips do this right), or a service plan that DOES cover surges caused by strikes.
 
On a side note, we also had a fridge that died because the circuit board died. Which was kind of weird considering it wasn't that complicated a fridge. We opened a maintenance ticket with GE and made an appointment to have it repaired which they said would be like 58 bucks just to have the repair man come over. The guy shows up, replaces the burnt out circuit board, says good day, and leaves. That was it. No charge for fixing a 6 year old fridge. I thought it was really strange, but i wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
 
Saturn0660 said:
This is what I have. I have two of the power centers and one each of the cords.
Click to expand...

The follow applies not just to this product, but all Monster products: they're technically fine items, but usually cost 4-5 times what they should. Note the MSRP from Monster vs Belkin (39.99 vs 9.99). If you can get a deal on them, by all means buy them.
 
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