Powerguard :: Nothing Protects like PowerGuard

Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTIONS
- Will PowerGuard products protect my equipment from a lightning strike?

- What are the differences between the PowerGuard (PG3701) and the Power Filters (CPF3500, CMP3901, and CMP3903)?

- Why do I need to use a PowerGuard when I have a Filter?

- I understand the basics but how does the PowerGuard Protect?

- How does the Professional Series Filter Protect?

- What load can the spike arrester and filter support, can I plug a multiple outlet Power Board into the device?

- I have an Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker on my house, why do I need anything else to protect?

- The electrician who installed my ELCB has recommended and fitted a Surge Protector on the distribution board and says that’s all I need, but having read the info on your website there seems more to it, what should I be doing?

- I have a complete Home Office with PC, and a new Flat Screen Monitor and Multi Function System; I have the Pro Series CMP Ultra 2 single outlet filter and originally connected my PC to that, what about the other equipment?

- Can I use a double adapter on the protective devices?

- I have a Note Book Computer that has an external AC/AC Power Pack and I was given to understand that I don’t need Power Protection, but a colleague had his Note Book destroyed recently while travelling. What can you recommend?

I have an Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker on my house, why do I need anything else to protect?

Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers (ELCB’s) also known as Residual Current Detectors (RCD’s), are compulsory in all new homes and most industrial sites in Australia, their function is to detect spurious or accidental current flow returning to the Earth conductor and to rapidly isolate the power in that circuit. The prime purpose of the protection is to prevent and protect against accidental electrocution to protect human life, where connected equipment may be faulty, cords frayed or wiring insulation compromised. (Or if we believe the advertising, the spectacularly stupid event where a hair dryer is used under the shower, or an electric bar heater is rested on the side of a bath).

The ELCB protects by monitoring the Active to Earth and Neutral to Earth of the protected power circuit, by returning spurious voltage and current through a pair of protection solenoids. If sufficient current flows through either solenoid, the solenoid activates and a switch opens to isolate the circuit, which latches and remains isolated until manually reset (and fault remedied).

Most electrical devices leak some level of residual current (rules apply to govern the acceptable level), therefore ELCB’s should be installed with consideration for the ambient level of residual current in the protected power circuit. Incorrectly set ELCB’s can sometimes activate if there is insufficient ambient allowance when new appliances are added to an installation.

For effective protection against Spikes and Transient Noise, reaction times of less than 5NanoSeconds are required, slower reaction times are not effective. Due to the mechanical nature of the switching of ELCB’s these required very fast reaction times are not readily achievable by the technology used.

Further, consider that as ELCB’s are designed to monitor and protect only on the Common Mode (Active/Earth and Neutral/ Earth) they are not designed to monitor the Differential Mode (Active/Neutral, otherwise if monitoring across the supply (Active/Neutral) when you switched an appliance on, the ELCB would switch the power off).

Professional Series Filters and PowerGuard protect on all three conductors, are purpose built appliance protection and operate a minimum of 300,000 times faster than ELCB’s.