AV Rack Surge Protection

[Redd Foxx]

Need some advise... Going to purchasing my first AV rack. Will be mounting my receiver Denon 6700 along with external 7 channel amp (TBD) and need to add a surge protector power distributor to the mix for the receiver, amp and subwoofer.

What I want is a surge protection (as I cant do whole house protection at this time) that will not limit the current to these power hungry items. I keep reading that most will have some effect on power draw expecialy with the "power conditioners".

Stuck in analysis paralysis.

Looking to spend $200 max.

Can anyone please help with suggestions? Or advise products you currently use?

 

[TLS Guy]

Need some advise... Going to purchasing my first AV rack. Will be mounting my receiver Denon 6700 along with external 7 channel amp (TBD) and need to add a surge protector power distributor to the mix for the receiver, amp and subwoofer.

What I want is a surge protection (as I cant do whole house protection at this time) that will not limit the current to these power hungry items. I keep reading that most will have some effect on power draw expecialy with the "power conditioners".

Stuck in analysis paralysis.

Looking to spend $200 max.

Can anyone please help with suggestions? Or advise products you currently use?

Surge protection is fine. However local surge protection is better then nothing, but not nearly as good as whole house protection.

Power conditioners are a mixed bag. The best is a UPS, but that will be out of your budget. What you need is something that will shave or supplement voltage if it gets out of range. Do not run the power amp, or sub from a power conditioner or a UPS. I personally always used APC UPS units to protect fragile circuits, that have processing chips etc. In your budget you might be served best by using good surge protection and leaving it, at that.

Cheap power conditioners do more harm than good.

 

[Verdinut]

Need some advise... Going to purchasing my first AV rack. Will be mounting my receiver Denon 6700 along with external 7 channel amp (TBD) and need to add a surge protector power distributor to the mix for the receiver, amp and subwoofer.

What I want is a surge protection (as I cant do whole house protection at this time) that will not limit the current to these power hungry items. I keep reading that most will have some effect on power draw expecialy with the "power conditioners".

Stuck in analysis paralysis.

Looking to spend $200 max.

Can anyone please help with suggestions? Or advise products you currently use?

I have been using the APC H15 power conditioner for about 15 years. It's a very sturdy and reliable product. It protects equipment from surges. You can get a used unit from a reliable seller here:

APC H15 Silver 12 Outlet H-Type Power Conditioner Works Great | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for APC H15 Silver 12 Outlet H-Type Power Conditioner Works Great at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

If your equipment to be rack mounted does not draw more than 15 amps on a 120V line, I have no hesitation in recommending it. It is rack mountable. Perhaps you could ask the seller if he has the rack mount ears. Otherwise, you could contact Schneider Electric (Owners of APC) for availability.

Should you prefer a new unit, you could check for the H10 model. It's also an excellent surge protector but it will cost you more than your planned budget.

 

[TLS Guy]

I have been using the APC H15 power conditioner for about 15 years. It's a very sturdy and reliable product. It protects equipment from surges. You can get a used unit from a reliable seller here:

APC H15 Silver 12 Outlet H-Type Power Conditioner Works Great | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for APC H15 Silver 12 Outlet H-Type Power Conditioner Works Great at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

If your equipment to be rack mounted does not draw more than 15 amps on a 120V line, I have no hesitation in recommending it. It is rack mountable. Perhaps you could ask the seller if he has the rack mount ears. Otherwise, you could contact Schneider Electric (Owners of APC) for availability.

Should you prefer a new unit, you could check for the H10 model. It's also an excellent surge protector but it will cost you more than your planned budget.

I was hesitant to recommend used, as this is critical equipment, but he won't be in budget with new gear. I would recommend he up his budget.

 

[highfigh]

What I want is a surge protection (as I cant do whole house protection at this time) that will not limit the current to these power hungry items. I keep reading that most will have some effect on power draw expecialy with the "power conditioners".

Why can't you do whole house protection? They don't have to be placed in front of the whole panel, just on the circuit(s) you want to protect.

I agree with TLS- don't use local surge protection for power amps or subs, use local (near the equipment) protection and increase your budget. If it's worth protecting, it will have a cost.

You're not looking for a power conditioner"- those do a lot more and are far more expensive..

 

[Redd Foxx]

Definite plan is whole house once i move in a year. Would you guys recommend the below as I can get it open box at Best Buy for $116.

If i hook the amps and sub to the "high voltage bank" would I be good? In that I would just be getting surge protection and no conditioning? Then and run any other steaming devices or lights through the 2nd bank.

Panamax MR4300

Power line conditioner and surge protector

www.crutchfield.com

 

[TLS Guy]

Definite plan is whole house once i move in a year. Would you guys recommend the below as I can get it open box at Best Buy for $116.

If i hook the amps and sub to the "high voltage bank" would I be good? In that I would just be getting surge protection and no conditioning? Then and run any other steaming devices or lights through the 2nd bank.

Panamax MR4300

Power line conditioner and surge protector

www.crutchfield.com

Waste of money largely. That will likely be no better then a cheap surge protector. When you hear about line noise filtering run. I have looked at AC lines on an O-scope over the years many times. There is no noise. When you hear claims of noise, run. What I have seen is voltage variations, due to fault conditions over the years, which my equipment has dealt with, and alerted me to, so I can alert the power company.

 

[Redd Foxx]

Should I just go with this? To have the outlets I need for the rack with protection.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00077INZU/?coliid=I2L0WSGJVPTN1&colid=29M7OJ3BBDJ51&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[TLS Guy]

Should I just go with this? To have the outlets I need for the rack with protection.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00077INZU/?coliid=I2L0WSGJVPTN1&colid=29M7OJ3BBDJ51&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Since you are moving in a year, that unit will be just fine. Once you have whole house surge protection, you won't need that unit.
Whole house surge protection should really be code. Modern homes have chips with everything. So whole house protects your fridges, dishwasher, ovens ranges, washer and dryer. They whole lot have delicate circuits in their control units these days. I have a friend who had to wait a whole year for a board for a high end Wolfe double oven set. So circuit board protection in my view is mandatory now. EVERY home needs it.

 

[Speedskater]

My thoughts:
a] a 'whole home' installation is best.
b] very few of us need a full-time UPS unit. (and even then there can be complications)
c] a part-time UPS unit is OK if you have components, that re-boot after a momentary AC power lose.
d] use a point-of-use surge protector from a commercial/industrial mfg.
e] do not use a plastic case surge protector.

 

[highfigh]

Waste of money largely. That will likely be no better then a cheap surge protector. When you hear about line noise filtering run. I have looked at AC lines on an O-scope over the years many times. There is no noise. When you hear claims of noise, run. What I have seen is voltage variations, due to fault conditions over the years, which my equipment has dealt with, and alerted me to, so I can alert the power company.

One thing Panamax protectors do is limit voltage dips and peaks by shutting off below 90VAC and above 140VAC. I have the Panamax M4000 and it occasionally shuts off and if I'm here, I don't see the lights dim, but they're all LED, so it wouldn't be as noticeable as if they were incandescent. I have a TV, MusicCast, Roku and a ReQuest music server in the rack, so I don't want spikes to damage anything and we have some serious lightning in this area- I have lost no equipment in the time it has been in the rack, but others here have.

As far as noise- meh. We may have some, I'm not going to bother looking at the wave forms unless I start to have repeated failures.

 

[Redd Foxx]

Great input all, based off your advice I will be go whole house protection at breaker, with a power distributor on the the rack.

Last 2 suggestions please:

1. Recommendation for specific breaker box protector?
2. Recommendation for rack mounted power distributor (8 plug min)?

 

[highfigh]

Contact an electrical supplier or google search- you'll see brands like Eaton/Cutler Hammer and some others. Don't buy into the BS that a "high end" device will make everything sound better, either. The Panamax M4000 will work fine and it's not terribly expensive.

If you want this for lightning, just remember- with lightning, all bets are off.

 

[TLS Guy]

Great input all, based off your advice I will be go whole house protection at breaker, with a power distributor on the the rack.

Last 2 suggestions please:

1. Recommendation for specific breaker box protector?
2. Recommendation for rack mounted power distributor (8 plug min)?

Your electrician needs to install your whole house breaker, and he will know what will fit your panel the best, and also what he has easy access to.

As far as power distribution, most rack manufacturers will be able to supply you with plug mold that clips to the back of the rack, so you don't take up rack space, and the power is at the rear of the rack where it needs to be.

Like this.

Who is the manufacturer of your rack? My three racks are Middle Atlantic by Legrand.

 

[Speedskater]

1. Recommendation for specific breaker box protector?

the protector has to match the breaker box manufacture.
But there are some now high-tech protectors that mount outside the main breaker box. Some will send you a text if there is a problem.

The Best Surge Protector

Tripp Lite’s Protect It 12-Outlet Surge Protector TLP1208SAT absorbs thousands of volts so they won’t fry your gear, and it helpfully lets you know when its protection wears out.

www.nytimes.com

The Best Whole House Surge Protectors [2022]

Throw your power bar in the trash! The best whole house surge protector offers features that you can't find on any power strip. Here's how...

shedheads.net

 

[Redd Foxx]

Your electrician needs to install your whole house breaker, and he will know what will fit your panel the best, and also what he has easy access to.

As far as power distribution, most rack manufacturers will be able to supply you with plug mold that clips to the back of the rack, so you don't take up rack space, and the power is at the rear of the rack where it needs to be.

Like this.

Who is the manufacturer of your rack? My three racks are Middle Atlantic by Legrand.

That is yet to be ordered was looking to go with: https://www.amazon.com/ECHOGEAR-20U-Open-Frame-Rack/dp/B07YYMSFP1/ref=sr_1_3?crid=22DMLRX8KGO20&keywords=av+rack&qid=1658225968&sprefix=,aps,142&sr=8-3&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.f5122f16-c3e8-4386-bf32-63e904010ad0

Seems to be a good price (although I have never purchased one before) , any other recommendations in that price/size range?

 

[TLS Guy]

That is yet to be ordered was looking to go with: https://www.amazon.com/ECHOGEAR-20U-Open-Frame-Rack/dp/B07YYMSFP1/ref=sr_1_3?crid=22DMLRX8KGO20&keywords=av+rack&qid=1658225968&sprefix=,aps,142&sr=8-3&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.f5122f16-c3e8-4386-bf32-63e904010ad0

Seems to be a good price (although I have never purchased one before) , any other recommendations in that price/size range?

I did not want cheap poor quality racks, as this is a permanent installation. I wanted a system that was well thought out and handy. How to arrange powering is a significant part of the total design, which is why I bought three Mid Atlantic racks.

 

[Speedskater]

The best (but very expensive) point-of-use surge protectors are:

Brick Wall

ZeroSurge

SurgeX

 

[lovinthehd]

Why even consider "power conditioners" for most gear is beyond me. Belongs mostly in the magic cable category.