Hi
I hope you find this novella useful 😉
Power strips come in two basic forms. There is also a third (3rd) hybrid that will be discussed later:
- Multi-outlet with no surge protection (not recommended)
- Multi-outlet with surge protection (recommended)
Surge protection is measured in Joules. A simple definition of a Joule:
- One joule is one watt of power, applied for one second (a watt-second); or a coulomb of electrical charge raised to a potential of one volt.
To place that in perspective
- On average, laptops use about 30 to 70 watts of electricity. Large desktop and gaming computers use between 200 and 500 watts of electricity, on average
- Sonos products (IMO) should be considered as small computers
The information that follows can be found at this link:
Under 1,000 joules for Smaller Appliances:
- Be careful using a joule rating under 1,000, as they don’t offer a ton of absorption from surges. They work for smaller appliances like desk lamps and kitchen appliances, such as a toaster or blender. A rating under 1,000 may not give you the best protection, but it will probably be smaller and cheaper than higher-quality options, so you could use this for an appliance that may not be entirely important to you. If you’re looking for minimal protection and a cost-effective, flexible solution, this could be the range for you.
1,000 to 2,000 joules For Personal Electronics:
- For most common household appliances and personal electronics that you want to keep safe and working properly, look for a joule rating in the 1,000 to 2,000 range or higher. Cellphones, tablets, routers and laptops should be protected in this range, but it still might be necessary to find a higher joule rating.
2,000+ joules for Large and Sensitive Items:
- Find a joule rating in this range to protect large and sensitive items. Anything larger and more valued than a laptop and cellphone should be confidently placed in this range. If you’re setting up an office space, a protector in the 2,000 joules or higher range should give you adequate protection for products like computers or multiple monitors. Make sure all large, powerful items, like gaming consoles and home theatre equipment, are protected with a 2,000 or higher joule rating. If you’re a business owner, you’ll especially want to look for a powerful surge protector to defend sensitive documents, financial records and electronic devices to keep your business running smoothly.
- It’s better to stick to the safer side when it comes to joule protection. If you’re unsure about a rating, think about the items you’re buying surge protection for. How much protection would you want for your laptop or your brand-new gaming console? Weigh these options and lean into higher ratings when shopping surge protectors.
The 3rd Hybrid_Smart Power Strip
A smart power strip has multi-outlets with a major difference. For this discussion we’ll assume this power strip has four (4) outlets as follows:
- 1 - Main Outlet (MO) Active Controller
- 3 - Passive Outlets (PO)
The MO is always active with electrical current. A component plugged into this outlet when switched on (either by remote or manually) will trigger the MO to allow electrical current to flow to the PO’s. Components plugged in the PO’s will then become active.
Conversely, when the component plugged in the MO is switched off electrical current to the PO’s is de-activated causing those components to power down. Consequently, the components plugged into the PO’s cannot be used until the component plugged into the MO is switched on again.
IMO Smart Power strips should never be used with Sonos especially in the following setup:
- TV plugged into the MO
- Arc plugged into a PO
- Sub plugged in a PO
- Sonos Amp plugged in a PO; used to power rear 3rd party surround speakers
When the TV is powered on the Arc, Sub and Amp receive power as well. When the TV is powered off the Arc, Sub and Amp will loose power. Arc cannot be used to stream music nor answer voice commands until the TV is powered on. The Sub and Amp are also powerless by association.
A Smart Power strip can be used under the right circumstances; but are best avoided where Sonos components are involved.
To conclude; any power strip used should have surge protection. Use the guide above to determine how many joules for a given component(s). On a personal note my power strips (with surge protection) are all rated at 1200 joules or more.
Also know that power strips with surge protection are typically “One and Done” commodities. That means that if it stops a damaging power surge from getting through to the connected equipment its circuitry has taken the brunt of the surge and sacrificed itself. Therefore, it’s recommended that the power strip be replaced and given a proper burial 🙂.
