Surge protector vs Diy extension board

[Ssreek]

My room has only 1 power outlet and I need to add extra to compensate charging devices and a soundbar. I have a rtx 3070-ryzen 5 5600 based pc and I connect this pc to ups which is connected to main socket.

There are 2 possible options. One is just to buy a surge protector like belkin one and connect it like main socket-> surge protector-> ups-> pc.

Other way I was suggested by an electrician is to get a diy based extension board like this and he said we can put 2 or 3 good 16 or 6 amps sockets and it would work great.

So which is better and safe here?

The extension board won’t have mov like surge protector but electrician says it has better direct contact with mcb and earthing in house than surge protector.

 

[gourav]

The extension board won’t have mov like surge protector

It's just a matter of adding a good quality MCB to the board and you have surge protection. If your house has good wiring and MCBs already, then it is not essential to have separate surge protection in the board. If supply is not stable, then you can put an MCB.

electrician says it has better direct contact with mcb and earthing in house than surge protector.

Bs. It's the same whether you use DIY board or surge protector. And if you let the electrician decide which components to use, I can guarantee he won't use components of the same quality as a belkin surge protector.

So which is better and safe here?

Both are perfectly safe provided you buy good quality components and the electrician does good quality work. Go with whatever works cheaper and simpler for you.

 

[Ssreek]

It's just a matter of adding a good quality MCB to the board and you have surge protection. If your house has good wiring and MCBs already, then it is not essential to have separate surge protection in the board. If supply is not stable, then you can put an MCB.

House has decent wiring and MCBs for each room. This Belkin product has better reviews compared to other pre-made surge protectors/extension boards in amazon. Hence I used the term "surge protector" to indicate a such product. Let me know if there is a better product available online.

Bs. It's the same whether you use DIY board or surge protector. And if you let the electrician decide which components to use, I can guarantee he won't use components of the same quality as a belkin surge protector.

I mean what he meant is, mov is middle man in case of surge protector (for example belkin or gm products) and as per him it is better to not have it and let the main mcb decide what to do with surge.

Both are perfectly safe provided you buy good quality components and the electrician does good quality work. Go with whatever works cheaper and simpler for you.

So he was saying we can use Anchor sockets and switches...price of adding 3 sockets+switches+box+wire+plug top almost coming closer to the price of Rs.1k anyway. Hence this confusion.

 

[lockhrt999]

DIY extension FTW. It'll be better then any surge protector and it'll be rough and tough. Surge protectors have all inclusive sockets which don't make good enough contact for heavy applications.

 

[Ssreek]

DIY extension FTW. It'll be better then any surge protector and it'll be rough and tough.

Compared to belkin one?

Surge protectors have all inclusive sockets which don't make good enough contact for heavy applications.

Can you tell me what is meant by inclusive sockets?

 

[lockhrt999]

Compared to belkin one?

Yes. DIY extension board is nothing but a portable wall power board. All components are the same except it's not concealed in the wall. Yes, it'll be bulky than belkien but you can modify to your likings. Have a 10 meter cable. Why not MCB right on it? It'll be a ton better than any surge protection. Install a wattage meter like me. If anything fails, you can change them individually.

Can you tell me what is meant by inclusive sockets?

This is a woke socket. It's good at accepting plugs of many races but it's not perfect for any one of them. Long term use of heavy applications on it will cause arcing and carbon accumulation.

A normal Indian socket with round holes is always a better fit in general.

I have made a several diy boards over a decade and have good experience with them.

 

[Ssreek]

Yes. DIY extension board is nothing but a portable wall power board. All components are the same except it's not concealed in the wall. Yes, it'll be bulky than belkien but you can modify to your likings. Have a 10 meter cable. Why not MCB right on it?

Is there any advantage of having MCB on DIY extension board, even if entire room has dedicated mcb? I'm a noob in electrical things, pls clarify.

It'll be a ton better than any surge protection. Install a wattage meter like me. If anything fails, you can change them individually.

Can you share pics of ur extension board?

 

[6pack]

Mov is available on Amazon if you want mov for safety. I bought a pack of these years back and haven't used most of it.

Wizzo (Pack of 50 Pieces) 07D511K MOV Metal Oxide Varistor For 80V to 300V DOB LED Bulb | Lights protection | Circuits Safety Protection | DIY Science Projects https://amzn.eu/d/4uI2TQi

 

[Ir0nMerc]

Compared to belkin one?

Completely agree. DIY is much better and safe because of the quality of components we use.

I used to buy surge protectors after every 2 year or 3. But then I learned how to make it myself by watching a video. I created 2 DIY kits and they are still kicking after 5 years now. Not a single switch burned or sparking. I have only used Anchor switches, sockets and high quality copper wires for connections. Didn't added any MCB because we already had MCB at our house. After I was satisfied with the first 2, I have created 4 more.

Ready made surge protectors use aluminium wires or very thin wires or low quality switches to save 5-10 rs, even in products from big companies. I would avoid. And I would also avoid buying DIY kit from any electrician. Build it yourself, it's super easy.

 

[lockhrt999]

Is there any advantage of having MCB on DIY extension board, even if entire room has dedicated mcb? I'm a noob in electrical things, pls clarify.

Not if MCB of your circuit is of correct value. Thing is, on a DIY board you will probably keep a button so instead of that button why not MCB? It's a good replacement for a button and a fuse. It'll cost like rs. 150-200 more than a button though.

Secondly, you should know that surge protection is different from MCB. MCB protects against high flow of the current. Now, high flow can cause due to short circuit. Whereas, surge protection protects against high voltage. If your area don't suffer from high voltage then you don't need surge protection. Still, it's a good idea to have a surge protection to your whole house. House level surge protectors are cheap.

Can you share pics of ur extension board?

Has AC energy efficiency increased drastically in the last decade?

Natural circulation is only good enough between temperatures of 30-35 degrees and then too sometimes an air cooler would be required. As soon as you enter the 40s,you start feeling the need of an AC and then it doesn't matter whether there is air circulation or not. Same goes for high humidity...

techenclave.com

I have many extension boards made for different purpose. This was made to measure the power consumption.

 

[Emperor]

Install a wattage meter like me. If anything fails, you can change them individually.

please post image here for more detail view

I created 2 DIY kits and they are still kicking after 5 years now. Not a single switch burned or sparking. I have only used Anchor switches, sockets and high quality copper wires for connections. Didn't added any MCB because we already had MCB at our house. After I was satisfied with the first 2, I have created 4 more.

please post image here for more detail view

 

[gourav]

Yes. DIY extension board is nothing but a portable wall power board. All components are the same except it's not concealed in the wall. Yes, it'll be bulky than belkien but you can modify to your likings. Have a 10 meter cable. Why not MCB right on it? It'll be a ton better than any surge protection. Install a wattage meter like me. If anything fails, you can change them individually.

Very good points here. In addition, you can also put individual switches or switches for set of sockets, etc., whatever your heart desires.

Just for ideas, you can also put USB sockets like these https://amzn.eu/d/2B3ty09 (no idea about quality) or ethernet sockets like these https://amzn.eu/d/idESnrK if required. Just listing the possibilities for anyone interested.

Surge protectors have all inclusive sockets which don't make good enough contact for heavy applications.

Maybe because I have never used very high wattage appliances with these, but I've always found that Belkin surge protectors (or even GM and Honeywell ones that I have) hold the socket better than standard plug points in my house. I have never had any issues with contact on a variety of plugs. On the other hand, I have had to use US/UK plugs on a couple occasions and never had issues because of these universal sockets available at my house.

 

[Ssreek]

Not if MCB of your circuit is of correct value. Thing is, on a DIY board you will probably keep a button so instead of that button why not MCB? It's a good replacement for a button and a fuse. It'll cost like rs. 150-200 more than a button though.

Secondly, you should know that surge protection is different from MCB. MCB protects against high flow of the current. Now, high flow can cause due to short circuit. Whereas, surge protection protects against high voltage. If your area don't suffer from high voltage then you don't need surge protection. Still, it's a good idea to have a surge protection to your whole house. House level surge protectors are cheap.

The only reason I was quoting surge protector is, one search on amazon and those Belkin/Honeywell etc products are the ones that come up. But yes, there are voltage fluctuations in my area, typically voltages are in the range of 210-245V...

Has AC energy efficiency increased drastically in the last decade?

Natural circulation is only good enough between temperatures of 30-35 degrees and then too sometimes an air cooler would be required. As soon as you enter the 40s,you start feeling the need of an AC and then it doesn't matter whether there is air circulation or not. Same goes for high humidity...

techenclave.com

I have many extension boards made for different purpose. This was made to measure the power consumption.

That is awesome...Wish I knew someone who can make this kind of a super-duper thing..

 

[adder]

All of those surge protectors have the multi pin international sockets, good at creating arcing and false elcb tripping.

As suggested use a diy extension box, with high quality sockets.
Remember the MOVs in surge protection devices are also located in your PSU.

Best place to put a MOV is at the point right after the utility meter in the output of the ELCB aka RCCB/RCBO. This way the moment the surge happens it forces the ELCB to trip, preventing any more surge to proceed into your house, it also pro longs the life of the MOV. Remember the voltage will always find the least path to ground. So putting a MOV at meter ground floor itself will protect much better then putting a MOV near the device.
Drawback is that the ELCB will trip whenever the surge happens.

In my house I put a auto recloser elcb which auto recovers after it trips.
There is also a voltage protector after the elcb, that way all the expensive devices including my 5kva inverter is protected from high voltage and all the devices run on battery power, in the event of high or low voltage.

 

[Ssreek]

All of those surge protectors have the multi pin international sockets, good at creating arcing and false elcb tripping.

As suggested use a diy extension box, with high quality sockets.
Remember the MOVs in surge protection devices are also located in your PSU.

Best place to put a MOV is at the point right after the utility meter in the output of the ELCB aka RCCB/RCBO. This way the moment the surge happens it forces the ELCB to trip, preventing any more surge to proceed into your house, it also pro longs the life of the MOV. Remember the voltage will always find the least path to ground. So putting a MOV at meter ground floor itself will protect much better then putting a MOV near the device.
Drawback is that the ELCB will trip whenever the surge happens.

In my house I put a auto recloser elcb which auto recovers after it trips.
There is also a voltage protector after the elcb, that way all the expensive devices including my 5kva inverter is protected from high voltage and all the devices run on battery power, in the event of high or low voltage.

I think this could be a little difficult to understand for me being noob in electricity...Anyway thanks for the detailed comment..Will try to get it checked with a professional.

 

[blr_p]

In my house I put a auto recloser elcb which auto recovers after it trips.
There is also a voltage protector after the elcb, that way all the expensive devices including my 5kva inverter is protected from high voltage and all the devices run on battery power, in the event of high or low voltage.

Trying to find those two on eleczo and coming up blank

India’s Best Industrial Electrical Products Online Supplier | Eleczo.com

Eleczo.com India’s Trusted Online Electrical E-commerce Portal. We are the best Industrial & Consumer Electrical Products Online Supplier, Dealer & Distributor. Buy top brand electrical products at best-discounts.

www.eleczo.com

 

[adder]

Trying to find those two on eleczo and coming up blank

India’s Best Industrial Electrical Products Online Supplier | Eleczo.com

Eleczo.com India’s Trusted Online Electrical E-commerce Portal. We are the best Industrial & Consumer Electrical Products Online Supplier, Dealer & Distributor. Buy top brand electrical products at best-discounts.

www.eleczo.com

I got mine from aliexpress, many sellers ship if you pay them via paypal. While using aliexpress just for communication. I got this product before the aliexpress ban. But I have got other things from other sellers after ban
Rs. 2,887.07 25%OFF | GEYA RCCB Recloser Control Part Only for Customer to Make Replacement

2837.55Rs. 26% OFF|Recloser Control Part | Geya Rs485 | Circuit Breakers - Rccb Control Circuit Protection - Aliexpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

Alternately

Auto Recloser Circuit Breaker 2Pole AC230V DC12/24/48V Self-Reclosing MCB Device | eBay

MCB Recloser. RCCB Recloser. We have 4 different type of Recloser. GEYA MCB Auto Recloser/Auto Reclosing Device Coupled With MCB. Number of Pole MCB 1P. Circuit Breaker. Monitoring Relay. Current Monitoring Relay.

www.ebay.com

I have since shifted this to another premises and have installed a wifi elcb with more functions but costs close to 10k.


Voltage protectors or sold by plenty on amzon india.

 

[6pack]

Is auto recloser same as auto recover?

Auto Recovery ELCB | Joule Tech | Electrical Heating Elements, Temperature Controllers, Sensors, Fiberglass Wires, Mumbai

 

[adder]

Is auto recloser same as auto recover?

Auto Recovery ELCB | Joule Tech | Electrical Heating Elements, Temperature Controllers, Sensors, Fiberglass Wires, Mumbai

I think so atleast if the description are to be believed. But look at the size of that thing, that is not MCB form factor but rather the much bigger MCCB form factor.

Auto recovery vs auto recloser. The later closes your existing mcb mechanically after it detects a earth leakage event and then auto recovers i.e opens your MCB switch upwards after a few seconds.

 

[Asteroid]

basically add a MOV to your diy extension board, they come at 20-30 rs. a pop . the belkin one is basically that, the "Surge protection" is provided by the mov.