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| High voltage surges are the result of switching
transformers and discharging capacitor banks. They are a normal part of
every electrical distribution system in the world. The most important
thing to anybody trying to protect themselves from surges is the interconnection
to the ground. It is to the ground that the electricity wants to go and it
wants to go there as fast as it can. All surge protection strips
work on this principle. If the wall plugs
in your home are not grounded then the surge protection strips that you use to
protect your computer and television are working only as a regular extension
cord. With no ground to send the higher voltage to, it will enter your
equipment. Another important matter to consider is the
polarity of your
 wall
plugs. When you look at a wall plug you find that one of the two holes is
larger than the other. This larger hole needs to be connected with the
common wire in the house wiring system. Then when you plug in an appliance
(many of which now have polarized plugs) the electricity enters through the hot
line and stops at the switch waiting for you to turn on the appliance before
entering. If the wires on the wall plug are reversed then the power enters
the appliance and stops at the switch on its way out of the appliance. The
appliance is hot all the time and can give shocks or in the case of a washing
machine that is sitting on concrete, electricity could possibly bleed off
into the concrete and turn the electric meter in so doing and cost you money.
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