Protecting your TV from monsoon power surges: Why a surge protector for TV is a must-have

Monsoon power surges are taken for granted here, and perhaps the installation and use of surge protectors and stabilisers should be taken for granted as well.

Monsoons lay havoc to the power grid. Electricity and water don’t really mix well, after all, and you also need to factor in issues like seepage and water logging, which can cause severe damage to infrastructure, and particularly to electrical infrastructure.

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What is a surge protector?

A surge protector is a power strip with a built-in fuse and voltage sensor that instantly cuts power to connected electronics when a power surge is detected. Some surge protectors might trip and need to be reset after a power surge, others might blow their fuses or sacrifice a cable (by letting it burn out) to prevent the sudden increase in voltage to hit your TV and other electronics.

Why do we need a surge protector?

A dramatic increase in voltage is called a power surge, and this can happen more frequently during the monsoon owing to the higher chance of damage to electrical infrastructure. You could have water contamination in damaged insulation, earthing issues, water ingress in sensitive areas, and more.

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The surge that results is often too much for sensitive electronics like your TV to handle. Without a surge protector, the internal circuitry in your TV can fry. Capacitors can pop, microchips can burn, and wiring can melt. This can not only destroy your TV, but also cause a fire in extreme circumstances.

A good surge protector isn’t foolproof, but the added protection will significantly reduce the risk of damage and/or a fire.

Limitations of a surge protector

For better protection, we’d also recommend going with a good voltage stabiliser in areas afflicted with heavy monsoons. This is because surge protectors only protect against voltage surges – high voltage. They can’t deal with brownouts, mild fluctuation, and a severe drop in voltage. A stabiliser can, and it is an additional layer of protection for your electronics.

Another factor to keep in mind when buying a surge protector is the power draw of connected electronics. It’s tempting to buy an 8-socket surge protector and connect everything to it, but we often forget that all that power is being delivered via a single power socket, which can get damaged when too much current is drawn from it.

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You’ll find a wide variety of surge protectors on Croma.com and at physical Croma stores across the country. Do check the warranty terms when purchasing a surge protector as several of them offer protection for connected appliances as well. This can be useful in areas with serious power issues.