Whether it is a refrigerator for some soothing chilled water in the summers or a refreshing gush of cool breeze to feel better in the super-humid weather, we all depend on the electrical appliances for day-to-day activities.
One thing common in most of these appliances is a compressor. But it works slightly differently, and we need to be careful while using them, given the high voltage requirement.
Every time the compressor switches on, the fridge or AC requires a very high voltage to start. In such a case, the high voltage can damage your appliance in just more than a few seconds.
Apart from this, electrical power surges are pretty common even during lightning and bad weather. We can’t avoid power surges but can find a way to prevent the damage. So, it is very crucial to protect your electrical appliances before any excessive damage.
To avoid such damage and loss, surge protectors are the most convenient to go for. With a surge protector, you do not need to worry about bad weather or voltage fluctuations.
To help you choose a perfect resolution, we have come up with some of the best surge protectors for the refrigerator—no need to surf the internet for long hours to find the best surge protector. We are serving it to you right away in this article.
5 Best Surge Protectors for Refrigerators
1. Tripp Lite Isobar 8 Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip
If you want a surge protector with a huge joule rating, then Tripp Lite Isobar Surge Protector is the perfect choice for you.
Apart from an attractive 3840-joule rating, it also has diagnostic LEDs to figure out the fault accurately. The light confirms whether the lighting, earthing, or wiring is protected or not. The maximum spike amperage of this surge protector is 97,000 amp.
With thermal flushing and isolated filter, the surge protector ensures its users’ complete safety internally and externally. It is one of the best surge protectors for refrigerators and other heavy appliances, given all these features.
Its high joule rating makes it suitable for heavy electrical appliances and provides perfect protection against high power surges.
It is a multi-usable surge protector with eight outlets to simultaneously use up to 8 electrical appliances. Also, the 12m long foot cable comes really handy. The offer that attracts people most about this surge protector is its lifetime warranty.
Pros:
● It comes with a lifetime warranty and insurance of up to $50,000 for a
lifetime
● It has an indicator LED
● It filters EMI and RFL Noise
● Impressive joule rating
Cons:
● You will not get a filter for the appliance line noise
2. Belkin BSV804 8 Way 2 m Surge Protection Extension
Belkin BSV804 8-way 2m Surge Protection extension is an 8-outlet extension. It additionally has 2 USB outlets. Thus, you can plug quite a few devices into the same surge protector simultaneously.
With a 900-joule rating, it is perfect for household electrical appliances. It comes with an LED indicator that shows the grounded wirings. A large on-off device avoids default switching on and off of the device.
It comes with a 2m long wire along with eight different outlets and two fast-charging 2.4 USB ports. Moreover, it is known for its high-quality.
If you face any damage to any of your electrical appliances while using this surge protector, the company will provide you an additional compensation as insurance. Additionally, you are going to get a lifetime warranty on this device.
Available at a very pocket—friendly price, it is suitable for most household appliances. Also, it has 3-line AC protection to avoid any problem due to voltage fluctuation.
Because of smart build, it is fire, rust, and impact-free and provides a smooth flow of the electric current.
Pros:
● It provides two high power Charging power outlets
● Additionally, it offers 8 outlets with a 900-joule rating
● Made up of high material, this surge protector is free from rust, damage, and
impact
● It has a quick response time and reboots very quickly
Cons:
● The eight power outlets in this surge protector are pretty close to each other
3. Belkin E-Series 6 Plug SurgeStrip Surge Protected Extension
If you are looking for a very basic Surge protector for household electrical appliances, then Belkin E-Series 6 Plug surge protector is perfect for you. It has a 476-joule rating and suits best for several electrical appliances, including computers, refrigerators, laptops, and other electrical devices.
It provides 3-line AC protection along with its six different outlets. Although a very basic Surge protector yet ensures the complete safety of all the electrical appliances connected to it.
Apart from this, it has a power filter to ensure a reduction in interferences. Its exterior is made up of fire-resistant fiberglass and ensures minimal damage to any of your electrical devices connected to its case of any accidents.
With a voltage protection rating of 220V, this surge protector absorbs all the excess of voltage to protect your household electrical appliances.
With a 3m long cable, you can use this extension board wherever you want to. It becomes pretty easy to use the extension board to any corner of the room irrespective of the fact that there is no power plug there.
Pros:
● Because of its small joule rating, it is perfect for small household electrical
appliances
● It absorbs excessive electric current and releases that in the form of heat
energy
● With its 3 Ac protection line, it protects all your electrical appliances
Cons:
● It provides a relatively low joule rating and thus not fits for the refrigerators
4. Power Strip 2020, SMALLRT Extension Cord with Safety Socket
With a unique design, the Power Strip 2020 SMALLRT Extension Cord is perfect if you want a very compact extension cord with several power outlets. It has eight outlets, each on one of the four faces of the extension board, making it stand out of other extension boards.
With a voltage rating ranging from 110V to 250V, it can absorb all the excess of electric current. It also provides a very high joule rating of 1200W. Apart from 8 outlets, it also has four 2.1 USB ports that provide high-speed charging.
Being very durable, additionally, this surge protector has overloading protection, fire resistance, lightning resistance, temperature resistance, and water-proofing. Thus, it will provide all-round protection to its users.
It can tolerate up to 2500W of power as well. With a 5m long power cable, you can extend it to any corner of your room.
It also has a 10A current resistance apart from 50/60 Hz frequency tolerance. It takes 20 seconds to regain its functioning after overloading due to the overloading protector.
Pros:
● It provides a very high joule rating
● It has a 5m long power cable, and its compact size increases its overall
usability
● Its 4 USB ports support very high charging
Cons:
● It can be noisy after a few months of usage
5. Belkin BSV103 SurgeCube 1 Way Surge Protector Plug
If you are looking for a basic surge protector with a single outlet, then Belkin BSV103 Surge Cube is what you need.
It has a single 1-way power outlet and 2 2.4 USB ports. The USB ports provide high-speed charging. But you can’t use the USB ports are a transfer hub as they don’t transfer data.
With a 306-joule rating, it protects electrical appliances from a very high energy power surge. It absorbs electrical energy and releases it in the form of heat energy.
Along with a power infiltration mechanism, it provides very optimal performance keeping your system safe.
It has three lines, namely hot, neutral, and ground lines, that provide all-round protection to the electrical appliances.
The most special offer with this surge protector is its lifetime warranty. Moreover, if there is any damage to electrical appliances due to this surge protector, the company also provides additional monetary compensation.
Pros:
● It is a very compact and portable power surge with a single power outlet and 2 USB ports
● It provides 3-line AC protection
● It provides safety against lightning strikes, voltage fluctuation, and short circuits
Cons:
● It is not a multi-usable surge protector
What to Consider Before Buying A Surge Protector
Surge protectors vary from one type to another. There are a lot of factors you might need to think about before choosing the perfect surge protector. Some of those factors are:
The Number of Ports
Surge protectors can have more than one port as well. It always helps to have more ports, as it increases the usability of the surge protector. Some of the surge protectors have even 4 or 6 outlets, which makes them multi-usable.
Apart from this, some of them support USB charging as well. It will be better to choose a surge protector with at least four sockets to increase its usability.
Joule Rating
Another promising feature that one should consider before purchasing a power socket is its joule rating. All the electrical appliances have a threshold power, which they consume while starting.
Joule rating is the measure of energy consumption or dissipation at the start or stop of an electric appliance. The more the joule rating, the more will be the protection.
For home electric appliances, the joule rating varies from 200W to 1000w. Refrigerators mostly have a 1000W joule rating.
So, it is preferable to choose the surge protector with a more joule rating than your electrical appliance to provide them complete protection from voltage fluctuation.
Response Time
After every surge, the surge protector needs some time to restart itself. Although all the surge protectors’ response time lies within nanoseconds, it is better to check the response time of the surge protector before buying it.
Cord Length
Another crucial factor is the length of the cord of the surge protector. It is always preferable to choose a surge protector with a 2m long cable. The more the length, it will improve the usability of the extension board.
Clamping Voltage
Clamping voltage is the voltage range, after which the surge protector starts to absorb the excessive flow of current. It is the measure with which the surge protector determines the threshold, after which it needs to absorb the extra current.
Usually, the surge protectors have a clamping voltage lying between 200 to 240V. The surge protector with a clamping voltage of more than 240V is not ideal for home electrical appliances.
Indicator Light
The indicator light in a surge protector displays the protection status and the power supply passing through it. Thus, they prefer the product with the in-built indicator light.
Other Factors
There are various other factors that you can look for while choosing the best surge protector for refrigerators. Like, whether it is water-proof or not. Also, temperature-resistance, overload protection, fire resistance, and lightning resistance are a few features that will ensure the durability of the surge protector.
Although these are not the prominent features a surge protector should have, they will ensure the long life of the surge protector you choose.
FAQs
Q: How Many Joules Do I Need for A Refrigerator Surge Protector?
A: While looking for a perfect surge protector, other than the number of outlets it provides, length of the cable and other options, Joules rating also comes into consideration.
Joule rating is a guarantee that the amount of energy the refrigerator can consume before failing. Therefore, a good joule rating also ensures a better working life of the surge protector.
Joule Rating also determines the quality of the Surge protector. AC outlets usually are surge protector ones, so any electrical appliance that fits into the AC outlet well will not require any extra surge protectors. Household appliances like a table lamp or a blender don’t need a surge protector. But for the rest of the appliances, a surge protector is recommended.
Ideally, a surge protector which provides a 1000 to 2000 joule rating will provide the required protection. Yet, some high-power surge protectors also provide a joule rating of more than 2000.
For example, a home refrigerator has 200 W of average power multiplying it by five, we get 1000W. That means when you start a refrigerator, it needs 1000W, and thus, a surge protector that has a 1000 or more joule rating will be sufficient for your fridge.
Q: Can A Power Surge Ruin A Refrigerator?
A: A power surge is an immediate rise in your home’s electrical current. A power surge even for a thousandth of a second is powerful enough to destroy your home appliances.
The refrigerator is no different. It has a motor and a compressor that can be affected due to a power surge. You might have heard the constant start and stop sound in your refrigerator. That sound comes out of its compressor. The compressor continually starts and stops at a regular interval. It requires a high electric current for this, with power ranging in thousands of joules.
Q: How Can I Protect My Appliances from Power Surges?
A: Not only the fridge, almost all the heavy electric appliances are prone to damage due to power surges.
In order to protect your appliances from power surges, the best practice is to use a stabilizer during a power surge. In this way, you can use the stabilizer for those electrical appliances that are most prone to damage due to the high-power supply. It is, moreover, an affordable way to protect your appliances.
The next way you can so for is the installation of an uninterruptable power supply. If your power supply doesn’t fluctuate, again and again, then there will be no damage to your appliances due to power surges. Yet, it will be quite an expensive way.
The last and, in our opinion the best way to protect your appliances is with a surge protector. Surge protectors come in various types and joule ratings. A surge protector is one of the most economical and reliable devices to protect your electrical stuff from voltage fluctuations.
Other than this, you can go for the latest refrigerator models that are energy-efficient and come with in-built safety features.
Conclusion
No doubt, all of these surge protectors work efficiently. Still, in our opinion, the Tripp Lite Isobar 8 Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip stands out as the one of the most effective surge protectors for refrigerators.
It is suitable for household usage because of its perfect joule rating, while the eight outlets make it ideal for office usage.
Now you know that to protect our electrical appliances from high voltage fluctuations, surge protector becomes an essential.
