Surge Protection: A Key to Maximizing Equipment Reliability

When we talk about reliability, we’re really talking about uptime. Maximizing uptime demands a comprehensive strategy that leaves no possibility unaddressed. Power quality is a cornerstone, so many organizations build a dedicated plan to identify and resolve issues before they affect operations. In most cases, this means installing a UPS, a standby generator, or both, and implementing surge suppression on the AC power side.

Two critical elements often slip through the cracks of a typical uptime plan: lightning protection and data‑line protection.

Lightning can inject an enormous amount of energy into a facility. That energy must be diverted away from critical equipment—including generators and UPS units—before it reaches sensitive components. The most common mistake is placing metal‑oxide varistor (MOV)‑based surge suppressors too early in the power path. A spark‑gap device should come first; it diverts the surge without degrading. Once the surge is tamed, the MOV can safely clamp the voltage to acceptable levels. Because surge suppression is designed to sacrifice itself to protect downstream equipment, the units should be modular and hot‑swappable, allowing rapid replacement without downtime.

Signal and communication cabling is the second overlooked area. If you protect only the AC side, you create a backdoor for surges to reach equipment via data lines. A complete surge protection strategy must cover all connections: coaxial, Ethernet, RS‑232, and any other signal pathways. Surges travel on any wire, whether power or data.

Even in locations that are not lightning‑prone, surge suppression remains essential. Surges come in two flavors: external—such as lightning—and internal, generated by the normal operation of equipment or by turning devices on and off. Internal surges can appear on power, communication, or signal cabling, and they can be just as damaging as an external flash.

Improving equipment reliability starts with attention to detail. Begin by reviewing a wiring schematic for your system, then trace every potential path from source to load. Any route that a surge could follow needs protection. Lightning protection and data‑line surge suppression may seem small, but they are indispensable components of a robust reliability plan.

About the author

Ed Doherty is the product marketing manager for Phoenix Contact’s Trabtech product line. To learn more, visit www.phoenixcontact.com.