Power outages are a pretty common issue in our day-to-day life. It gets worse when the weather is moody. It causes power supply shortages and several electric interferences. In such cases, a power conditioner and surge protector are the most suitable devices to protect your electric appliances.
A surge protector can block the power supply when the voltage spikes are off the charts. But the power conditioner can control the voltage by sensing the interferences and noises in the electric lines.
You can enhance your device’s performance using a power conditioner while protecting them. However, a surge protector can’t sense the noises and is unable to function when the voltage crosses its standards.
So, in comparison to the power conditioner vs. surge protector, which one will you prefer? It would be best to look at a detailed comparison before concluding.
An Overview Of Power Conditioner
A power conditioner is typically used to filter the glitches and high voltage noises generated from the circuit’s surges. It’s a three-pronged plug accessory. It’s also referred to as the line conditioner.
The device can create an overall neat experience for all of your electrical gadgets. It cleans the inbound disturbance and increases the performance of your device.
For example, electricity needs to travel throughout your gadget. Any low-quality wirings can cause power fluctuations in your electric appliances. A disturbance like this can hamper the performance of your device, such as blurry images on television, a sudden power cut on your PC, etc.
But the power conditioner ensures that your gadgets receive proper voltage and current to run without interference. It also helps with the voltage limit of your device. So, there will be much fewer glitches during the operation.
Advantages of a Power Conditioner
There are a couple of advantages of a power conditioner which are discussed below for your in-depth understanding.
Stopping Power Surges
One of the biggest advantages of a power conditioner is it will be able to stop power surges equally and in an efficient manner.
If you talk about an ineffective surge protector, it will not give the protection of your electronic devices from stronger surges. But, when it comes to a power conditioner, it will be able to stop power surges equally and effectively.
Less Electrical Noise
The overall electrical interference with the power conditioner is quite low. As a result, you will experience less noise from electrical devices.
Automatic Voltage Regulator:
The next benefit you will get is the perfect regulating of the voltage power. So, there will be less amount of fraudulent activities.
Disadvantages of a Power Conditioner
Although there are many benefits you will get from a power conditioner, you should expect the following disadvantages as well.
- Not suitable to transport or move.
- Its function can easily be hindered because of the limited power supply.
READ: Power Conditioner Vs UPS: What Are The Differences?
An Overview Of Surge Protector
The surge protector is a protective device for your electrical appliances. It’s also known as a power suppressor. The device suppresses the excess voltage going through your electrical appliance and protects against power outages. A voltage spike can occur within 1 to 30 microseconds.
In the time of voltage spikes, power outages can cause damage to the electrical devices at your home, such as computers, televisions, speakers, and so on.
But things are a bit easy with the surge protector. It can easily sense the massive rush of extreme voltage. Therefore, the voltage gets blocked by the surge protector even before it can enter your plugged device.
The standard power outlet for home appliances is 120 to 220 volts of AC power (varies in different cities and countries based on their supplies).
Manufacturers set the functionality on these standards. Whenever the power outlet exceeds these standards, the surge protector controls the outbreak and limits the power supply.
Advantages of a Surge Protector
The benefits of a surge protector are given below.
Disadvantages of a Surge Protector
The disadvantage of a surge protector is as follows.
Blocking the high voltage is defined at a specific level. Only if that level surpasses can it protect your electronic devices from getting damaged.
Difference Between A Power Conditioner And Surge Protector
Both surge protectors and power conditioners protect your electrical devices from a power outage. However, there are some typical differences between them.
Take a look at these facts if you are thinking of getting one of those:
Power Alteration
The surge protectors don’t affect the power alteration. It just stops the supply when there’s overvoltage.
On the other hand, the power conditioner senses the electric disturbance and modifies the supplies likewise. So, it’s mostly effective in controlling the power supply even during unfavorable weather.
Voltage
Voltage control is one of the key differences between the power conditioner and surge protector. If you have the power or line conditioner, you can smooth out the voltage fluctuations.
On the other hand, the surge protector doesn’t affect voltage fluctuations. It just works against the overvoltage. This way, your electric devices like computers, televisions, etc., will be saved from a sudden surge in electricity.
Electric Noise Filtration
A power conditioner also acts as a filter for electric noises. It can filter out interference and extra noises on the power supply.
The surge protector doesn’t have such features. However, various types of power conditioners and surge protectors are available on the market. So, you better check out the specs before getting one of them.
Functionality
There will be some functionality issues as both are electrical devices. As mentioned, the surge protector blocks out the voltage outrage. However, there’s a limit to that feature.
The surge protector won’t function properly when the surging limit crosses. To put it simply, it will lose its functionality.
The power conditioner can filter out the interferences in electric lines. But it can’t filter out all the interference or noises effectively. If the power supply is of too poor quality or there’s an extreme thunderstorm outside, it might not work correctly.
Such problems subsequently occur in low-quality electronics. It would be best to check the models of the device and its limit before buying.
Cost
As both of them clean the dirty power, you should consider the cheaper option. So, the surge protector is the most affordable choice. But it provides limited solutions because of the low price.
On the other hand, power conditioners effectively clean dirty power. On top of that, they have a built-in surge protector. Therefore, you won’t have to worry about blocking out the extreme voltage.
But it’s a pretty costly option that can exceed more than ten times more than a surge protector. Get the power surge if you are on a budget.
Safety
Unlike other electronics, you will get a safety manual with the device to avoid misusing it.
There’s a special instruction on surge protectors called daisy-chaining. It would be best if you didn’t increase the power outlets by plugging a second protector into the first one. This can easily overload the power supply and cause you to lose the ability to protect your devices.
But there are no such indications on the power conditioner. But it would be best to avoid “daisy-chaining” on both devices. Using the power conditioner is a bit safer than the surge protectors.
Number of Effective Devices
It helps to differentiate appropriately if you know how many devices can work with the power conditioner and surge protector.
You can use the surge protector with only one device at a time. You can’t rely on the surge protector if you have multiple sensitive devices to protect.
On the other hand, the power conditioner can support multiple devices simultaneously. It can work the entire circuit pretty efficiently.
But you can use them combined by plugging the surge protector into the power conditioner to protect many electrical devices from potential damage.
However, it won’t be a good idea to apply this technique unless it’s indispensable. And it’s because of the daisy-chaining.
Can A Surge Protector and Power Conditioner Be the Same?
Well, they are not the same device though they both protect from dirty power. Some of you may think that way.
However, looking at the building structure and functionality, you might get confused. That’s because the power conditioner has a built-in surge protector inside. It helps cut the power when it cannot modify the supply anymore. So, you can use it for the entire circuit.
But the surge protector has only one function: block the power before entering the device. It can’t function with multiple devices and can’t control the disturbances.
The power conditioner itself is a surge protector, but the surge protector has its difference.
Which One Is The Suitable Choice?
The main question remains: What is the most suitable choice for you, the power conditioner and surge protector?
We would say the power conditioner is the preferable one. There are various reasons behind the conclusion.
The power conditioner has the most needed feature, which is controlling the voltage whenever there’s interference. On top of that, it has a built-in surge protector. So, why would you even need a separate surge protector?
In most big businesses, the power conditioner is used to protect the office from potential damage. Any kind of big appliance can be protected from electric shocks when you use a line conditioner or power conditioner.
You can even connect all of your electrical devices as long as it has a port left. But the only downside of the power conditioner is that it’s a bit costly.
So, if you don’t want to spend much on a device like that, you can get the cheaper version which is a surge protector. You can get the surge protector when there’s no need to use the plug for multiple devices. It can protect your device within the limit.
If you use a surge protector, the high voltage will not be transmitted to your plugged-in devices. As a result, your equipment will remain unharmed from power surges. However, surge protectors should be replaced every so often.
You may not get long-term durability from a surge protector. So, the overall summed-up replacement cost may cross the price of a power conditioner at some point.
So, keeping every aspect in mind, choosing a power conditioner over a surge protector may give you a long-term benefit.
You can check out our recommended power conditioner or surge protector if you want to buy one for your home appliances or home theater.
Bottom Line
To save your valuable electrical devices from power spikes, it’s necessary to have devices like power conditioners and surge protectors. A power conditioner can regulate the rouge voltage into a regular one. But the surge protector can block the current before entering your computer or television.
No wonder, both power conditioner, and surge protector will provide protection for your appliances. But, if you want long-0term service, we recommend going for a power conditioner.
Hopefully, the power conditioner vs. surge protector discussion has covered all the facts you need to differentiate between them. Buy the power conditioner for better service if money is not an issue. Stay safe and keep your electrical appliance away from damage!
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