Black Box Explains...The difference between the SurgeArrest and power strips.
It says UL® listed, so it must be okay, right? Don’t be fooled. The $5.99 surge suppressor you picked up for your home PC may be nothing more than a multiple outlet extension cord.
UL® listed means that a product has been submitted to Underwriter’s Laboratories® for safety testing in certain categories. The strip protector you just bought is probably listed in the extension cord category. It won’t stop harmful surges from destroying equipment data.
The UL® listing for surge suppressors is UL® 1449. APC® SurgeArrest® products received the best UL® 1449 rating. Some vendors rate surge protection on the basis of joule energy. But let-through should be compared.
Basically, let-through is a measure of how much of a spike or surge each protector will let though to your electronic equipment. The lower the let-through rating, the better the suppression. And the SurgeArrest is guaranteed forever—even if it takes a catastrophic hit. It may be the last surge protector you buy.