You can use a outlet surge protector for almost any electrical device that plugs into a power source. These products all use specialized electronics inside to change the way the raw electricity is delivered, smoothing out the signal and preventing surges from doing damage to sensitive circuits; that is the primary difference between an outlet surge protector and regular outlet strips or extension cords.
Surge protector outlets are usually wired with capacitors that keep an electrical signal from getting too far from the average – this provides noise reduction in environments where there is interference from other devices. They also offer overload protection in the form of a reset switch that shuts off power when a certain threshold of voltage is reached, saving your appliance from probable overload.
There is practically no difference between a 6, 7, 8 outlet surge protector other than the number of outlets each one provides, and the cost. Buying the right size for your application can save you money. The one exception is when using them for large transformer based cords (with the big box on the end of the cord) where a higher capacity 10 outlet surge protector will give you more room to plug them in. Often these larger devices are spaced so that adapters don’t hog two outlets.
Some of these larger power protection devices are created with more features than others. The basic suppressor provides overvoltage protection and smoothes out the worst of the spikes and peaks from raw electricity, but does little to filter noise or regulate voltage. There are some that provide noise removal and filter out RFI (radio frequency interference) and EMI (electromagnetic interference) from the signals. This makes a device like the in wall outlet surge suppressor ok for a plasma TV since the television relies on clean signals for proper image resolution. Others prevent under-voltage conditions (brownouts) from occurring by boosting low voltages on the fly.
Battery Backup Devices also come in the form of outlet surge protectors, and offer the added protection of having a backup power supply built in, so that even if you lose power completely there will still be a limited amount of time that the device can remain in operation, running on battery. These also come in many styles, some offering advanced protection, and others offering little or no surge suppression at all.
The right outlet surge protector can save even large appliances from all sorts of disasters related to electricity, including short circuits, voltage spikes, lightning strikes, and interference. For example, you could use a single outlet surge protector for a washer. Many come with special product protection warranties that will cover the replacement of devices plugged into them if the protector malfunctions and damages occur to products plugged into them.
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