A service life of 200 minimum worst-case surges is recommended for a five year life in high exposure locations. The important frequency range for surges is 5 kHz to 500 kHz. Safety Ground Wire contamination should be avoided if equipment is to be interconnected. Surges can be classified as external and internal. External surges are frequently caused by storms and normal power company switching operations.
Internal surges occur when equipment within the building is cycling on and off.
According to industry standards, powerline surges inside a building can be up to 6,000 volts, and 3,000 amperes, and deliver up to 90 joules of energy. Surge problems appear to be worsening because of the increased use of electronics. As the tiny integrated circuits used in electronics proliferate, more of them are exposed to the dangers of powerline surges. A violent electrical storm can induce enough surge energy into powerlines to destroy your computer in an instant, if left improperly protected. The surge reactor filters out damaging energy, just as your oil filter removes impurities that can destroy your engine over time.