Not all surge protectors are equal, however. There are a couple of things you should know before you buy. If you look at a standard U.S. system outlet, you can identify each wire easily. The ground wire is the round hole at the bottom, neutral is the slightly larger vertical receptacle on the left, and the hot wire is on the right.
Most surge protectors work by diverting an increase in voltage from hot to neutral or ground.
Others work by capturing the increased energy and slowly releasing it, reducing the probability of damage. Either type of protector should suppress surges on all three lines. Since you can't protect your system by switching it off, and many surges happen without you noticing them, you should buy a surge protector or face the consequences. Well, that depends on your budget. Here are some things to check for on the box when comparing products.