Advisability of In-house Surge Arrestors

[QuakerDave]

I hope this topic is not out of place. I have only one broadband provider (Cox Cable). The one in-coming coax line brings in my broadband internet and cable TV. It appears to be grounded to the same pipe as my in-coming electric line.

My question involved the advisability of installing surge arrestors for various devices. My computers with their accessories are plugged into UPS devices, so they're covered, but I wanted some advice on whether or not I should buy surge arrestors/suppressors for devices such as 1) wall-mounted TVs connected by power cord and coax cable, 2) an ooma Scout (VoIP device) that is plugged into the wall with a power cord and a Cat 5 Ethernet cable, 3) cordless phone base station that is plugged into the wall with a power cord and into the phone line through an ooma Scout, and 4) cordless phone remotes that are only plugged into the wall with a power cord.

I'd also like some advice on protection of non-telecommunications devices such as refrigerators; since I live in a hurricane-prone area and have had to deal with multi-day power outages in the past, should I put a device on large appliances such as the fridge?

Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

[grohgreg]

Yes.

And the high dollar electronics should have UPS protection as well. I have a few individual surge suppressors, mostly on appliances. But the majority of my electronics are on UPS, which - by design - include surge suppression.

//greg//

[grohgreg]

I should have qualified that "yes" Dave. Even though you didn't mention satellite internet, that's one place you do not want in-house surge suppression. On the AC side (electric cord) of a satellite modem, it's ok. But on the DC side (cable) coaxial surge suppressors often have a negative impact on the signal, particularly on the transmit cable. The only surge suppression necessary on modem-powered satellite internet cabling is the coaxial cable grounding block itself.

//greg//