Surge Protectors are they really needed for pinball machines?

Steelhorse

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Surge Protectors are they really needed for pinball machines?

For the past 2 years I have never used one on my pinball machine, but alot of people have there pin's connected to them. Nothing else plug into the outlet my pin is plugged into. I try and unplug if we have a lightning storm outside. Thought I'd ask because in 2 years nothing has happened. Your thoughts? Thanks.....
 
Yes, better to be safe than sorry. Some areas are better than others. My power is more consistant being in a subdivision with underground power than older subdivisions with above ground power but still I like to keep mine unplugged when not in use. I'm probably going to put an inline power protector unit downstairs during the basement arcade construction. This summer I've had my T2 restart several times when the air conditioner or dehumidifier kick on. Keeping the dehumidifier off while playing has resulted in only one restart...and that was when the air conditioner kicked on. I think I need line conditioning and protection.
 
I used to sell electronics, had a woman come in once and bought a LOT of stuff. I asked her why the long shopping list. She said they took a lightning hit on the house, and lost everything. TV's, DVD players, computer, clocks, stove, fridge, phones. She said that everything electrical that was plugged into the wall got fried. No surge protectors anywhere.

Would a surge protector strip have saved anything? maybe, maybe not. Could also look into a "whole house" protector, which is a different beast, and keeps the surge from even reaching the wall sockets.

-Hans
 
I agree with Hans, most surge protectors can't stop lightning. Few things can! A whole house protector is much more expensive and will help but truly nothing will stop a direct to near direct strike of lightning.


I used to sell electronics, had a woman come in once and bought a LOT of stuff. I asked her why the long shopping list. She said they took a lightning hit on the house, and lost everything. TV's, DVD players, computer, clocks, stove, fridge, phones. She said that everything electrical that was plugged into the wall got fried. No surge protectors anywhere.

Would a surge protector strip have saved anything? maybe, maybe not. Could also look into a "whole house" protector, which is a different beast, and keeps the surge from even reaching the wall sockets.

-Hans
 
Most cheapo surge suppressors are nothing more than a pair of varistors in line with the power cord. Open one up sometime you'll see.

However, the more expensive ones (better brands) have much more than varistors, and I've personally seen one take a severe hit when a car hit a pole and shorted 2 phases together. This thing was so bad it actually swelled up from all the parts exploding inside...but the computer it was protecting was the ONLY thing in the house that survived.

Unfortunately I'd love to say to only get that brand *AHEMAPCAHEM*, but after buying about 20 outlet strips for our office and to see the quality in them, I can't recommend them anymore.
 
Yeah, a cheap surge protector is really nothing more than a couple of MOV's (as Orion mentioned). They're better than nothing, and actually can help in the case of a real power surge. But they won't stop a direct lightning hit. I don't think there is much of anything that can. If the lightning can travel miles through AIR, do you really think a component the size of a quarter is going to stop it?

That said, an indirect strike can induce surges - cheap surge supressors can help. But a surge suppressor will do nothing for a brownout. You'd need some kind of power conditioner for that.

I just use regular power strips. They are called "surge protectors", but they really only have simple circuit breakers and some MOVs. They work. But their primary purpose is to allow me to plug six things into one socket - not as a means of protecting anything. Unplug if a nasty lightning storm comes through.

Heck, sometimes unplugging stuff doesn't help. My grandparents lost a bunch of electronics during an electrical storm on their farm in Illinois - and it was stuff that was unplugged. A direct lightning hit isn't going to be stopped by a plug sitting an inch away from a socket.

-Ian
 
Sticking close to the theme of the thread. My pins are all two prong if I remember. Seems there has been new ends put on them. Should they be grounded with a 3 prong?
 
Sticking close to the theme of the thread. My pins are all two prong if I remember. Seems there has been new ends put on them. Should they be grounded with a 3 prong?

They should definitely be grounded. Unless they are an EM that came with a 2 prong cord and even then I would probably convert them.

Metal stuff on the game like the side rails and lock-down bar are connected to the ground braid inside the machine. With the machine not grounded you can create a path to ground with your body. It most likely won't kill you but it doesn't feel too nice. I've had this happen to me lots of times when touching the side rail of one game that's grounded and one that's not.
 
I agree that a surge protector isn't going to do anything but give you more outlets. I have a Square D whole house surge protector. A little on the pricey side at about $100, but I still don't trust it w/ my games. When I ran the outlets for my games I put them through a "Murray GUN321 NON FUSIBLE GENERAL DUTY SAFETY SWITCH." Basically it's a 3-phase disconnect, like they use for hot tubs. Whenever I'm not playing the games, I throw the master switch. Nothing is connected. It's as if all the games are unplugged at once. Now that I do trust. That I paid less than $40.
 
Ive had a repair job where someone bought a few stand up games and a pinball. We had them covered on a warranty for 2 years. One clause was that they had to be on surge protectors. Well they didnt get any for the games or the 2 lcd tvs they had along with a slew of other electronics and then a lighting bolt hit in the yard and fried pretty much everything. HAd to pay us to come back and fix the games and it was pretty costly. Needless to say you should have them on something.
 
I agree that a surge protector isn't going to do anything but give you more outlets. I have a Square D whole house surge protector. A little on the pricey side at about $100, but I still don't trust it w/ my games. When I ran the outlets for my games I put them through a "Murray GUN321 NON FUSIBLE GENERAL DUTY SAFETY SWITCH." Basically it's a 3-phase disconnect, like they use for hot tubs. Whenever I'm not playing the games, I throw the master switch. Nothing is connected. It's as if all the games are unplugged at once. Now that I do trust. That I paid less than $40.

Like to know more about this.^^^


For now I just unpluggin the pinball and my MAME cabinet.
 
It's just a convenient way of disconnecting everything at once. The feed from the breaker box enters on the left side of the box. Through the switch and feeds the outlets to the games leaving on the top. All three wires (Hot, Neutral and Ground) are dis/connected at once. I did a search and they run about $50. I got mine from my local electrical shop as an open box buy for about $40.
 

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It's just a convenient way of disconnecting everything at once. The feed from the breaker box enters on the left side of the box. Through the switch and feeds the outlets to the games leaving on the top. All three wires (Hot, Neutral and Ground) are dis/connected at once. I did a search and they run about $50. I got mine from my local electrical shop as an open box buy for about $40.

I definitely need one of those. Because it looks cool! :)
 
I definitely need one of those. Because it looks cool! :)

And it makes that "Gooosh" sound when you flip the switch...as what happens when any sets of lights (or anything else) are turned on in movies! In reality if the movies really came through this would replace every light switch.
 
And it makes that "Gooosh" sound when you flip the switch...as what happens when any sets of lights (or anything else) are turned on in movies! In reality if the movies really came through this would replace every light switch.

Definitely. I imagine flipping that switch and all the lights and games come on in attract mode. Disco balls start spinning. A jukebox is blasting out. A huge TV comes on playing Tron.

That would be rad.
 
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