Choosing the Right Spike Gaurd/Wire Box: A Comprehensive Guide

In the world of electronics and electrical systems, almost everybody including you and me might used or needed an extesnion box for our electrical supply, the main reasons are 

1. We wanted to extend the length of our power socker

2. We wanted more ports from the single wall outlet.

But there are many other factors and use cases where we should use a Spike Gaurd/Spike Booster instead of just using a wire box.When you are planning to buy a wirebox spending few more rupees and selecting good spike booster will save your devices in long run.

Choosing the right spike booster is crucial for ensuring the safety and efficiency of your devices and appliances. Surges and spikes in electrical voltage can damage sensitive equipment, lead to data loss, device failures and even cause fires. To prevent these issues, it's essential to select the right spike booster. In this guide, we will walk you through the key factors to consider when making this important decision. And also listed few handpicked Spike boosters for you to choose at the end of the blog post.

Understanding Electrical Spikes and Surges

Before we delve into the selection process, let's take a moment to understand what electrical spikes and surges are and why they can be so damaging. 

Electrical Spikes: These are sudden, brief increases in voltage that can occur due to lightning strikes, power grid fluctuations, or switching operations within your electrical system.

Electrical Surges: Surges are longer-lasting voltage increases, typically caused by power fluctuations in your utility grid. Surges can also result from the sudden cessation of high-power devices like refrigerators or air conditioners.

Both spikes and surges can wreak havoc on your electronic devices. To protect them, a spike booster become essential components of your electrical system.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Spike Booster

1. Watts Rating: The first thing you should consider when choosing a spike booster or wire box is the wattage rating. Ensure that the device is rated to handle the maximum watts your electrical system might experience. This information is usually available on the product label. Select a device with a higher watts for added safety. Most Spike booster comes with optimal watts of 1500w (or so called 6A). I personally prefer 2500W (or 10A). Please add watts of all the devices you are going to connect to it and see if that is lesser or equal to the spike boosters watts. Lets say I have a Monitor (200W), CPU (300W), Speakers (40W), Mobile chargers (60W) - then my total need will be 200 + 300 + 40 + 60 = 600W.

2. Number of Outlets: Consider the number of outlets you require. Ensure the spike booster or wire box has enough outlets to accommodate all your devices. It's also a good idea to choose a product with both regular outlets and surge-protected outlets for added flexibility. Also note that the number of outselts is sharing the total watts the spike booster can support. So for example of you use spike booster with 1500w and using an Induction cook top of 1500w you can use only one port at a time otherwise the Spike booster will turn off the power due to more load. I always prefer to buy 2500W which almost suits for all the needs we use day to day.

3. Protection Indicator: Many spike boosters feature indicator lights to show that they are functioning correctly. This visual feedback is invaluable in ensuring that your devices are protected. Sometime we will not know weather there is a problem in our wall outlet, the wire or in the device or the spike booster itself.

4. Clamping Voltage: Clamping voltage is the voltage level at which the spike booster or wire box will start to divert excess voltage away from your devices or cut off the output. Select a device with a clamping voltage close to your normal voltage supply.( for India it should be arround 240v)

5. Switches: Mostly spike gaurd with one switch will suite for most of the needs. But If you are connecting multiple pugs and only few of them are in use at a time it is better to choose a spike gaurd with individual switches. This saves some electricity also it increases the lifespan of the device connected for example the mobile charger adapters will be always conected to the socket but used only few hours a day.

6. Wall mount/hanging option:We can not keep the spike booster on the table all the time, choosing the one with option to hang or fix it on wall will save you some space on the table and also helps you organize the wires.

7. Design/Shape: We might have never thought we have to consider this point but choosing the right design that suits your table, room will give a pleasent look to the room.

8. Plug Type: The number of pins that comes with the spike gaurd that goes into the wall plug matters a lot. Buying a spike gaurd with three pin plugs but having only 2 pin plugged wire that goes into wall is very dangrous. Always choose the 3 pin plug type.

8. USB Ports:Nowadays USB ports are becomming more common in such a way that in future we will start having USB ports in our wall sockets. I personally always prefer to use chargers that comes with the device but for small gadgets like smart watch, Bluetooth headphone, bluetooth speakrs etc. does not come with an adapter buying or sharing adapters for these small devices alway have issue, so if you are buying a new spike booster choosing the one with few USB ports will definitely help you

9. Wire Length: Choose the spike gaurd with correct length of wire needed for you. If you are far away from the wall plug, then go for the lengthier one otherwise choose correct length like if you need 3 feet choose the one with 1 meter that way you no need to keep the excess wire cluttered on the table.

10. Warranty: A longer warranty often indicates the manufacturer's confidence in the product's durability. Look for devices with extended warranties to provide peace of mind.

Installation and Maintenance

After choosing the right spike booster or wire box, it's essential to install it correctly. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and ensure that it's properly grounded. Regularly inspect the device for any signs of wear or damage and replace it if needed.

Our Handpicked Spike Gaurds on Amazon

1. GM 3060 E-Book 4 + 1 Power Strip - This is the master piece of all - I personally use it for last 10 years and works fantastic - The same model with individual switches GM 3061 E-Book

2. EMBOX 10A Extension Board with Individual Switch-Multi Plug Socket with 4 Sockets

3. Portronics Power Plate 7 with 6 USB Port + 8 Power Sockets

4. Amazon Basics Spike gaurd - With individual indicators

5. Belkin 6-Socket Surge Protector - With 5 year warrenty

See here the list of Spike boosters with good customer reviews filtered with above checks

Conclusion

Choosing the right spike booster or wire box is a critical step in safeguarding your electrical devices and appliances from voltage spikes and surges. By considering above factors you can make an informed decision that will protect your valuable electronics and data. Investing in quality surge protection is a wise move to ensure your peace of mind and the longevity of your electronic equipment. Also please note that A spike gaurd not an alternative to a traditional voltage stabilizer.

Side Note: I am Amazon partner and all the amazon product links are affiliated. This means no extra cost for you but you are helping me to add blog posts like this in future when you use these link to make a purchase.