Are you taking care of power protection for your beloved longarm machine? Do you even know what that means? We all want to take the best care of our machines so that we can have fun finishing quilts for years to come.
Power protection
puts a layer of protection between your treasured electronics and the outside world. We use surge suppressors (or protectors) and uninterruptible power systems to do it.
Handi Quilter strongly advises the use of surge suppressors. However, we do not endorse specific manufacturers or models of surge suppressors.
Power strips and surge suppressors are different.
Power strips are inexpensive and function to expand the number of outlets. Some claim to offer protection via a circuit breaker. But they don’t offer any real protection from electrical issues. You want a surge protector or surge suppressor to give you some level of protection. They are not all created equal.
It’s about the joules
Surge suppressors offer protection in amounts called Joules. Most manufacturers rate their products by the number of Joules it can absorb. This is not the best measure of the ability of a suppressor to truly protect your machine. Instead, look for the let-through voltage of the suppressor you are considering purchasing. This should preferably be at least 330 volts (V) but less than 500 volts. A product marked “UL1449 compliant” will have a 400V or less let-through voltage. Not all manufacturers put this rating in their specifications.
They don’t last forever
Absorbing damaging surges takes a toll on components inside the protector so another purchasing consideration is what happens when the protection circuit no longer functions. Ideally, the suppressor would no longer allow power to pass to your machine; otherwise you wouldn’t know that your machine is no longer protected. Some suppressors have an LED indicator that shows if the product has been damaged, which is the minimal indication you need.
If power surges are common and your suppressor does not have such warning features, it is wise to replace the suppressor every two to three years. Remember that surges don’t just come from the outside world. They can also come from within your home to your power outlet from a refrigerator or other large motor operating in your home.
Warranty
Some products offer a replacement warranty (up to a certain amount) on the equipment attached to it. This may offer an additional layer of confidence. Just be sure to read the fine print.
What about Pro-Stitcher?
If you use a Pro-Stitcher system and have occasional power outages, you may wish to consider an uninterruptible power system (UPS) product. A UPS provides both surge suppression and back-up energy that gives you time to power off your machine during a power outage. This can prevent damage to your quilt and make re-starting later easier.
A power rating of 1000 VA or better should be sufficient to give you time to perform a graceful shut-down of the quilting that is in progress. Again, look for the let-through voltage protection rating mentioned above.
Unplug
The Handi Quilter warranty states that machines must be unplugged from the wall outlet (not merely turned off) when not in use. This is still the best protective measure you can employ.
Let’s keep our babies safe and use power protection.
Re: the photos in this post. This is such a serious matter, and surge suppressors are not particularly pretty, so I added some pictures of nice quilting to lighten the mood. 🙂
by Mary Beth Krapil
Excellent post! Thank you for covering this important subject. I would suggest that consumers select a UL 1449 rated surge protector with a clamping voltage less than 400V AND with the highest joule rating they can afford. The UL standard only tests for 15 “disruptions” so If you live in an area where lightning strikes are common, you’ll need to budget to replace it more often.
Thank you! Excellent information and really important, especially if you live in the country where surges and outages happen more than we would like. We have a whole house generator, however when the power goes out it is not instant that it kicks on. There is about a 30 second delay so literally everything shuts down then quickly powers up. That quick power-up is good to keep the TV show on but not so good on delicate electronics. UPS to the rescue!
Thanks, I am always harping at my friends to buy and replace serge protectors. Now I can show them HQ agrees with me. LOL. Good information
Great info, MBK!! Love how the quilting “lightened the mood!”
I know how you don’t like to recommend a specific brand but I prefer single outlet protectors that have an audible alarm when the protection is all used up and it needs replacement The can be found on Amazon with a search for “appliance surge protectors with audible alarm “
Great article. I’ve been suggesting to my sewing friends they all need to protect their investment in these expensive machines by getting a surge suppressor & protection. I also advocate unplugging when not in use; great to safely protect yourself when you forget during a storm & not have to worry about the machines. As a retired firefighter I learned that you can never be too careful & the best method is to plan ahead and if you expect the unexpected you can save yourself a potential electrical fire.
I heard the mentioning of unplugging the machine while not in use. My question is why? No one says why? “Just to be safer unplug”. It is the question that I see also on many sites that the husband scratches their heads and ask… Why and some are electricians. If you have a surge protector and replace every two or three years and/or if it shows/hears that it is damaged. Why do I need to unplug? Can you give a solid reason or an example of machine that got damaged? The circumstances? It would give credit to the Unplug at the end of use.
Rachel,
I’m speaking purely from personal experience here. My home in Florida took a direct lightening hit. Every single thing that was plugged in was destroyed, including 2 computers that were plugged into UPS with surge suppression. Thankfully, my Handi Quilter was unplugged!
Some areas of the world get more lightening than others. Florida has high incidence of lightening. Unplugging your machine is easy insurance against the possibly rare occurrence of a lightening strike.
There may be other reasons, I’m not an electrician, but that is my reason. And I no longer live in Florida, but I still unplug.