Why whole house surge protectors are not enough

Mfinch - 

You may be right that it is hard to get the utility to pay for a new WHSP box, but my goal is to protect my audio equipment investment, and if I can just replace a couple of hundred bucks worth of surge protection and still have my sound system, I call that a win! 

Trouble is, not many folks rig up their WHSP box with full temporary isolation so they can take it out of circuit and test it to see if it still works after you think it has taken a hit.  I'm "old school" and although in-circuit testing can be done, I feel more comfortable when testing just the device, unaffected by anything else. 

In general, the components that provide the surge protection DO degrade over time from the many small hits they will inevitably receive, and so should be tested or replaced once or twice a decade, or more often if your area might indicate it is needed (Florida or similar?).

@erik_squires Thanks for your thoughtful and detailed response.  If I lived where there was lightning, I'd be full in on the best surge protection available for everything excep my audio system....I'd probably just unplug my Regenerator before each storm....I know, PITA but as you know, I don't even like the degradation caused by fuses. 

I'd probably come up with some inexpensive equipment to use when lightning is in the area.  

Difficult problem you have and I feel for you.

thanks,

Jerry 

I use isolation transformers for all my audio gear, and all the A/V. Maybe that's why my 2009 Kuro Plasma is still working - and working well enough to make the 4K upgrade unattractive.

And thanks for the thread, Eric. A real public service.

@terry9  Isolation transformers have a lot of inductance, they act a little like series mode protectors. :)