Furman PL-PLUS Series II go boom...

[kbaccki]

I know they're supposed to be reputable, but has anyone had bad experience with Furman? I bought this thing in May, and last night while working I get a loud *pop* followed by plumes of acrid, poison-smelling smoke billowing out of the thing. Interestingly, the computer and synth I was using never lost power while this thing was giving me it's best Three Mile Island impression.

This is the second unit I've had in 3 months, all bought from a large local dealer. When I opened the first unit, I noticed that the faceplate was all bent outwards near the rocker switch -- maybe a shipping problem? I promptly returned the first one to avoid any "lingering issues" down the road.... little did I know the second one would turn out to be no better than a $2 bottle rocket. What's up with that?

- Keith

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

I'd say that's pretty unusual - my guess damage in transit, maybe to the batch that dealer got, because Furman is top-notch stuff.......!

 

[Simman]

I'd say that's pretty unusual - my guess damage in transit, maybe to the batch that dealer got, because Furman is top-notch stuff.......!

Unfortunately not true when it comes to surge suppression. The furman devices (same for most low-end devices) use a MOV (Metal Oxide Varistor) for protection. The smoke was more than likely an MOV blowing up. The MOV is a sacrificial component that has a finite life; meaning, the more times the MOV is hit by a surge, the closer it is to its inevitable death.

IMO, you are just buying into a name and paying far more for a device that offers no better protection then that of most store bought power strip.

However, since you have had these fail before, I’d start looking at what’s going on with you power.

 

[kbaccki]

IMO, you are just buying into a name and paying far more for a device that offers no better protection then that of most store bought power strip.

But the Furman has the fancy sounding line filtering and the blinking lights!

However, since you have had these fail before, I’d start looking at what’s going on with you power.

Actually, just one "failed", the first appeared to have been physically damaged in transit.

BTW, I took the unit back to the dealer, he plugged it in, hit it with a meter, and pronounced "it's fine"... until we started to smell that nasty smell and the top of the box started to get hot. He popped it open and lo and behold, he verified that a very large cap had blown it's top.

Shout out to You-Do-It Electronics... great service and great prices!

- Keith

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Unfortunately not true when it comes to surge suppression. The furman devices (same for most low-end devices) use a MOV (Metal Oxide Varistor) for protection. The smoke was more than likely an MOV blowing up. The MOV is a sacrificial component that has a finite life; meaning, the more times the MOV is hit by a surge, the closer it is to its inevitable death.

IMO, you are just buying into a name and paying far more for a device that offers no better protection then that of most store bought power strip.

However, since you have had these fail before, I’d start looking at what’s going on with you power.

Actually - I've never used a Furman-brand surge suppressor.... I do have 3 Furman balanced power transformers that I've used for 4 years now without a problem......

 

[Simman]

But the Furman has the fancy sounding line filtering and the blinking lights!



Actually, just one "failed", the first appeared to have been physically damaged in transit.

BTW, I took the unit back to the dealer, he plugged it in, hit it with a meter, and pronounced "it's fine"... until we started to smell that nasty smell and the top of the box started to get hot. He popped it open and lo and behold, he verified that a very large cap had blown it's top.

Shout out to You-Do-It Electronics... great service and great prices!

- Keith

Yeah, the lights are cool.

I'd still check the condition of your AC power. If you are getting large surges (under/over voltages) in your line voltage, that is a problem and you will need to address that before doing anything else. Is anything else being powered on the same circuit as your studio gear (i.e., refrig, Air Conditioners, etc.)?

I'm not sure which power transformer Blue Bear is referencing (AR-12XX series???) but looking at the Furman site, these products offer far better protection and are a much better solution. Perhaps Blue Bear can provide more detail regarding the power conditioner he is using?

 

[wimat]

The series II does not incorporate MOVs anymore. At least, that's what they're tech line told me.