They have an upper limit on the amount of power unless they are very big. Back in the day I could not run my CRT with the computer as it ate too much power.
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Seems like you know a few things about this issue. I have a question. We have several surge protectors and I believe the cost was maybe $30-$40 for each of them.
Years ago, an electrician told me to replace our surge protectors every year! He said something like these surge protectors have a lot of abuse put on them every single day.
I have the same ones I purchased and when my GF got fried there were other things that got fried they were on a surge protector. My GF is not on a surge protector, it was just plugged into the wall and turned off.
Should I replace all of our surge protectors yearly?
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No UPS - the machine has built in protection and it can conflict. Definitely yes on the Pro model for higher temps - purchasing a second machine and using the carton from that one to get the first repaired sounds like the best (and quickest) idea yet. If you have the business to support it, you canāt afford not to have a backup unit.
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You can do as you please, Iāve had my power supply die on my machine being connected direct to the wall and since being connected to the UPS Iāve had other non power related issues. This has been a long debated topic on the forum, while they advise against it, they wonāt have a problem sending you a large bill for repairs and shipping if theyāre built in protection fails. The UPS Iām using has saved a couple of projects, and comes with connected equipment insurance, so I feel better personally using it, and as Iāve said, Iāve been using one for a couple of years. Obviously there are others who have adhered to the GF suggestions and have had no problems at all, this is just one of those things that you make a decision on and go with.
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I wouldnāt think so. However almost everything has a digital electronic component these days, and this component tends to be very susceptible to electrical spikes. It may be a TV, a Smart Appliance or even a Glowforge, therefore good surge protection is a must.
If you get a UL (Underwriters Laboratories) certified surge protector with a warranty then these can typically last a few years - some maybe even three years dependingon the warranty.
Another thing you want to check is that the surge protector manufacturer guarantees protection from lightning related surges. The unfortunate thing is that surges are a very challenging beast to protect your equipment against and their is no perfect solution.
I have learned to use my Glowforge (when she was alive) when the weather was fair, and never when we had thunder and lightning storms, under those circumstances I used to unplug it completely. Under regular conditions I used to use a UPS. However for cutting, I had to plug directly into the mains because of the current draw of the laser when running at 100% power for extended periods.
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When I worked in an Architecture office we had frequent lectures of relevant stuff and one of those was a person from the power company with a long lecture on the subject.
What he said was that in saving your stuff they took the damage, and could only take so much. So It might be that they would only last one nasty storm, or go for years without issue. He also said that in series of more than 6 feet apart each would dampen the surge for those down the line, and a surge that would get through to your computer, would be far less likely to do so past three of them. But of course the total power passing three of them would be less than one or none.
I do have them ganged up for the laptop as I need the plugs for many low powered or mostly shut off things (phone chargers, computer lcd screens, wifi, LED lights, etc) and have not replaced them, or felt the need.
If a strike blew out your Glowforge It likely made all the surge protectors bad as well though.
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To add to this Iād say, that Iāve experienced surges passing through a surge protector damaging equipment while leaving the equipment fried and the surge protector in tact; the response time of surge protector and the duration of the surge come into play here. There is a space where a surge can be fast and low enough to bypass a surge protector without killing it, but high enough to damage a connected appliance.
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That was the point the guy made on serial surge protectors.
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Iāve had mine plugged into a UPS since day 1. Anything I really value (pun intended) is plugged into a UPSā¦I honestly do not know how many UPSā we have in this houseā¦I had never sat down and thought about itā¦hubby usually makes a quick trip to Microcenter and they kind of blend into the drywall or are up above on top of a cabinet taller than me. I know we have them on all the computers (4 adults), 3D printers, server cabinet, and Glowforgeā¦not sure what else. UPS are generally small in terms of investment compared to the price of our computers and GF. 
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I have been thinking about your situation. Last night I remembered many people here in the states send large parcels with the bus service.
Here is the website. http://www.shipgreyhound.com/
My husband also made the comment if you could get the Glowforge to Houston, Texas via a cruise ship or maybe a Colombian pharmaceutical representative will be taking his cigarette boat to Miami to drop off a shipment of āsugar.ā 
I want to make you laugh because I know how it feels.
My husband works for a trucking company. The trucks from this company travel all over the south east and I was hoping they go all the way down to Miami. The drivers are the most incredible guys and they would pick up your GF and drive it to Texas if they had a load to deliver or pick up. Currently they are not traveling to South Florida. I am in Knoxville Tennessee.
My husband suggested you might be able to get help through a trucking company out of Miami or Houston.
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Thank you very much for your advice 
. One thing I must say is that our Glowforge community is simply the best. I would say that meeting all you guys and receiving all this stellar support made it worth my laser dying. These days that boat ride may be Venezuelan rather than Columbian 
.
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OMG!!! I am Venezuelan. In the 1960s, my father was an American working in Venezuela. He met my mother who is 100% Venezuelan.
I was born in Venezuela and we permanently moved back to the United States when I was three.
Please stay active in the GF community. Share your life stories with everyone. This is an incredible community with so many wonderful people. There is always many people willing to help.
Ask questions, post pictures of you drinking a piƱa colada on the beach and just enjoy the banter between everyone.
By the way my name is Elena. Jimmy Wayne Westie is my West Highland Terrier. His name is not Jimmy nor Jimmy Wayne it is Jimmy Wayne Westie.
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Very happy to meet you Elena and Jimmy Wayne Westie . Iām from Trinidad and Tobago, weāre just off the Venezuelan coast. My name is Miguel, my Instagram handle is @spirittcrafts and my website is www.spiritt.shop.
Thanks for all your sharing and I shall definitely stay in touch with this beautiful community. Today, I am certain that I made the right choice when I decided to become part of the Glowforge family.
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Hi Livein3D, can you share the specifications on the UPS that you use for your Glowforge? I would really appreciate this. Thanks.
Running a UPS or power strips with surge protectors will not harm the machine or impact its protection. Thatās not how surge suppression works. āHigher ratedā (aka more expensive) extensions simply have more of the components ("MOV"s - which cost pennies each) in parallel, and there is no technical limit to how many you can have in a device, or staggered across multiple devices in-line. A UPS simply switches from mains supply to internal battery-generated supply in cases of surges, dropouts, or outages.
The reason they are not recommend is simply that unknown cables/extensions/UPS devices might not deal with sudden spikes in power demands from the machine, and cause power stability issues that could impact performance. If appropriately sized, they work just fine.
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