Why would my TV turn off/on when connected to a surge suppressor?

Question

I have a very strange problem which may or may not be the TV.

The TV is plugged in to a surge suppressor with the rest of my home theater. Satellite box is also plugged in to the suppressor, including the coaxial input/output, so my system "should" be completely isolated and protected from any spikes.

Here's the problem: I have two lamps plugged into two separate outlets in the room, which makes a total of three being used (including my home theater). When I touch one of the lamps, "sometimes" the TV will very briefly lose the picture for a second or so, then comes right back on. I cannot always recreate this, as sometimes it happens, sometimes not. I've also had it occur when getting up from my sofa. The TV is on a wooden stand, and the floor is carpeted. Is it possible I have "dirty power" running in the room? I took a look on Wikipedia, and read up a little on Power Conditioners. Should I invest in one, or is it likely something else? I'm no electrical engineer, so if anyone knows what may be the cause, I'd appreciate your input.

OrganicLawnDIY · Answer

My guess... Sounds like improperly grounded outlets or other wiring issue.

If your outlets have 3 prongs (1 for ground) get one of those plug in outlet testers. They can tell you if the outlet wires are correct.

It's a little three prong device that fits in the outlet like a regular plug and has 3 LEDs that indicate what the problem might be.

You can also check if you have a multimeter but it's more complicated and slower. They testers are cheap enough and very nice to have. Get one that also tests GFCI outlets so you have everything covered.

If you're outlets are the old 2 prong and you're using an adapter on the surge supressor then it should be one of the ones that has a wire that screws into the center screw of the outlet cover. Provided the box is properly grounded that is. That you'll need to check with a multi meter.

Tester101 · Answer

Every cable/satellite installer I've ever talked to says "Do Not connect the cable line to a surge suppressor." I'm not sure how exactly these devices are designed, but for some reason they tend to degrade, interrupt, and/or interfere with the signal. The first thing I would try in this situation, is to disconnect the cable from the surge suppressor and connect it using a simple coaxial cable connector.

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^{_{NOTE: I am not a cable/satellite installer, I'm just some guy on the internet. I will not be held liable and/or responsible for any damage caused by my advice. Proceed at your own risk.}}

NOTE: I am not a cable/satellite installer, I'm just some guy on the internet. I will not be held liable and/or responsible for any damage caused by my advice. Proceed at your own risk.

Bryce · Answer

Invest in a new surge suppressor.
Don't invest in a power filter: you don't need it, it won't help.

If you call for service on the TV they may require you take it off the surge protector: the protectors are so troublesome. Your surge protector does nothing at all to protect against power line noise: it's not designed for that.  It may be of some use protecting against a residual lighting strike, when combined with a strong whole house SPD (surge protective device).

Plug the TV directly into the wall, and remove the coax connector, to see if the behavior changes.

Also figure out if the signal is lost for a second, or the power is lost for a second.  Does the TV act like you unplugged the Cable/Antenna, or like you pulled out the plug?

Why would my TV turn off/on when connected to a surge suppressor?

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