Should you unplug the surge protector from the wall outlet during a storm?
Sambo! asked:
If you push the button on a surge protector to turn it off, is it the same as unplugging it from the wall outlet?
This entry was posted
on Thursday, April 16th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under TVs.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
If you push the button on a surge protector to turn it off, is it the same as unplugging it from the wall outlet?
April 18th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
No, powering it down is not what you want to do. That actually turns off its ability to protect against a surge. So the items hooked up to it are then vulnerable to damage. Your best bet is to either leave it on so its surge protection is active or completely unplug it as you describe. Unplugging it might be considered overkill, but depending on where you live and how susceptible you are to large surges, it could well be a smart move.
April 19th, 2009 at 11:45 am
i would still unplug it… a few years ago in a storm i lost everything that was on a serge protector … just to be safe i would unplug it
April 21st, 2009 at 2:51 am
The point of a surge protector is to attenuate the electricity coming into your outlet so you don’t have to worry about any devices that are plugged into it. To be even better protected, get universal power supply.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:31 am
Definitely not the same. Surge protectors are designed only to protect from electrical surges caused by line equipment, they will NOT protect your equipment from a lightning strike.
The gap in the switch when you turn it off is a fraction of an inch, and lightning jumps many miles from the sky to the earth. Simply turning off a surge protector will not protect you from lightning.
If you are concerned about your electronics, then unplugging the surge protector is the only way to be sure.
April 26th, 2009 at 12:15 am
I have to agree with W W.A surge and lightning strikes are not same thing.To help on lightning strikes you need a lightning rod on top of roof,and have it grounded,to the ground since lightning takes the path of least resistance.Until then unplug from the outlet is the only way to protect from lightning ruining all appliances.