Over time, these mini-surges can damage or destroy expensive electronics and appliances. In fact, your home experiences voltage potentially dozens of smaller surges every year. These do happen, and should be protected against, but they’re not the full story. This type of direct contact prevents heat from escaping, which could start a fire.When weighing the pros and cons of whole house surge protectors versus traditional surge protectors, many people focus on the big, scary lightning strikes. Never cover up any part of a surge protector or extension cord with rugs, poufs, or other decorative items.To be on the safe side, plug any open-heat electronics straight into the wall. A surge protector adds even more resistance that can allow heat to build up, potentially catching fire or damaging the device. Space heaters and other appliances with an open heating element (such as toasters or hair dryers) use a lot of power, increasing your chances of overloading the outlet. Don’t plug a space heater into a surge protector. If you have a power strip without any surge protection (or one that’s so old you can’t remember if it ever did), get rid of it. Otherwise, they’ll keep passing power to your devices long after their protective MOVs have worn out. Every three to five years, replace surge protectors that lack an auto-shutoff feature.And if you’re plugging in new gear, check each outlet for burn marks or any sign of damage. Always replace your surge protectors after any large event, such as a lightning strike down the block or multiple outages in rapid succession.A ground fault could fry your devices, electrocute someone, or start a fire. If there is a fault, call an electrician as soon as possible to determine whether you have a wiring problem. Most protectors have a single grounding light that indicates whether there’s a ground fault. When you first plug in a surge protector, make sure the status lights don’t report any problems. This decreases the risk of electric shock, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
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