SURGE PROTECTOR GONE BAD?

[Golddollar]

Some time ago I was sitting in my recliner in the living room and I started noticing an unusual smell. The concentration got to where I would start coughing. I tried pulling things out to see if something organic had got under something and rotted, but I couldn't find anything. When it got cool enough outside so the AC wouldn't run I would open the front door and kitchen door to air out the house. The smell would diminish for a while but then would return.

So a couple days ago I had a recollection of a fluorescent light fixture at an old job that went bad, and how the smell from the bad ballast would gag a maggot. The thought of that ballast then translated into the surge protector next to my recliner. So I pulled out the surge protector by my recliner and hooked up another one that I had in the house. I've aired out the house again and so far the strength of the odor has gone down by a good 90% and hasn't increased. So the plan is to take the old surge protector to the recycler and buy a new surge protector.

I know next to nothing about electrical stuff, so I hope the folks here can give me some guidance as to whether I took care of the problem or not. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[coltle6920]

I'd buy two while you are there...

At least until you figure out if it's the protector... outlet... or what's plugged into it.

But what do I know?

 

[metrotps]

Surge Protectors are a waste of money IMHO. A cheap one can start a fire! I haven't used them in over 40 years. I use "Uninterruptable Power Supplies" exclusively. Almost every device has computer inside. A "Surge Protector" device only protects against "Over Voltage Surges" which may occur in your area, but unless you are buying quality ones, you are not getting much protection.
Instead purchase a "UPS" for each device you whish to protect. I use and recommend the APC brand. I have tried other brands, and have not got the service out of them, much past the warranty period. APC, a flagship brand of Schneider Electric - APC USA

 

[Dave.357]

I agree with above post.
A cheap one is a fuse for house
Fire.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Surge protectors are marginally protective at best, and do nothing during electronics killing brownouts.

A UPS is the way to go for protecting electronics. A CyberPower brand UPS is standard equipment around our place, and the models with sine wave output, protect all our sensitive electronics.

"PFC Sinewave | CyberPower Systems" PFC Sinewave | CyberPower Systems


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[JcMack]

I've got individual single outlet surge protectors on major appliances like the ice box, washer and drier. Also have 2 APC battery backups about 750VA ea. APC1 for PC/MODEM/ROUTER and VOIP phone. APC2 for TV and ROKU. APC's came on just the other day during neighborhood power failure. BBU's are especially good for brown outs where power drops and restores and repeats the sequence till it finally quits. The other day I had a power failure and still had access to the PC make a call to the power company and check via the computer how widespread the outage was.
Give thought to how many AC to DC little black Chinese cheepo transformers there are in your house. They like to fail and produce smoke occasionally. Keep them from behind flammables like drapes.

 

[Golddollar]

Thank you for all the advice. It looks like the surge protector I yanked really was starting to fail. With the brand recommendation, I am going to start changing out all the surge protectors in the house.

 

[16thVACav]

You might want to check with your power company. A lot of them install whole house surge protectors at the meter for a small monthly fee (mine is $5).

 

[soFlaNative]

Glad you found the source.
The last odd smell took me an hour to find was a rubber band from the last shooting war inside the lampshade atop the bulb.

 

[metrotps]

Not too many years ago there was a study on what was the cause of computer failures. 70% were due to "Brownouts" where the line voltages dropped. Some were as low as 90V.
California was among the worst for "Rolling Brownouts" and now just wait for all the EV's to come on line and Hydropower dams to be destroyed in the fallacy of "Saving the Salmon" which is too late due to the ineptness of the Washington Game Department IMHO. I digress... I actually saw the results of a cheap surge protector that tried to save a PC. The power pole outside the house got hit by lightning and the surge protector and the PC were actually burned and melted. Fortunately the homeowner was there and put the fire out. That hit fried everything connected to power.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Not too many years ago there was a study on what was the cause of computer failures. 70% were due to "Brownouts" where the line voltages dropped. Some were as low as 90V.

Some power companies seem to deliver consistently unreliable electric power quality.
I've had not just computer damage from brownouts, but also damage to a monitor, router, refrigerator, and air conditioners.




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[2ffat]

I will offer a somewhat different opinion than the above. Yes, surge protector can go bad. Usually it's one hit and done. Buy the best surge protector you can afford. Never plug a surge protector into a UPS or the other way around.

 

[Imissedagain]

Boats have numerous issues with all things electric, galvanic etc etc.

Surge protectors used were top quality and either paid stated amounts for deductibles or the gear.
Owners made that choice.

"Our protectors will clamp down in 5 nano-seconds", said the sales rep.
Funny tech buddy replied, "it's nano 1,2,3 that worries me".

IIRC... Nothing protected a mistake up at Hilton Head when the electricians turned on the 250VAC dock power that was really twice the voltage.
Kaboom, said Popeye.

As long as we're here, hope you all with youngsters make a working knowledge of electricity available to them.
From our toy box long ago.

 

[Golddollar]

Yes, surge protector can go bad. Usually it's one hit and done. Buy the best surge protector you can afford.

I just got 5 2800+ joules surge protectors and installed them around the house. Funny how much harder it was getting into those spaces where the old surge protectors were than when I moved in here 16 years ago.

 

[pawngal]

I've used APC brand for years, my one here at home is on it's last leg, has a high pitched squeal that fortunately I barely hear due to my hearing loss. It means that it can't retain power backup anymore. The one at that pawnshop took a dump over the weekend when we had a brief power outage. I wasn't working today and my partner called me about it this morning. Told her there was another one in the back room, she called be back and said it didn't work either??? I'm not too sure about that, I'll check it out tomorrow. She did get everything working with power strips. I have a back up here at the house I'll take down in the morning and I have another one ordered from Amazon.

And yes, changing them is PITA! Stand on your head, lay on your back and reach where you can't see.

 

[Golddollar]

I've used APC brand for years, my one here at home is on it's last leg, has a high pitched squeal that fortunately I barely hear due to my hearing loss.

And yes, changing them is PITA! Stand on your head, lay on your back and reach where you can't see.

Best Buy is probably wondering why they recently sold so many APC surge protectors. I'm sure I have overengineered the set up but what's a <$50 surge protector compared to the price of a TV and amplifier? I'm glad the good folks here made the recommendation of them. Now I have a bag full of old surge protectors to take to the electronics recycler.

 

[Spurdann]

Whole house surge protectors are easy to install if you have two open spaces in your panel. This is something a homeowner can easily do.

 

[Sarge9]

Surge protection does help with longer life out of those high dollar
appliances. Recommend cascade protection: main panel, then at
each item, plug- in or hardwired (a/c unit). Yes the UPS are the best
where you can install them. IMO
Inspect your grounding: water- line, rod, steel, panel.
Don't have that hi-$$ item on the last breakers in panel.
Surge flows like water.
Not much will help with a direct lightning strike, but if it hits down
the st. these may help.
I have replaced them for outdoor scales (FEDEX) smoking but they
saved the eq. YMMV
ADDER: Required in new NEC 2020 for homes. BTW

 

[swsig]

I lost several pieces of electronic equipment due to a lightning strike in the neighborhood, even though they were "protected" by your typical store-bought surge protectors. I threw them away, and bought four of these hefty, steel Tripp-Lites. I've had them about 10 years, with no problems since. They're about $80 each, but well worth it if you value your equipment.

 

[Golddollar]

I lost several pieces of electronic equipment due to a lightning strike in the neighborhood, even though they were "protected" by your typical store-bought surge protectors. I threw them away, and bought four of these hefty, steel Tripp-Lites. I've had them about 10 years, with no problems since. They're about $80 each, but well worth it if you value your equipment.

Who sells these?