‘This just confirmed my fear’: Woman reveals why you should change your surge protector every 3-5 years. And why you need to buy a ‘real’ one
A woman is urging homeowners to replace surge protectors every three to five years after an old one caused a small fire in her house.
In a slideshow with over 208,000 views, TikTok user @thesoloqt warns in the text overlay, “PSA: please replace your surge protectors every 3-5 years. It started a small fire overnight and caused electrical problems throughout the house.”
The surge protector is burnt in half in the first photo. However, traces of black ash can be seen among the wires from different devices in the second one. But the third photo shows a dark living room with bright red illuminating from the power surge.
But the content creator does provide an update in the caption, “UPDATE: The fire was likely a symptom, not a cause. Bad neutral wire, power company has to fix it! The fire could've been so much worse if we didn't catch it early.”
Viewers still have their old surge protectors
Surge protectors stop random spikes in electrical current from damaging your household appliances. According to Dell Technologies, surge protectors can only absorb so many of these spikes, and therefore you should replace surge protectors as prescribed by the owner's manual.
In the comments section, many users indicated they don't follow that advice.
“POV: You glance over at your surge protector from 1995,” one viewer wrote.
“Me having the same surge protector since 2016,” a second admitted.
“As I peeked over at mine that I sleep with on my bed everyday for three years. Don’t ask me how I’m still alive because I don't know,” a third remarked.
Other users said this is why they're so paranoid about unplugging devices when they leave the house.
“OK, so this just confirmed my fear that these can catch on fire. I knew I wasn’t crazy for always unplugging it when I leave the house,” one user stated.
“Get one of those real ones; not them power strips. A surge protector is like $40-$50. Best purchase I ever made for my PC,” another advised.
@thesoloqt provides an update
“So, I wanted to come on and make an update now that we have more information from other electricians and the power company," @thesoloqt shares in a follow-up video. "We actually had a bad neutral line coming into our house from the power company’s end that was putting our house into a continuous power surge.”
Nevertheless, the content creator still encourages viewers to change outdated surge protectors. “Making sure you do have not expired surge protectors is still valid,” she says, revealing her new surge protector.
Surge protectors vs power strips
Although these two look and function similar, they have differences. Family Handyman describes power strips as an extension cord with outlets and an on-and-off switch. These can handle 120 to 240 volts. However, check the wattage on the power strip’s packaging.
On the other hand, surge protectors can handle between 330-4,000 volts. Essentially, they add another layer of protection to devices. But you don't want to overwhelm and break the circuit. Previously, a pair of firefighters advised against plugging in space heaters, other surge protectors, and extension cords.
Do you replace them every 3-5 years?
Surge protectors can handle a certain amount of electrical units called joules. Every time there’s an electrical strike, the device also takes a blow. The more frequent the power strikes, the faster the device degrades. When the light blinks on the protector, there’s no more protection left.
@thesoloqt Replying to @Kay #firesafety #fyp #important ♬ original sound - thesoloqt
The Daily Dot reached out to @thesoloqt via TikTok comment and direct message for comment.
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