A computer should be plugged into a surge protector to prevent damage to the computers power supply and even loss of data.
If a power surge occurs it can fry the power supply and even the power supply to a laptop and lead to data loss as well and even a fried motherboard.
Some surge protectors are better than other surge protectors depending on the joule rating and a surge protector with a higher joule rating means it has stronger protection against power surges.
A surge protector protects your appliances and electronics such as Television, computers, etc from power surges which can destroy the electronics.
The surge protector diverts excess voltage to the ground wire, preventing it from reaching connected equipment.
A surge protector will not work without the ground as the surge protector works by creating a short between both the hot wire and neutral and neutral and the hot and the ground when a voltage spike exceeds a a certain value above normal.
So without the ground the surge protector will not work.
A surge protector designed for a standard AC power outlet requires a functional ground connection in order to work properly.
The surge protector diverts excess voltage to the ground wire, preventing it from reaching connected equipment.
The yellow light on a surge protector indicates that the protection from a power surge is in place so the yellow light on the surge protector should be on and if it's off it means that the surge protection is not working.
Grounding is a critical element required for proper surge protection.
In regard to the question about whether surge protectors work on ungrounded outlets, the answer is “no.”
Surge protection equipment typically uses components called metal oxide varistors (MOVs) to divert excess current into the ground line.
The red light on the surge protector means that the surge protector is working and providing surge protection.
The yellow light should always be lit, as it indicates that the protection from a power surge is in place.
The green light indicates that the surge protector is grounded.
For maximum protection, you want the surge protector grounded and have the green light on, though it is not required.
When a surge protector flickers it can mean that the surge protector is going bad, has detected a fault or that the surge protector has been turned off.
If the blinking/flickering light on your surge protector is red or orange, it is most likely a power light that indicates that a surge protector has been turned on or off.
If that red or orange light has neon bulbs, they will degrade over time.
This causes them to blink and flicker.
Signs that a surge protector has gone bad include.
Feels hot: A surge protector that feels hot is not protecting your electronics.
Smells of burning plastic:.
Lamps flicker:.
Plugged in but not working:.
Broken fuse:.
It keeps turning off and on.
Also examine your surge protector to see if you can spot a red or green blinking light on the outside of the device.
Please note that this is not a foolproof system.
Just because there is no flashing light does not always mean your device is fine.
However, if it is flashing, you definitely need a new one.
Power surges occur very often.
While standard U.S. voltage is 120 V, the true amount of voltage constantly oscillates between a few volts up to 169 volts it is not until voltage passes 170 V that a potentially harmful power surge happens.
The difference between a surge protector and a power strip is the surge protector is a type of power strip that has surge protection to protect your electronics and appliances from electrical surges while the power strip is just a short type of extension cord with additional outlets without any additional surge protection.
A typical surge protector passes the electrical current along the outlet to number of the devices plugged into the power strip.
If the voltage happens to rise above the acceptable level, the protector will divert the extra electricity into the outlets grounding wire.
It's recommended that you replace power strips and surge protectors every 2 to 3 years.
However you can keep a power strip or surge protector as long as it's in good condition and the outlets are tight and not loose and you have no frayed wires on it.
Power strips can cause fires if the power strip is overloaded or if the power strip is bad.
If you overload the power strip then the power strip can start a fire.
Although if the power strip has a breaker on it then the breaker should trip when you pull too much power from the power strip.
Also never plug high wattage things into the power strip such as a space heater that runs longer than a few minutes or so.
Plugging a hair dryer into the power strip is generally safe as long as you don't run the hair dryer longer than 5 minutes or so at a time.
A space heater on the other hand would be a constant load which can heat up a power strip.
Space heaters should be plugged directly into an outlet.
If the power strip also has a frayed cord on it then it should be discarded and replaced.
A power strip gives you the ability to plug multiple devices into a single wall outlet.
A surge protector is a type of power strip which is specifically designed to withstand a power surge and keep your electronics safe.
As long as you don't overload the power strip or surge protector they should not cause any fire.
Also make sure the outlets are fitting tight and not loose and also make sure the outlet that you plug the power strip or surge protector into is tight fitting.
The loose connection of the outlet can cause the plug and outlet to heat up which can start a fire.