Surge Protector Dangers
Surge protectors are a proven and effective way of protecting your electronics from damage due to voltage
spikes. Power surges in the grid and lightning strikes can lead to increased voltage in your power lines,
which can cause permanent damage to your electronics and even start fires. By connecting your electronics
through surge protectors, you can eliminate most of the risk of power spikes.
Many surge protectors are built into power strips. These allow you to protect several devices at once
from electrical damage. It's important to remember that not all power strips have surge protectors:
often they just provide extra outlets with no protection from voltage spikes. Unless a product is clearly
labeled as a surge protector, there is no guarantee it will protect your electronics.
Despite the usefulness of surge protectors, they do still pose risks. If you have too many high-voltage
devices plugged into a power strip, you can overload it and cause sparks and potentially fire. Never,
under any circumstances, plug one power strip or surge protector into another. This can easily lead
to sparks, overheating, and fire.
In addition, never place power strips and surge protectors in locations where they might encounter water.
As with any electrical outlet, water can cause electrical arcs which can start fires. For the same reason,
never cover power strips, and never place them near highly flammable substances like paper and cloth.
As with other electronics, never plug surge protectors into foreign electrical sockets unless they use
the same voltage standard as the country where the surge protector was sold. By protecting your electronics
with properly-used surge protectors, you can reduce the risks to both your electronics and, more importantly,
you and your loved ones.
Contact Us
If you have been injured because of a faulty surge protector or power strip, the compassionate and knowledgeable
Chicago personal injury lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C., can help.
Contact us today at 312-466-8200 to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney.