PDA

View Full Version : Watch Those Surge Protectors


Ah Pook
05-26-2016, 10:09
Had a bit of a scare the other night. I was in the kitchen making dinner. All of the sudden the lights start flickering and the microwave sounds like it's on half power. Next thing I smell electric smoke and the house is full of smoke. Did some quick looking around and found this was the culprit.

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL594/13497691/24694097/412536968.jpg
http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL594/13497691/24694097/412536969.jpg

Everything on this protector was off but a cordless phone and answering machine. Fried a couple of plugs but all the components still work.

I will be upgrading all my surge protectors this week.
Great-Kazoo
05-26-2016, 10:50
Good thing you were home.


Find your receipt, there's some long warranty on those units. or use to be.
Skip
05-26-2016, 11:00
Wow! Glad your house is otherwise okay.
00tec
05-26-2016, 11:07
Good thing you were home.


Find your receipt, there's some long warranty on those units. or use to be.

I have called Belkin and had one swapped without a reciept, but yeah, they have a pretty long warranty.
Robb
05-26-2016, 13:05
What the Hell? I've never heard of that before, glad you were home at the time.
clodhopper
05-26-2016, 13:23
That was the extra duty magic smoke. Really rare.
Delfuego
05-26-2016, 13:30
Don't ever buy Belkin anything again :) All their stuff is junk in my experience.
Bailey Guns
05-26-2016, 16:03
Scary...
brutal
05-26-2016, 16:24
HOLE-EEE-F*CK

Lucky you were home.
Walker2970
05-26-2016, 19:03
I will only use Tripp lite life time warranty like this one
https://www.tripplite.com/eco-surge-12-outlet-home-business-theater-surge-protector-10-ft-cord-3600-joules-accommodates-8-transformers~TLP1210SATG/
Ah Pook
05-27-2016, 20:28
I hit me later and scared me more. The protector was on a metal shelf. You can see the grill marks on the back. If that would have been on the carpet, there would have been a fire. Also, the are bits of burnt plastic carbon about 3' in all directions.
kwando
05-27-2016, 20:33
Wow, that's scary shit. I paid a hefty price for my monster cable brick, hope their quality is better
Jeffrey Lebowski
05-27-2016, 20:43
Yikes!
Colorado Fatboy
05-27-2016, 21:00
Scary stuff!!

The worst part is this isin't an isolated incident!

http://www.click2houston.com/consumer/surge-protector-sparks-fires-instead-of-preventing-them-homeowners-say
HoneyBadger
05-27-2016, 21:03
HOLE-EEE-F*CK

Lucky you were home.
This^
Irving
05-27-2016, 21:34
How does something like this happen?
Jer
05-28-2016, 08:02
You had your microwave plugged into a low-end surge protector? I thought that was a big no no, no?
Aloha_Shooter
05-28-2016, 11:21
From what AhPook was describing, his house took a power surge. He said everything plugged into the power strip that failed was off except an answering machine and cordless phone so the microwave and lights that flickered were on a different circuit. This can happen due to bad design, manufacturing mistakes, inadequate components, or even user issues. With the article Colorado Fatboy cited but the fact there hasn't been a general recall, my guess is that it's a quality control problem in either the manufacturing process or components.