Surge protectors offer powerful protection that no other device can: When a huge power spike hits, they stop it from frying your precious electronics, like computers, smart TVs and home devices like thermostats.
You probably know that. But what many don't know is that surge protectors wear out. Think of them like armor: They can only take so many hits before they weaken and break. When that happens, they may also burn out in flames. To stop all those problems, you need to replace surge protectors at the right time -- and I've found out how to tell.
Read more: Avoid a Fire Hazard and Stop Plugging Space Heaters and These 6 Items Into Extension Cords
Yes, surge protectors really catch on fire
Surge protectors have their limits, and every surge brings them closer to failure.
Surge protectors typically cut off power to devices to save them in a surge, but all that extra electricity has to go somewhere. So protectors have components that absorb voltage above a certain level (note that not all power strips are surge protectors, only those with added defensive hardware).
Those components aren't invincible and can grow more sensitive over time. When they wear out, the voltage takes over and in a bad surge, makes surge protectors burst into flames. That's not great for home safety, and yes it absolutely has led to house fires in places like Virginia, Massachusetts and other states.
Replace every two to five years, depending on power surges
Your beloved surge protecting may not be protecting so much anymore.Â
It's dusty, it's hidden away under your desk and you rarely think about it -- but just how long does a surge protector last?
Electricians and electrical engineers generally recommend replacing your surge protectors every two to five years. The exact timeframe depends on the joule rating of your surge protector (which is often difficult to find) and how many power surges your protectors have to deal with. Every few years is usually the safe zone.
The number of surges your home experiences depends on a few factors. One is the quality of your electrical grid and how often it has power failures or grid management whoospies that lead to minor surges, up to 150 per month. Another is if there's major construction near your home. Old or mismatched home wiring can also cause problems, especially if your appliances aren't well-suited to it.
But for many people, the biggest factor is the weather, specifically how many storms hit the grid with lightning or down power lines in your area. If you regularly get a storm that causes flickering lights or power outages every year, it's a good idea to replace surge protectors frequently. A very bad storm or two that cause neighborhood-wide power outages can knock out your surge protectors completely, signaling you should replace them ASAP.
Finally, if your home experiences frequent bad lightning storms, a basic plug-in surge protector isn't going to be much use for you. It's often better to upgrade to a whole-home surge protector installed at your electrical panel.
Replace when LEDs or test buttons no longer respond
For a power strip, the one from Kasa Smart Wi-Fi looks pretty nice.
Guesstimating the lifespan of your surge protector isn't very fun. Modern surge protectors get upgrades to help out, especially LED indicator lights (or even app alerts on smart protectors) designed to go out when the protector's hardware starts failing. It's not perfectly reliable, but it does help.
Some surge protectors have test buttons like ground fault circuit interrupter outlets do, that you can use to see if they'll properly cut power to devices when a surge hits. If these test buttons no longer work, that's another sign you need to get a new model.
Oh, and watch for recalls on your surge protector
I have a couple of final suggestions. First, don't buy surge protectors from knockoff brands or models that seem suspiciously cheap, which could lead to faster failures or missing protection. Second, there's a small possibility that faulty surge protectors are recalled. I've seen it happen in the past with brands like Schneider Electric. Keep an eye on CNET and we'll let you know about any breaking news involving consumer surge protector failures.
For more info on home safety, visit my security guide cheat sheet and list of the best ways to stop trespassers.Â