Not Grounded -- What will happen? Does anyone know what will happen if I use a surge protector to plug in a floor lamp, a laptop, a phone (&amp; maybe a printer) in a wall socket that's not grounded?
1245893
I'm living in a house that has a basement that was apparently wired by a do-it-yourself amateur when he did the basement finishing remodeling. The outlets in the basement LOOK as if they are grounded -- they have the 3 holes which is the standard to use with a grounded outlet in the U.S. However, after some problems, and some strange symptoms, which included a 'not grounded' indicator being lit up on a surge-protector power-strip, we became suspicious. My husband used some testing equipment on the basement outlets, and discovered they were not really grounded. We are planning to have an electrician fix the basement wiring and add some more outlets too. What city do you live in? The very limited wiring in the apartment sounds like it might be a violation of building codes or occupancy safety standards, but that varies greatly by city to city, and I'm not an expert of any of this. On the other hand, maybe they would just tell you to remove the AC. I would find that difficult myself; I hate hot weather.
2284275
Section 11 states that the product is protected against operational failure resulting from a power surge while properly connected to a surge protector. You may be required to provide your surge protector for examination. However...section 9, "WHAT IS NOT COVERED", states that improper electrical/power supply (as in, not using a surge protector), will not be covered. I'm sending you a short version of what I already sent to Amazon feedback, just in case. As I said, good luck!!
798055
Well, update, my sockets are 'grounded'; that is, they have 3 holes, 1 round. But the red light indicator on my Belkin is lit & says not grounded.So, I don't know. I'm using it, & will ask my building manager if it's really grounded or not.
1511194
Surge has to be grounded, otherwise it is not a surge. We run a 18 gauge wire from ground lug to a solid grounding point, such as an outdoor rod ground or pipe. Inside, if wall sockets are grounded (metal) you can ground to cover screw or to a computer case screw.
626935
Wasn't aware of that. No idea. We don't unplug. Sounds like a "can't sue us" warning in the bizarre event of an electrical fire. Same warning would probably apply to any plugin electrical device.
1988269
Not sure? But i had my laptop and printer plugged in to a surge protector that was plugged in to the generator. It was plugged in for 7.5 hours with no trouble.
593262
A 110v surge protector is not going to take 220v well. You need a 220v surge protector and if you use an adapter, you need to make sure you get one that connects the ground.
2000505
Ella, you can leave it plugged in in definitely. With that said, if your going out of town, or won't be using it for awhile, I would suggest unplugging it, just to be on the safe side. One more suggestion... I would use a surge protector at all times on any electrical devices such as this one. Please know, that I did not like mine and it did not work for my needs. I am still awaiting Amazon to pick it up and refund my account. That being said, if it works for you, and you like it, then by all means, keep it and use it. I hope this information helped helped you out? If I can be of further help, feel free to ask any questions. I'll help if I can. Thank you, $BILL Ella, you can leave it plugged in in definitely. With that said, if your going out of town, or won't be using it for awhile, I would suggest unplugging it, just to be on the safe side. One more suggestion... I would use a surge protector at all times on any electrical devices such as this one. Please know, that I did not like mine and it did not work for my needs. I am still awaiting Amazon to pick it up and refund my account. That being said, if it works for you, and you like it, then by all means, keep it and use it. I hope this information helped helped you out? If I can be of further... » Read More Ella, you can leave it plugged in in definitely. With that said, if your going out of town, or won't be using it for awhile, I would suggest unplugging it, just to be on the safe side. One more suggestion... I would use a surge protector at all times on any electrical devices such as this one. Please know, that I did not like mine and it did not work for my needs. I am still awaiting Amazon to pick it up and refund my account. That being said, if it works for you, and you like it, then by all means, keep it and use it. I hope this information helped helped you out? If I can be of further help, feel free to ask any questions. I'll help if I can. Thank you, $BILL « Show Less
1954535
You're fine without a surge protection of iPhone, iPad and Camera chargers. We recommend surge protections for laptops and such because they have grounding pin also.
798053
If you have a ground fault indicator on your surge protector, than the surge protector offers no real surge protection. The ground wire from the wall outlet serves to pass current into the frame of the house, as opposed to the electronic device. I learned this the hard way, because my apartment didn't have a ground wire on the plugs. A power surge fried my router and battery backup, and upon reading the fine print, I learned that this is necessary for any surge protector to work properly. So, I got a 8 gauge wire, and hooked it directly from the new GFCI wall outlet ground to the box in the wall. The metal from the box will ground out, so long as you securely attach the wire using a bolt or screw. If you have a ground fault indicator on your surge protector, than the surge protector offers no real surge protection. The ground wire from the wall outlet serves to pass current into the frame of the house, as opposed to the electronic device. I learned this the hard way, because my apartment didn't have a ground wire on the plugs. A power surge fried my router and battery backup, and upon reading the fine print, I learned that this is necessary for any surge protector to work properly. So, I got a 8 gauge wire, and hooked it directly from the new GFCI wall outlet ground to the box in the... » Read More If you have a ground fault indicator on your surge protector, than the surge protector offers no real surge protection. The ground wire from the wall outlet serves to pass current into the frame of the house, as opposed to the electronic device. I learned this the hard way, because my apartment didn't have a ground wire on the plugs. A power surge fried my router and battery backup, and upon reading the fine print, I learned that this is necessary for any surge protector to work properly. So, I got a 8 gauge wire, and hooked it directly from the new GFCI wall outlet ground to the box in the wall. The metal from the box will ground out, so long as you securely attach the wire using a bolt or screw. « Show Less
160513
The manual clearly warns against connecting this to an ungrounded unit. An ungrounded outlet is not only a safety risk to what you plug in it, but also completely negates any benefit of a surge protector.
1637818
I don't have an answer for you. My guess is your unit is "fried". I had two friends who had surge protector power strips, not Sidesocket, catch fire. I'm glad they were home!
1631344
It is not recommended through a surge protector. It may not work at all or will be unreliable. I do not know if has one built in, but I have three and have been using them for over a year with no issue.
1933037
Yes, that's true. If you plug it into a surge protector it will not work properly, if at all.
2069901
I would call tech support. Not great phone manners, but informative. I would highly recommend a surge protector. I replaced 4 circuit boards in 5 years. $$$
1090193
Surge protector are designed to stop the flow of current to your electrical device. This product is no different. It would either have to be reset or replaced depending on how heavy of a surge it received.
1141523
There is nothing to ground. Power (positive) goes in, then through the fuse(s), and back out to what you need to feed. Fuses themselves don't get "grounded".