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.
1888602
It comes with grounded cord and since it has surge protection might assume the ground connection is involved that protection but I am not electrical expert.
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.
798054
pen and paper-Never, never, never plug a three-pronged device into a two-pronged socket. How do you know that your wall socket is not grounded in the first place?Jim
1954533
I didn't have one. Sounds more like a power strip to me. I had the same equipment, each on its own adapter, outlet. I didn't have surge protection, it an was fine but could have been luck of the draw. If you want added peace of mind, then get it.
1740688
The instructions say no. Additionally, they advise against using a surge protector. We are forced to use one in the basement and it can only contact the one on the main level. We still love it though.
1141524
The fuse block does not get grounded. The items like lights, radios, fans or anything hooked to each fuse will be grounded after the voltage has passed through it. Hope this helps.
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!
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.
1799066
I don't know for certain but I would expect that would happen. If the power surge is large enough to disable/destroy other electronics in your house then I suspect it would damage this device as well.
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
1113685
When switched off, no power gets to your appliance, so I cannot see how a power surge would effect the appliance. However, the Belkin switch may be *fried* after a power surge.
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.
1241461
No surge protection, not really a power strip either, I DJ and use it to plug 4 lights into one plugged switch, so when I turn the switch It controls 4 lights at once. Hope this helps
2029279
I don't believe it will work because the surge protector has a 3-prong plug and I do think you need the third prong to ground the strip. However, I am no electrician and you may want to get a second opinion. Sorry I wasn't very helpful.
826465
If the inverter is working correctly, it should provide case ground which I believe would also be connected to the 24 volt negative. I would ask the obvious question which is, have you plugged the surge protector into a regular wall socket? And did this also result in a flashing ground fault light?
1870143
Hello,The plug is grounded. This is the same with the 2ft versions as well. Hope that helps!