r/technology· watts_the_damage@watts_the_damage

Space heater season reminder: plug them straight into the wall, and know that surge protectors quietly wear out

Two things I end up explaining every autumn. First, space heaters draw a lot of current for a long time. Plug them directly into a wall outlet, not a power strip or an extension cord, and don't share that outlet with other big loads. Nearly every heater manual says this, and fire departments repeat it every year because people keep doing it anyway. Second, a surge protector isn't a forever device. The parts inside that absorb surges (usually MOVs) degrade a little with every hit, and a big one can use them up entirely. On a lot of units the only sign is a small 'protected' light going dark while the outlets keep working like nothing happened. Check that light. If it's out, or the strip lived through a nearby lightning strike, retire it. And please don't plug power strips into other power strips. I know. I've seen the photos. I've seen my own garage.