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#31
So the situation is like this. When I'm outside the US... where I am at the majority of the year, where I'm located... the electrical wiring is not good like the US at least I don't think. I am not sure if it is grounded or not. Even if I move to another apartment, same thing, doesn't matter.
But I basically connect a UPS to a wall outlet... then connect my laptop, monitors etc to the UPS and have no issue with it. The issue though is my UPS has that Wiring Fault that is bright red though. It's been like that for a long time and some people mention it has to do with it not being grounded or some wiring issue and things like that? However, my UPS battery went dead a while back and I never replaced it. I bought this UPS maybe 4 to 5 years ago or so. I believe the UPS battery went dead 3 years ago or so. So back then I never used my UPS much at all except when connecting it to my laptop when power outage. So even though the UPS was plugged into a wall outlet, I rarely powered it on because I didn't connect anything to it back then.
What I did for years was connect my laptop, monitors and everything to a surge protector that connects to the wall outlet. I believe that surge protector had 600 joules or so. Well one night when my laptop and monitors and everything was connected... there was rain and then a loud thunder. I remember when this happened, I was laying on the bed without my glasses and pretty sure I saw some electricity zap from my old xps 9550 laptop. I then went and took a look and notice my internet went off. I then took a look and one of my 2 monitors didn't power on. I unplugged the hdmi to hdmi cable that was connected to that monitor and plug it back in and it didn't work and apparently that thunder fried the hdmi port on the xps 9550. I then took a look at my cable ethernet adapter for wired internet that I connected my laptop to and it looked bent. I then unplugged it and then just connected via wifi. The next day or maybe later, I took a look at the cable matters ethernet adapter and not only noticed it was bent ... there was a frying smell as well. So basically the thunder zapped my hdmi port on the xps 9550 laptop and also the cable matters ethernet adapter so I threw that ethernet adapter away. That xps 9550 laptop still works without issue... but the hdmi port doesn't work. I ended up getting a new xps 9520 laptop though but the reason for that was because I needed a faster laptop.
So now when I'm there, I connect my laptop, monitors etc to the UPS that has a dead battery and had no issues so far. But again it has that wiring fault that is bright red. Back years ago, ,I don't recall it was ever like that. Is it possible it's bright read because it's the dead battery or not? Now is it possible my cables are loose in the UPS? I do keep the UPS on the floor so I do move it around when I kick it somethings so would I have to check if all the cables are secure and maybe that's why? But still safe to continue using the UPS without a replacement battery right? I know I have to buy 2 ups batteries for it because it is a Cyberpower 1500VA UPS though so I never bothered and just used it as a power strip/surge protector. But does it give any surge protection?
I still however use that same surge protector where I had that power surge for my internet modem/router and a wireless camera though. Would you say it's a bad idea and just toss it out? I didn't want to because I needed a few outlets and I used up all in the UPS. And because if something happens to the internet modem/router or the wireless camera, it isn't a big deal. But I certainly wasn't going to connect my newer xps 9520 laptop or my old monitors to it. But is using that same surge protector still safe or not?
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Now where I'm at now in the US, I'm on here a short time only. So the place I stay at, I don't believe they ever had a power outage ever even when there is thunderstorms etc. They use an old power strip that has 6 slots and it has worked for them for years. This power strip is minimum 5 years but it works for them and because they only connect their phones to it. So no tv, laptop or anything like that so there is always enough space. But when I'm here, I would connect a laptop and monitor sometimes and phone etc. My concern is if I connect this many devices to this power strip which isn't even a surge protector, is there a risk to my laptop and the monitor? The monitor is one that I have here in the US so I use it when I'm here as I don't have my 32' 4k monitor here with me in the US.
So far, there hasn't been any issue connecting even 2 laptops and a phone to that 6 outlet power strip. But should I buy a belkin surge protector at least to use when I'm here or this shouldn't be a concern? Now if I were to connect say a laptop and 2 monitors... then I should? I only have 1 monitor here in the US and it's an old 20' 1920x1200 monitor so no where as big as a 32' 4k.
The concern here is reading reviews on surge protectors and how some people say the belkin one they had blew out. One other person said they smelled fire and had they not notice it before they left the house, that would have been bad. I know it's a few negative reviews but when there is over 30,000 reviews for an electronic product, obviously there will still be at least 1000 negative reviews at the minimum... even for a great product. But since this basic 6 outlet power strip has worked for them here, I guess don't buy a surge protector? What about buying a surge protector but only using it when I'm here and connecting my devices to it but once I leave, just unplug the surge protector or just take it with me? Or don't bother with a surge protector here?
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