Elkhart Fire Department warns cheap surge protectors can cause fires

ELKHART — The Elkhart Fire Department says it happens more often than you think. Someone plugs a space heater in to a cheap knock off of a surge protector (something you should never do) and that causes it to overload and starts a fire.

“Unless you know what you are looking for, surge protectors can look like the multi-plug adapters. They look the same,” said EFD Division Chief Kent Stouder. “The cheap brand, you are also going to know by the price.”

He says there are things to look for to know you're getting a true surge protector

"Obviously the packaging will say ‘surge protector.’ You always want to look for the UL, or Underwrites Laboratory label,” said Stouder. “That means they have been tested, and they're safer. Look for the reset button on the side.

He says even though it may cost a little bit more, it’s better to be safe than sorry and spend a couple of extra dollars on one of these, to give you piece of mind, especially during the holiday season

Adam Jackson, who sells a fair amount of surge protectors at Hardware Plus in Osceola knows there are cheap knock offs out there.

“It’s one those deals, you get what you pay for, and there are a lot of cheap surge protectors that are imported, poorly designed,” said Jackson.

He points out the amount of protection it can provide to electronics is measured in joules.

“With surge protectors as with everything else, they have different levels of protection,” Jackson said. “Our most basic one looks like a power strip 150 joules”

“One of the highest numbers for a surge protector, product here, is 1,500 joules,” Jackson said.

“You want to save that couple bucks on a cheap knock off of a surge protector, or do you want to replace all of your belongings after you've burnt your house down?” Stouder said.

Jackson said prices for true 'surge' protectors start around $9 for the basic model and go up to $25 for the top of the line at his store.

As for space heaters? Experts say don't plug them into a surge protector or use an extension cord. Plug them directly into the wall, checking the cord and surrounding outlet occasionally to make sure they are not getting hot. If the wire gets hot, discontinue use of the space heater. If the outlet gets hot, discontinue use of the space heater and get the wall outlet checked by an electrician.

And remember, the outlet you plug a space heater into should not have anything else plugged into it.