Time and spikes take a toll on a surge protector, even with no visible signs of damage.

Few things in modern life are as convenient as a good surge protector. That small, narrow strip can literally protect thousands of dollars' worth of equipment, especially if you have a PC gaming setup or extensive home office equipment. Most basic plug-in surge protectors use components called metal-oxide varistors (MOVs), a fancy term for components that take the brunt of excess voltage and redirect it. Unfortunately, MOVs degrade over time, with or without voltage surges, and repeated spikes expedite an MOV surge protector's life cycle.

The wear and tear isn't exactly obvious either. Even if the surge protector successfully mitigates two or three surges, it will usually look like the same old boring plug-in strip. In fact, depending on the design, a surge protector will go right on powering your devices even though its internal MOV components are no longer working properly. Some will go the extra mile and shut off outlets when the protection mechanism fails.

It's worth adding that some surge protector designs use TVS diodes, silicon avalanche diodes (SADs) or gas discharge tube components. MOV is the most relevant example here because it's the most common in households by far, and there is a narrow set of use cases for TVS diodes, SADs, and GDTs.

First and foremost, you need to determine if you're actually using a surge protector or just a power strip, since the two look nearly identical.

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