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Surge protector not grounded light is on. How much of a concern is that?

2 points · submitted 11d ago by u/golbrum92

I recently bought a new surge protector in preparation for a new $2500 computer I am awaiting delivery. My old surge protector did not have a "not grounded" indicator light but this one does and it's on, leading me to assume the outlet is not grounded.

I don't want to damage my new computer and I also don't want to burn my house down. I live in a rather old house (approx 1950s).

I guess my question is this truly a concern?

I also checked the old outlet that my previous computer was plugged into for over 4 years and it was also not grounded. TIA

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AutoModerator 1 points · 11d ago

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403Olds 3 points · 11d ago

Yes, almost all surge protectors divert surges to ground. If no ground, no protection. Recently, I had a nearby lightning strike. Unknown to me, a basement circuit was not grounded so a surge protector failed. Damage.

In addition, consider a whole house surge protector. I belatedly installed one of these also.

RespectSquare8279 2 points · 11d ago

Best answer so far. If your house is old your outlets don't have a ground for the 3rd prong of the plugs. You can protect yourself and all your appliances and devices with a whole house surge protector installed at your main electrical panel. They have to be installed by an electrican, but it is far cheaper than totally rewiring your home with 3 conductor wire.

403Olds 2 points · 11d ago

Cost of whole house surge varies but ballpark $450 installed.

RadarLove82 1 points · 11d ago

Even in old houses, the neutral conductor is tied to ground at the main panel. A plug-in surge protector will still provide some protection by shorting between line and neutral.

Yes, I think a whole-house surge protector would be a big help for this situation, which is why they are required in the current code.

Mammyminer 3 points · 11d ago

Grounding wasn't generally seen until the 1960s in most areas. Odds are high there is no ground present at that outlet. If that is the case, code and safety requires that it is either a 2 prong outlet, or GFCI protected (either by a GFCI outlet or breaker).

Unfortunately surge protectors will not work without a ground, GFCI or not. You can either install a new grounded circuit for your computer or install a whole home surge protector at the panel if you want it to be protected.

RadarLove82 -1 points · 11d ago

Surge suppressors certainly work without a ground, since the neutral and ground are tied together at the main panel. Even old systems have a ground rod, water pipe ground, or some other way to dissipate excess energy, which is tied to the neutral conductors. With no ground at the surge suppressor, the MOVs will short between line and neutral and any excess energy will still be dissipated through the house grounding system.

Medical_Chemical_343 1 points · 11d ago

I don’t think you can safely make a blanket statement about any and all “surge protectors”. There’s some real junk out there built as cheaply as possible containing perhaps nothing more than a couple of ceramic disc capacitors inside. Whether any protective elements require a safety ground or not just isn’t determinate.

The OP would be best advised to test his outlets with an inexpensive outlet tester simply to evaluate his house wiring condition. I’ve done some work in older houses where some retrofit work was actually done properly, others where it was really questionable and others yet where nothing has been done since the original build. With knowledge in hand, an electrician’s service may be required depending on jurisdiction and OP’s capabilities. A properly installed whole house surge protector would be a really great idea in any case.

mdxchaos 2 points · 11d ago · [V] Journeyman

most computer surge protectors use a sacrificial MOV to dissipate power surges. i would be more worried about your chassis becoming electrified. which a gfci outlet would be able to help protect yourself with. as for your computer, no ground is no ground, and thats a risk you will have to take.

Acrobatic_Fiction 1 points · 11d ago

We had an outlet in our bathroom that used the ground wire as a power return. The ground on that circuit was flaky. This was fixed and the problem went away.

Get the outlet tested using a circuit tester, and work from there. It could be the power bar too.

Our issue was the previous owners had added an outlet into a box that only switched the lights, so power and switched power and ground.

LRS_David 1 points · 11d ago

Get an outlet tester from Lowe's, Home Depot, Amazon, Harbor Freight, etc... that will show if the hot, neutral, and ground are present. I just looked and Lowe's has one for $7.

You are worried about about $hundreds or maybe $thousand of "stuff", when a decent surge name brand protector (3000+ joules) can be had for under $30.

golbrum92 [OP] 1 points · 11d ago

This is all foreign to me. I did buy a brand new surge protector which advertised 3000+ joules. My concern is with the outlet not being grounded is the surge protector essentially useless.

LRS_David 1 points · 11d ago

Spend a few $ for an outlet tester.