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I'm not sure if this is on topic or not, but I thought I would ask.

I have a few power strips (surge protectors) in my house that I use for computers, TV, etc.

Some of these have a "fault" or "surge" light on them. Some of them have "protected" light.

These are three prong power strips.

My question is, why do these show surge or fault on some outlets and on others, they do not. I'm assuming it's some polarity issue with neutral and hot? I know almost nothing about AC current.

Also, should I be concerned about this or should I have an electrician inspect these outlets?

Thanks.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Yes have a licensed electrician inspect. See for example electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/207013/… \$\endgroup\$
    – user133493
    Jan 25, 2019 at 3:28
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    \$\begingroup\$ Completely agree with @replete. You should be concerned. I don't know which electrical system you are on, but if it is the US it is split-phase and your power strips appear good enough to be detecting a fault of some kind. If you don't understand the power system well enough to work out the details of the problem, you should definitely hire someone who does and can rectify the problem for you. \$\endgroup\$
    – jonk
    Jan 25, 2019 at 3:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ If you want a good chance of finding out the problem quick before you commit to spending money, you can get a plug(/socket/receptacle) tester for $10-20 to plug in to outlets and check for wiring problems. The lights on your power bars may indicate that protection is active/mean the same thing as a protected light or they may indicate that the protection has gone off, in which case they should need to be reset. Do they say anything more than "Fault" and "surge"? You might have a broken neutral or crossed ground and neutral or ground used as neutral somewhere. \$\endgroup\$
    – K H
    Jan 25, 2019 at 4:41

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Yes. The surge light should be illuminated. This indicates that the CyberPower surge suppressor is functioning properly. If the light is not illuminated, it indicates that the surge protector has received a catastrophic surge and will need to be replaced. CyberPower will replace the surge suppressor free of charge, provided the warranty terms and conditions are met. REF

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    \$\begingroup\$ What is CyberPower? This answer reads like an ad. I don't own any CyberPower equipment that I know of. \$\endgroup\$
    – cbmeeks
    Jan 25, 2019 at 14:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ It was a cut and paste a question and answer. with the weblink REF I appreciate your honesty but I quoted in with the underlined in REF to indicate where my source was. This is a common feature. BTW , I dont know what product you have either and neither does everybody else. THis is a common feature to show it is working not that it failed. A surge might blow out a light. if unprotected \$\endgroup\$
    – Tony Stewart EE75
    Jan 25, 2019 at 17:00

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