Welp, it finally happened. I was deep in the throes of a complex edit when I heard a crackling noise. It was faint at first… then it got louder. It wasn’t long before an unpleasant burning smell filled my office. The power strip underneath my desk was in the process of jumping ship and, in a panic, I shut down my PC and yanked out all the plugs. My power strip didn’t have surge protection, so I knew my electronics were in immediate danger. Fortunately, I was there when it happened and I was able to intervene before my electronics went kaput. But what if you’re not home? How do you spot the warning signs of a failing power strip before disaster strikes? Let’s get into it. The warning signs The most obvious signs are the ones I ran into myself (a weird sound plus an unpleasant smell). You should also get a close look at the power strip itself. If you can see damage on the strip, that’s usually bad news. Other signs include devices randomly losing power or an indicator light that refuses to turn on. Anker And whatever you do, don’t test a suspicious power strip on an electrical device you can’t afford to lose. You could risk destroying said electrical device. Further reading: 42 incredible tech accessories for a tricked-out home office Power strips vs. surge protectors — the real difference I feel it’s important to give a little more context here and explain the difference between surge protectors and power strips since they look identical. A basic strip is really just an extension cord with lots of outlets. It’s absolutely handy to have, but it doesn’t protect your stuff from an unexpected power surge. It’s fine for things like lamps and fans, but for computers and gaming consoles? Yeah, you’ll want a surge protector. A $10 surge protector is such a minuscule expense in the grand scheme of things. I’d rather pay $10 for peace of mind than replace my entire computer setup, which costs a heck of a lot more. Surge protectors, on the other hand, resemble power strips—at least on the outside! Inside, they’ve got special parts that soak up extra voltage in the event of a surge. Basically, it safeguards your electronics by taking the hit for them. Surges typically happen during lightning storms or when something big kicks on in your home like an air conditioning unit. Okay, so what should you do right now? If the power strip feels hot or looks weird in any way, just pull the plug… literally. Unplug your devices first, then unplug the strip from the wall outlet it’s connected to. Next thing is to get it away from anything flammable. I know this sounds dramatic, but it can spiral into a really dangerous situation, so it’s better to be overly cautious. Anker If you’re not sure whether the problem lies with your device or the strip itself, try plugging your device into a new power strip. If it turns out the power strip is the problem child, you’ll want to safely dispose of it. You can drop it off at a local recycling center as long as they accept electronics, or you can ring up your nearest Best Buy and see if they’ll take it off of your hands. Some retailers will accept small electronics for free. When to reset a strip (and when to toss it) If you’ve got a power strip with surge protection, it should have a tiny breaker button that pops out when something goes awry (usually if there’s an overload of some kind). If the button pops out, unplug a couple of devices and reset it. If it pops out again, the strip is probably done for and you should probably replace it. If the strip is warmer than it should be or it’s producing a bad smell, skip the reset and just replace the thing. Choosing a replacement without overthinking it A power strip should have a lot of outlets, full stop. That said, the number of outlets isn’t everything. What really matters is whether it offers surge protection . The first thing you should do is check the joule rating. The higher the number, the more protection it offers. Lesson learned I was really lucky to have been sitting at my desk when my power strip decided to jump ship. Most of the time, you may not notice the warnings. A $10 surge protector is such a minuscule expense in the grand scheme of things. I’d rather pay $10 for peace of mind than replace my entire computer setup, which costs a heck of a lot more. Even advanced surge protectors with tons of outlets and ports can be found for around $20. It’s money well spent.