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Deleted member 191766
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Given that a surge protector is there to suppress electrical spikes, a plastic case does not seem ideal to me.
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Neato. Well I for one am thankful of non-conductive surfaces protecting me from things that can not only shock me, but that also have the potential to fall victim to electrical surges.
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Exactly!
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Deleted member 191766
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A lot of computer cases are metal
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That's got nothing to do with surge protectors. Cases are metal for many reasons. They need to be strong to support heavy components - especially during transport. And that rigid strength is needed because of all the cut-outs, vents and other holes in the case. They need to protect the components inside from bumps and kicks. Metal offers shielding from EMI/RFI entering the case, and emitting out from it. Metal provides a common ground for all the installed subassemblies. Plus metal likely helps with cooling too.
Totally different scenario from a surge and spike protector housing.
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Deleted member 191766
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Was worried about the fire risk.
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It's basically a matter of design and user protection. Back in the day, PC cases were a metal frame for strength, covered by plastic. UPS also often have metal frames inside. Cases also have longer dimensions. Put a 2 foot long 2 x 4 between two cinder blocks and it's not easy to break. Do it with a 10 footer and its relatively easy. In addition, unplug your PC and put ya hands in side and there's little risk .... do that with a UPS and you could get quite a shock. So it's understandable that manufacturers want non conducrtive surfcae for safety / liability reasons.. If something came loose touched the enclosure ... could me major ouch involved., For a nice look inside one ...
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Most plastics have fire retardant in them so they self extinguish.
Ever looked at the electrical sockets in your home? Yep, plastic. Circuit breakers, even 200 amp main breakers? Yep, plastic. Insulation on most of the wires run through the walls? You guessed it, plastic.
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Fire risk? Ummm, I'm afraid you are not thinking this through. Lots of things - even things that are designed to produce lots of heat have plastic housings. Things like space heaters, bread toasters, hair dryers, coffee makers, deep fat fryers. But yeah, the first thing that came to my mind was the insulation around wires - it is not only designed to insulate electrically, but to be resistant to heat - at least up to a point.
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Deleted member 191766
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I have certainly heard of surge protectors going up in flames.
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And do you think a metal case would have prevented that? No. If one went up in flames, it clearly is because too much current went through it. It was clearly a cheap and poor design that failed open the circuit before too much current went through it. Either that, or it took a direct lightning hit - nothing can stop a determined Mother Nature.
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Deleted member 191766
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You are absolutely correct, nothing is going to stop a direct strike.
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@Anwar.Shiekh plastic surge protectors are very safe. Just make sure to pay for quality. Don’t buy the cheapest one just because of price. Do research on reviews for longevity and safety.
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Deleted member 191766
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It's TrippLite isobar for me, I have more than 20
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Before we started using UPSs on every box (2012) .... we carefully looked at each surge protector options ... At that time, we found anything good enough to provide the desired protection was $60 - $70 or more. If it could be found in Walmart or local hardware store it wasn't worth it. If Im going to pay $70 for a Tripplite Premium or $60 for a Tripplite Ultra, I more inclined to spring for a UPS.
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I agree - especially since for excessive surges and spikes, surge and spike protectors simply [hopefully!] kill power ("IF" working properly!) to your devices, crashing your computer, potentially corrupting your data! How is that good? And of course, they do absolutely nothing for low voltage events like dips (opposite of spikes), sags (opposite of surges) or brownouts (long duration sags) - any of which can also cause the connected devices to suddenly stop working too. Again, not good.
This is why surge and spike protectors are little more than fancy and expensive extension cords. If you need additional protected outlets (perhaps because a bulky AC/DC power block is taking up too much room), use 18 inch spider extension cords plugged into your UPS.