Surge Protector Question

So i have a surge protector power strip that is plugged into a three prong adapter and than into the electrical outlet. My question............ Does this still protect against a surge and also is it grounded? The round metal thingy lol is attached to the screw in the middle of the socket?

 

If the electrical circuits in your home are grounded then it is grounded. I would inspect the outlets and boxes though to see that they have a bare copper or green wire that is fastened to the outlet and junction box and is carried back to the circuit breaker or fuse box and eventually a ground rod.

You still need a ground fault circuit interrupter or GFCI though as that is what will protect you from electrical shock not the surge protector or ground. You can get plug in varieties ate HD oe Lowes very reasonable and it could save your life.

 

i will inspect as far as i can. I live in an apartment complex. I know the fuse box is in the laundry room so i could go check that out pretty easily. As for checking the outlets and boxes for a bare copper or green wire on the outlet and junction box???? I dont want to start tearing things out of the wall
I will look for a GFCI at home depot. Do these plug into the outlet?

 

By 3 prong adapter I'm assuming you mean a splitter, and not a device that allows for a 3 prong male to plug into a 2 prong wall outlet. Two-prong wall outlets aren't seen much except for much older dwellings.

If it's just a multiplier/splitter, then yes, it's grounded and your surge protector can do its job. As AZ stated, though, the surge protector protects property, not you--so be sure you use GFCI outlets.

And yes, there are GFCI extensions that can be plugged into wall outlets.

 

Since you live in an apartment complex, you can only see so far. You don't have to take anything out of the walls to see...just take the cover off of the receptacle, and look around it with a flashlight. There will be a bare copper wire, hopefully attached to the green screw on the receptacle. Adding a GFCI is more complicated than just "plugging it in." It requires you to remove the receptacle from the wall box, then install the GFCI receptacle in its place, making sure that the LINE and LOAD sides are correct. To do this correctly, you would need to determine which receptacle falls first inline, or which receptacle comes from the Load Center (Breaker Box), and then loops in all others on that circuit. I might consult the maintenance staff to do this for you, for liability reasons, considering the apt's and all.

 

I've found these to be less reliable than actual GFCI receptacles.

 

"I've found these to be less reliable than actual GFCI receptacles."

They are all the same really, the electronics in the adapter are no different than the electronics in the wall recep...

3 Wire GFCI Outlet Adapter - 30339005 at The Home Depot

 

Agreed. The internal circuitry on a portable corded model is identical to what you'd find in a wall receptacle.

 

I used the portable variety for about 15 years on my nano system since it is not on a GFCI circuit. It works the same as the dedicated 20A GFCI circuits on the big tank.

 

I actually do mean the device that allows for a 3 prong male to plug into a 2 prong wall outlet. I live in an old building. Some of my outlets have the three hole prongs and some only have two. What outlets are best to use for a tank setup?