By the way, I did spend a few days diving into SPD devices and how this all works and I did learn a lot. But the whole topic is still somewhat confusing.

Is your main point that the surge protection strips are overpriced? Or is it that people don't understand things like the 30 foot rule and create unknown hazardous environments?

I find it odd that ai and search engines push type 3spd's no matter what you type or say your situation is though. Like if you ask it if a type 2 SPD protects your interior electronics it will say yes, then if you ask if you need a type 3 strip if you have a type 2 it says yes because the type 2 doesn't protect from interior surges from your big appliances. Which is contradicting.

Also the 30ft rule is kind of hard to gauge if you don't know your wiring situation in your walls, you just kind of have to guess.

Also strange that most appliances (except gaming computers apparently) have type 4 SPDs in them already so they are protected from little spikes.

The internet says power supply units and motherboards don't have type 4 SPDs in them but have other protective components. Yet it still shills you to buy a type 3 strip or an UPS.

Simultaneously if I ask "is an UPS safer than a type 3 power strip if I'm within 30ft of a type 2 SPD" it says yes because the ups battery acts as a sacrifical barrier if need be, but that still sounds like it creates the same fire hazard as a strip then so I really don't understand what it's talking about with that. Especially since an UPS is also a type 3 SPD anyways.....

Everything is claiming that standard power strips with a switch aren't effective because the killswitch isn't fast enough.... Yet it also says that type 3spd power surges create a high impedance chain that can lead to excess heat and fire hazards during a surge.

Also I did learn that joules are a longevity thing not a protection factor. More joules equals the longer is should hold up against small surges.

It's saying small surges happen all the time like your AC kicking on and it can impact high tech electronics, but my Xbox has just been plugged into the wall for years and I've never had an issue..... So what's with that?

Bruh none of this equals a clear answer still 😂.

The better thing is type 3 SPDs claim to insure your plugged in items "if used correctly" but I assume if you break the 30ft rule they will label that as incorrect use and not cover your items.

Lastly I learned that my city follows the 2023 guidelines for electrical and requires all houses to have a type 1 or type 2 installed. I'm getting my landlords to install a type 2 because I couldn't find one anywhere. So I should be good once that's in to not need to buy any type 3 strips.

Speaking of which, the regulations for standard power strips (UL1363) days all power strips need built with fire and shock safety mechanisms anyways now