The rocker switch on our surge protectors isn't just a simple on/off switch, it's a 15A (Amps) circuit breaker similar to what can be found in most household power panels. If the switch on your surge protector will not stay in the RESET position, there are a few possible causes.

A device is drawing too much current

• If a simple low-current device is triggering the circuit breaker, it likely has a direct short. Try disconnecting everything from the surge protector and attach each device one-at-a-time until one of the devices triggers the breaker.
• If multiple devices combined draw more than 15A total, the breaker will be tripped. Try removing one device at a time and resetting the breaker to see if it stays on.
• Not all devices will draw full power all the time, devices like portable AC units, pumps, compressor motors etc., have variable loads and when combined may exceed the current rating of the power strip, and possibly the home or office circuit breaker.
• A device that requires more than 15A cannot be used with this surge protector, and likely should not be attached to a wall outlet either, as a majority of household circuits in the US only support 15A. Many garages will have 20A circuits instead to support high-current devices like power tools necessitating 20A power strips and surge suppressors specifically designed for power tools.

Electrical events have caused a total failure of the surge protector

• The Joule rating on a surge protector describes how much total energy the protection circuit can absorb before failure. The surge protector relies on Metal Oxide Varistors (MOVs) to absorb excess voltage spikes. Each event is cumulative, degrading the MOV slightly, so many small surges or one large surge can cause failure.
• Failure modes: some surge protectors will silently fail, continuing to power connected devices but no longer inhibiting surges. We don't want our customers attaching valuable devices to a power strip that is no longer protecting their investments and choose to have it fail-safe, however that does mean it may stop working after a surge, lightning strike, power outage, etc.
• Every consumer-grade surge protector will eventually fail in this manner. The power strip cannot be repaired and must be replaced.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at support@plugable.com and we'll be happy to help!