A couple of years ago, I posted here asking for recommendations on surge protectors, and I ended up buying the APC Essential SurgeArrest (5 outlets with 5V, 2.4A 2-port USB charger, 230V UK PM5U-UK).
Model: PM5U-UK
Link: https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/5143273

Last week, there was a power trip during a lightning storm. At first, everything seemed fine, but yesterday I noticed that the surge protection LED on my APC unit wasn't lighting up anymore. I remember the surge protection light was always on before.

The power strip itself still works, but I'm unsure if it’s still protecting my devices. I’m guessing it might have lost its surge protection capabilities after the power trip last week.
Could it be that the surge protector did its job and protected my devices during the storm? Really not sure since the light is now off.


So, I started looking for RMA information. I reached out to the APC Official Store on Shopee, and when I asked about the warranty, they immediately requested my receipt. It seems their products only come with a 2-year warranty (I bought mine from All IT Hypermarket).

The official APC website isn’t very helpful either – it only provides a phone number for support, and to contact them through the site, you need to create an account.
Their fbpage chat didn’t respond and also redirected me to their website.

In the end, I called their service hotline and got transferred a couple of times to the APC team.
Here’s the process I went through on the call:
- Verified the model and serial number.
- Did basic troubleshooting (unplugged and replugged the power strip, and confirmed the devices plugged in).
- They initiated the RMA and requested additional info via email.
- They said they would send me a replacement without needing to return the "faulty" unit.

The whole call took over an hour. Their customer service is based in the Philippines, and I found their English a bit difficult to understand at times. But after verifying everything, they confirmed that my unit has a 5-year warranty, which was a relief.

After the call, I got an email requesting my invoice for their records. I contacted All IT's customer service on Shopee, and they quickly sent me the invoice.

Overall, the process was okay. If the LED on your surge protector stops lighting up, I’d recommend reaching out for an RMA because it might no longer be providing protection. And calling their HQ directly seems to speed up the process!

If your area is prone to lightning trips, you might wanna consider getting a UPS to wall socket.

So how long did they take to send you a new replacement unit?

Around 10-11 days, they have 3rd party service agent near me. Bring the old ups they exchange a new one for me.

Exchange? Need to return back the broken unit?

yes

i notice your old post you have issues more then the usual with failed protectors .

I recommend you install a good SPD surge 40 Kva at your DB box
SPD can handle higher power surge about x10 time better than strip block type.

2. get your house check for earth ground resistance / the copper ground rod.
they are suppose to divert the surge to ground at the point of enterey DB box.

3. did have your electronics that you suspect fail early . shorter life that usual.

4. your house on a hill , more lightning ?

Yeah, this is my 2nd times about my surge protector 'failing', which probably makes it seem like my house isn’t safe or that my area gets frequent lightning strikes.
To be fair, Ipoh does have a high risk of lightning strikes due to the surrounding mountains.

Over the years, I've had two modems (old phone line-ADSL type) and a ceiling fan damaged by lightning, though that was looooong ago.
That experience led me to start “investing” in surge protectors. I bought 4 Belkin surge protectors many years back, and only one has actually failed on me so far, it simply stopped working.
Another one wasn’t affected by a power surge but had an internal socket cover that cracked, which ended up burning a two-pin charger head due to an unstable copper connection.

More recently, the APC surge protection light sometimes flickers on and off. This might not even be surge-related.

My house is grounded properly, and the DB box works well; the fuse drops whenever it detects a surge during thunderstorm, which can happens a couple times a year.
To be extra cautious now, I just unplug my computer, TVs, router and avoid using the internet during thunderstorms.

I agree with you, investing in a good UPS would make more sense down the line.

This post has been edited by Rainings: Nov 10 2024, 05:33 PM