Does connecting a microwave to a surge protector damage it in any way?
By Hugo A.
No, a microwave on a surge protector is completely safe. All electrical devices are safe on a surge protector. The only time there is a danger is if you are daisy chaining surge protectors and plugging in lots of devices. Use extension cords for distance and don't put a surge protector on the end of an extension cord unless it is a heavy duty construction type extension cord.
Several years ago we had a terrible ice storm and the electrical boxes on the poles were exploding. Suddenly, there was this huge ball of blue light behind my microwave. My husband had the microwave plugged into a surge protector and that was plugged into the outlet.
You better do your research properly if the surge protector is not rated for the amperage of the microwave oven you will have a fire this is also true for space heaters connected to a surge protector
So my surge Protector will be safe for microwave that will be the only electrical item on it.. An dont need a extension cord!
GE recommends no surge protector for a refrigerator because they have an auto-shutdown feature that protects it from surges already, and a surge protector can disable the built-in restart feature after a surge.
I learned to plug in heavy output electronics such as refrigerators, space heaters, microwaves directly into the outlet. The article below may provide greater insight.
'What to never plug into a power strip'. (Link below)
www.wfmz.com/
That is all well and good, but there is a difference between a power strip and a surge protector.
As a Compliance Officer for OSHA, I cant tell you what not to do at home. However, I will strongly discourage plugging anything that pulls a lot of power (microwave, refrigerator, etc) into a surge protector.
I would use a sturdy extension cord instead of a surge protector for a mini fridge.
