Surge protectors wear out very fast. All power surges and with each surge the protector gets weaker. They should be replaced every year and every time the circuit breaks due to a power surge. The industrial protectors are the best but look pretty ugly and they are big.
All new appliances have built in protectors but a big surge, like lightening will blow right past them. Not much you can do if lightening goes through your wires. When we bought our house we were told it had a lightening rod to prevent strikes. ? I have never seen it or even know where it would be. I have no idea if it that works or not. Brown outs (surges that drain power) will ruin a freezer and fridge compressor fast. If you notice your lights getting dim and then brighter that's a brown out.