westom

From my posts, that should be obvious. Completely obvious. If a 2 centimeter protector part inside a power strip cannot stop a surge, then why would millimeter separation inside a power switch stop a surge? If three miles of sky could not stop a surge, then why would centimeter and millimeter solutions stop it?

Only one way to protect from destructive surges. Well proven even by early 20th Century ham radio operators. They would disconnect the antenna and still suffer damage. Place that lead inside a mason jar and still suffer damage. Damage stopped when the antenna lead was earthed. What must you always discuss to have protection? Earthing.

A 'whole house' protector does same – automatically and every second of the year. Once surge energy is inside a building, nothing will stop the hunt. Nothing. Especially not magic box power strips that do not even claim to do surge protection.

Unplugging is a most unreliable solution.

Nothing here is new. These concepts were understood 100 years ago. But advertising makes it almost impossible to learn 100 years of well proven science. Your most difficult problem is not installing a 'whole house' protector. Most difficult is unlearning lies and junk science that promotes ineffective and high profit protectors.

Nothing stops a surge. Either it is earthed harmlessly outside a building. Also called shunting, diverting, clamping, bonding, or connecting. Or a surge goes hunting destructively. It has been that simple for 100 years. And yes, an overwhelming majority are, instead, only educated by retail advertising. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground. That is the science. And that is never taught by retail propaganda.