Customer Reviews

APC PER7 Personal SurgeArrest 7 Outlet 120V Surge Protector

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This product description is very misleading. Amazon lists the retail price as $28 reduced to 13.99 but the APC web site lists the price at 12.99.... a dollar cheaper than Amazon. The low price makes sense because it only has 240 joules of surge protection per the APC specs (which amazon conveniently left out of the description). That makes it a little better than an extension cord. If you want real surge protection make sure you get something with a substantially higher joule rating.

The APC Per7 surge arrest is really good. With 7 sockets, it almost has everything you want to put in. However, the sockets are very near each other, so if you are putting a big adapter in it, it almost occupies 3 sockets, making the other 2 unusable.

I think I made a little mistake buying it. I highly recommend going for the APC pro8T2 Surge arrest which is better in all ways, and has a complete value for money!

I own two of these already and they are fine for typical plugs. It is built very sturdy and you can mount it to the wall as well. The only drawback is that this particular model has the on/off switch located on the top which makes it succeptible to hitting the switch by mistake.

The spacing of the outlets are ok but you may have trouble with bigger adapters. That may block another one of the slots.

For normal day use, it is a good surge protector which I recommend...beats buying a cheap surge protector which has cheap circuitry. At least with APC, you know you are getting a good protector.

I have been using this surge protector for a couple of years and have had little to complain about until recently.

One issue is certainly that the outlets are too close together, but that is not why I am giving this device a low rating.

While this device has adequately protected the computer equipment plugged into it through power outages and thunder storms, and all of the fluctuating power that goes along with those events, when there was a genuinely hazardous condition, this unit failed to perform.

A neutral wire fault to our home caused a series of major power spikes to the home electrical grid. This device failed to mitigate the spikes causing the computer, the wireless router, and the telephone base which were plugged into it to be damaged.

Ironically, the unit appears to be functioning despite the damage to the things plugged into it; anything that is known to be functioning will turn on when plugged into it. Why it failed to stop to power surge is beyond me, unless the unit's response time was just too slow to counter the incoming flood of power.

I am now working with APC to file a claim for damages, but the process looks like it is going to take some time and require some money on our part to have the equipment professionally diagnosed ($70 a pop at the Geek Squad), before they will finalize a decision. As will any such insurance/warranty claims processes, it should not be easy or quick.

So...I would highly recommend you review the capabiities of this, or any, surge protector prior to plugging your expensive electronic equipment into it. Look for a device that will protect against 600 joules or higher, and with a reaction time of 1 nanosecond or faster...it does make a difference.

I own over 7 various APC surge protective devices, SPDs, but in over 20 years not one has blown, until recently. I had a power anomaly at a hotel I was staying at, and I bring the PER7 on trips. After a brief light dimming at the hotel, I heard a snap, and smelt burnt plastic. What this anomaly bad enough to cause a problem, or did the APC die simply because it was 12 years old? Regardless, it had a lifetime warranty.

Now was a chance to test APC's lifetime warranty, post mortem the unit to see if it really worked, and in 20 years, APC is no longer an independent company, but part of Schneider Electric companies. Are they still like APC of 20 years ago?

The PER7 provides minimum surge protection, say for modern appliances. Its an APC model that been in circulation since early 1990s. Its a time tested design that is unique, its appearance alone suggests its a APC product. However, if you open them, its evolved internally over the years, see photos for comparison between 1998 and 2006 versions.

Appliances don't strictly need surge protection, such as coffee grinders, microwaves, or answering machines, chargers, but as most have electronic controllers, these are digital electronics and sensitive to surges. There are more sensitive SPDs that the PER7, that often have added protective lines for cables for TV, computers and networks, and are better for more sensitive equipment like flat TVs, fax machines, modems, and hard wired network computers.

Photos and details of my dead PER7 are enclosed. Key points are: my plugged in devices survived, the PER7 sacrificed itself, APC honored the warranty and sent me a free unit even before I mailed my dead one in, and the new unit is electronically a better unit than the older one. However, up front, the old and new units look identical; its what's inside that counts. Calling APC was easy, no run around getting warranty replacement, although I did get shifted from several departments after calling the phone number listed on the unit; but it took about 5 minutes.

The PER7 can typically be found for $10 or less, although it typically sells for $13-20. At that price, its fairly close to a simple power strip, and given the digital electronics in nearly all devices, using an SPD is recommended over just plugging a device into a wall socket.

Given that SPDs can only prove their worth when they die and save your gear, getting replacements and value means working directly with the manufacturer. APC lives up to its name, and is one reason I use them exclusively for SPDs. The PER7 is not the best designed unit out there, nor the most convenient, but it provides everything you'd expect an SPD to do.

Has the vital indicator light "Protection working". Without this, you have no idea whether a surge protector has burnt out yet, or not.

I've been using APC gear for years and love it. It is a good "middle of the road" brand. This is a very basic power strip unit. I have mine plugged into the back of a APC UPS giving me outlets that are easily reached. As a result I really don't count on it for the power surge feature, it is just a nice looking power strip for me.

I ordered this item based on previous positive experiences with APC products - I needed a small sized power strip/surge protector for a small space. This fit the bill. It has been working perfectly.

I purchased this for my bedroom. I live in an older home with few electrical outlets. I use this for my hair dryer and curling iron. I needed the extra outlets and wanted to be safe. I was tired of having to unplug my clock radio or electric blanket just to dry my hair. Slim design sits next to baseboard with easy access. Outlets are angled so my BIG blow dryer plug fits and doesn't cover the outlet next to it. I can plug my cell phone and charge and even run the vaccuum and not have to un-plug something...YAY!

I have used this brand of surge protector for the last ten years. I have not have one fail yet. If you are looking for surge protectos this is the one.