[ tl; dnr ] . A type 3 SPD designed in the US, and manufactured in China . Rated VPR 500V L-N, 1220J; uses MOVs to absorb transients . No status indicator LEDs; has auto shutdown when MOvs fail . Six grounded 3-prong outlets; three can be rotated up to 90° . Customer-friendly limited lifetime warranty (prepaid return) . SOURCE -- This GE8040SC type-3 surge protector device [SPD] was designed in the US by the Jasco Products Company (OK) and manufactured in China. Jasco is a licensee of the GE brand and develops and distributes a number of GE-branded products. (It is also a company impressive for donating half of net profits from its brands to charities for humanitarian causes, and for remarkable employee benefits.) . SPECS -- The device is a current tap rated for 125V/15A (and thus 1800W), with 6 ports. It is marked as a type 3 SPD [UL 1449, 4th edition], which means it is a point-of-use SPD only for outlets at a minimum *conductor length* of 30 ft [10 m] from the electric meter service entrance. (A permanently connected type 2 SPD is to be used at shorter conductor lengths.) . It is designed for US/CAN standard NEMA 5-15 grounded 3-prong plugs, but also accepts ungrounded and polarized (or unpolarized) plugs, as the bigger blade slot is the neutral contact and the smaller the hot one. I checked the polarization of each of the outlets and they were properly configured. The outlets are vertically separated by ~1.1" [2.87 cm], and hold plugs firmly as the final part of the insertion encounters a tight fit. Though the device only has a single electrcal plug, it is designed for use in dual outlets as it has a stabilizing plastic pin (where the ground prong of a second plug would be; blue circle in my figure) that fits into the ground slot of the other outlet. I had to sand a bit the lower half of this pin so it would go all the way in, and make the device steady. . PROTECTION -- Upon the start of a spike or surge, the SPD sends the excess voltage to the ground via metal oxide varistors [MOV]. These are shunt devices that remain non-conductive as long as the voltage remains below a given limit, conducting progressively more current the higher the voltage above it. How well a SPD protects depends on its clamping voltage (the maximum voltage it lets through), response time, and energy absorption rating (the total of Joules absorbed over its lifetime). Of these, clamping voltage is the most important. To standardize its testing and allowing comparisons, a voltage protection rating [VPR] was defined : the mean voltage at which the SPD limits a power surge of standard parameters (which is then rounded up to the nearest value of a table of standardized voltages, whose minimum is 330V). The lower the VPR, the better the protection -- by and large, more than 400V is considered too high. With a nominal VPR of 500V, the GE8040SC ranks among SPDs with less than desirable capability. . How many wiring shunting modes an SPD uses also influences its protection. The specs of the GE8040SC claim only one mode: line-to-neutral [L-N] for its VPR; see the lower red rectangle in my figure. This mode is relevant, but a type 3 SPD, being conductively distant from the service entrance, would benefit by also having a neutral-to-ground [N-G] mode. . In theory, the higher the energy absorption rating, the better the protection. But in practice, comparing Joules among SPDs is *not* reliable as there is no agreed test with standard parameters : equivalent SPDs tested by different manufacturers can receive different ratings, and disreputable manufacturers have been known to bias the rating by modifying some waveform parameters. Leading brands increasingly do not provide an energy rating. . LIFE EXPECTANCY -- The process of absorbing the energy from a transient to shunt it to ground heats up the MOV's ceramic matrix of metal oxides, and degrades it over time. MOVs have finite life expectancy; its duration is determined by how many and how large are the absorbed surges (whose damage accumulates). You may notice a large surge, but may not notice all the smaller ones. Instead of status LED indicators of active protection, the GE8040SC shuts down when MOVs fail. Once that happens you need a new SPD; these home-use devices have no reset button. . WARRANTY -- The limited lifetime warranty is very consumer friendly. For details, see Jasco's answer of April 30, 2021, in the Q&A section of this webpage. . Finally, given what is claimed by same reviews, the following is noteworthy. First, the SPD does not have an "expiration" date; what the the 4 dial seals of the casing (blue rectangle in my figure) give is the fabrication date in the Chinese format of year, month, day digit 1, and day digit 2. Second, the GE8040SC does not have USB ports; the confusion is due to hijacked reviews of different products. Third, the US electrical code does not provide a specific orientation for outlets, but in many commercial sites they are placed with the ground slot up --considered safer if a plug comes loose and a metal object were to fall onto it-- while in most homes they are with the ground slot down. The orientation is relevant when using the GE8040SC in dual outlets where, typically, the top one is controlled with a wall switch; contigent on whether you want this SPD controlled by the wall switch or not, the outlet orientation may have to be changed. _
