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Type A bulb is a normal incandescent bulb.

If you exceed the maximum wattage listed on the product, you are overloading the circuit and risk causing a fire hazard.

Light strings should not be strung together. Voltage drops over distance and too much length will cause a cord to starve for power.

An extension cord is meant to carry only a certain amount of current. When the amount of current exceeds its carrying capacity, the cord can overheat and melt. If the cord melts, the two or three wires contained within the cord can get close enough to each other to create an arc of electricity. This arc (or even the heat of the melting cord) can cause a fire. The Cord Gauge versus Amperage Chart shows the amperage drop over distance for various AWG sizes.

The rating on the power cord (amperes and volts or watts) should equal or exceed the rating of the power tool. To calculate the watts, multiple the amps times the volts. Conversely, to find the amps from the watts, divide the amps by the volts. Use the Cord Gauge versus Amperage Chart to select the proper AWG size for the length needed.

The plug configurations should also match. Do not force different configurations together.

Power strips have become very popular these days. People see 6 to 8 outlets and a small circuit breaker and assume it’ s ok to plug in the works. First off, the small breaker in the power strip protects only the power strip from overloading itself. It does nothing to protect the household wiring. Plug an 8 outlet PS into a 15 amp receptacle circuit with 8-10 outlets already on it and now you’ve got 12-15 outlets on a 15amp receptacle circuit. This is why your circuit breaker in your panel trips, it’s overloaded. An additional circuit would be required to resolve this problem.

Amps is an abbreviation for amperes. Amperes is the technical term for the amount of current flowing through wiring. A good analogy has always been to think of amps as water pressure through a pipe. Low pressure, the water trickles out but high pressure and that hose can, knock the socks off you. Wiring is sized to handle different amperes, therefore your circuit breaker / fuses are rated for different amperes. Circuit breakers protect wiring.

Fuses protect the wiring from an overload (excessive current). If your fuses or circuit breakers blow, this is an indication that circuit has been overloaded. This could be caused by too many appliances plugged into a single outlet, or too many rooms (outlets & lights) connected on 1 circuit.

Please consult your dryer’s user manual for the correct installation instructions for your particular model. The explanations given below are of a general nature and may not apply to your brand or model. If you are still unsure after reviewing the instructions, please consult an licensed electrician or authorized installation professional.

The two outer legs are the black and red legs. These are the “hot” conductors and it does not matter which outer leg attaches to the black and red screws. The middle leg is the “neutral” and it attaches to the white screw. Please check your owner’s manual to determine how to properly ground your dryer.

The black, red, and white leads should attached to the matching color coded screw on the panel at the back of the dryer. Off to the side of the panel, you should find a green screw or a screw marked “ground”, “GRN”, or “GRD”. The green lead should be attached to this screw. Please check your owner’s manual to determine if you need to remove a bracket or other connection between the white and green connections.

Surge protectors are devices designed to protect electronic equipment from the damaging effects of fluctuations in electrical voltage caused by any sudden change in the demand for electricity (i.e.: a heavy-duty appliance being turned on or off, or by electrical utility company switching and maintenance).

Surge protection is vital because electricity is not constant. Even small surges/spikes can eventually destroy or affect the performance and reliability of electronic equipment such as televisions, computers, DVR’s, DVD & Blu-Ray® players, Satellite and CATV boxes, stereo systems, etc. Damage can occur either instantaneously from a major spike or over time as smaller surges cause the gradual deterioration of internal circuitry.

A surge protector will protect your electronics by acting as an “electrical sponge” by clamping down on spikes, “soaking them up” and converting the excess energy into heat, thus preventing the spikes from passing through the surge protector into the sensitive electronic devices and damaging them. As with any “sponge” a surge protector has a limited absorption capacity. Once that capacity is reached, the unit is no longer able to protect and must be replaced.

Most of the damage caused by overvoltage “power events” is caused either by longer duration high-voltage transients (surges) or shorter duration transients (spikes) entering electronic equipment via the power lines. Surges and spikes can reach 6000 Volts. The typical microchip found in a computer, cordless phone, fax machine, TV, stereo receiver and other electronic equipment is very sensitive to voltage irregularities. Surge protectors help by adding a layer of power protection to your connected equipment.

Surge protectors are manufactured to prevent damage from most internal causes of surges/spikes however, no surge protector can protect against a direct lightning strike.

An MOV (Metal Oxide Varistor) “clamps” and diverts the excess energy during a surge/spike in electricity by converting it into heat and absorbing the heat so it will not pass through to connected devices and cause damage

A Joule is a measurement of energy (1 Joule equals one watt-second). The Joule Rating on a surge protector is based on the number of MOV’s (metal oxide varistors) inside the surge protector. A higher number of Joules equates to a greater ability to absorb a surge. Each MOV in the surge protector has a Joule Rating, and when added up provide the total number Joules.

The VPR is the maximum amount of voltage allowed to pass through the surge protector during a spike. It is the level of voltage at which the MOV’s “clamp” down on the spike and prevent the bulk of the surge from passing through the surge protector into the connected equipment. The MOV’s convert the electrical charge into heat and absorb it so it won’t damage the connected equipment (computer, TV, etc.) When measuring a surge protector’s VPR, the lower the number, the better the protection.

There are three electrical lines of power coming through a properly grounded electrical wall outlet: • Line (L) which is the incoming power load to the equipment plugged into the wall outlet • Neutral (N) which is the returning flow of electrical current from the equipment back into the wall outlet • Ground (G) which is where any excess electricity is diverted as a protection against shocks and other damage. Surges can come through any of these three lines. Therefore surge protectors have been designed with MOV’s that are linked to all three lines and are described as “modes” as: • L-N (MOV’s protecting the Line & Neutral Mode) • L-G (MOV’s protecting the Line & Ground Mode) • N-G (MOV’s protecting the Neutral & Ground Mode)

As long as the surge protector is plugged into a properly grounded wall outlet, all outlets are protected regardless of the position of the on/off switch.

Turn off and unplug all equipment that is connected to the surge protector or power strip. Push the ON/OFF switch (with built-in circuit breaker) to the “OFF” position, then to the “RESET” (ON) position. 1. If the “protected” LED is not operating at this point, the surge protector most likely absorbed a surge and must be replaced. 2. If the “protected” LED is operating at this point, turn the surge protector OFF, reconnect all of the devices, one at a time, turn ON the surge protector and then turn on the connected devices one at a time. Be careful not to overload the unit.

If the protected light is out, the surge protector is no longer functional. This means the surge protector has absorbed its capacity and must be replaced.

The grounded light indicates that your surge protector is connected to a properly grounded outlet. If the green light is out, it means the outlet is not properly grounded and the surge protector may not be able to properly protect your equipment, and our Connected Equipment Warranty is null and void. Try the unit in other outlets to see if the grounded light illuminates. You may have to contact a licensed electrician to have the wiring in your electrical outlets checked to ensure they are properly grounded, and if not, to correct them. If the ground light begins to flicker or goes out over time, the LED may have malfunction or the ground connection may have been lost. This may or may not affect the ability of your surge protector to do its job.

If the “protected” light is out, the surge protector is no longer functional, or every 2 – 3 years.

EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) and RFI (Radiofrequency Interference) create “noise” through electrical lines (i.e.: turning on a hair dryer causes the TV signal to get fuzzy or interferes with downloads). Special capacitors in surge protectors filter that noise by reducing the decibels (db) in order to keep the electrical signal clean and reduce the wear and tear on the internal components in your computer, TV, DVR and other sensitive electronic equipment.

The built-in resettable circuit breaker stops the flow of electricity when the circuit is overloaded. In simple terms, that means the amount of electricity required to power everything plugged into the surge protector/power strip is more than the unit is made to handle, causing the unit to overload. The circuit breaker prevents the unit from overheating and potentially causing a fire. If the circuit breaker trips, turn off and unplug all the connected devices. Look at the electrical rating on all of the connected equipment. It cannot exceed a total of 15 Amps, otherwise the circuit breaker will continue to trip.

No. There are no user-serviceable parts inside any of the Prime surge protectors. If you have a surge protector that is not functioning properly, contact our customer service.

No. Surge protectors must be plugged directly into a grounded outlet to work properly. PLEASE NOTE: UL Safety Standards, the National Electrical Code (NEC) and several local codes prohibit daisy-chaining of power strips, surge protectors or UPS units. Doing so voids the Prime Warranty and also may void any insurance coverage you may have should there be an incident.

• ​No. Portable heaters and other heat producing devices such as toasters, hair dryers, coffee makers, etc. are not meant to be used with a surge protector as these appliances produce heat which can overload the surge protector and cause a fire – especially if there are additional items plugged into the surge protector as that will most likely cause an overload situation. Virtually all portable heaters and heat producing devices have a warning in their instruction manual requiring the appliance to be plugged directly into a wall outlet because of this safety issue. 
  
• Generators by nature have inconsistent power levels and similarly to heat producing devices can cause sustained over-voltage and under-voltage events that will burn out the components inside the surge protector, causing a risk of fire and damaging connected electronics.
  
• Surge protectors, multi-outlet wall taps and power strips should not be used with aquariums and in other wet/potentially wet locations because of the risk of fires and electrocution (electricity and water do not work safely together). Water can get into an exposed outlet and create a short circuit, spark and cause significant damage to property and people.

No. There are electronics within the GFCI and the surge protector that are not compatible and will cause either the GFCI or the surge protector to trip. GFCI receptacles are placed in potentially wet locations such as kitchen sinks, bathrooms, garages and outside outlets. Surge protectors should not be used in such wet or potentially wet locations.

No. Surge protectors must be plugged directly into a three-pronged outlet. If you use an adapter the Prime Connected Equipment Warranty will become null and void. One way that surge protectors are able to protect your equipment is by diverting the over-voltage to ground.

Electricity knows no direction. Electrical surges can travel through low-voltage lines as easily as through line voltage power lines (AC outlets). This makes it necessary to protect every avenue of entry to your connected equipment. Therefore, unless your provider has fiber-optic lines running to your home, CATV, Satellite and Internet lines must be protected as well. Check the coax or data-line cables to ensure they are plugged in properly. The cable from the wall plugs into the IN jack on the surge protector. The second coax or data-line cable plugs into the OUT jack on the surge protector and into the INPUT jack on the device. If the connections are correct but the device still isn’t working, bypass the surge protector and plug the coax or data-line cable directly from the wall jack into the device. If the device works, it means either that the surge protector probably absorbed a spike through the coax/data-line and needs to be replaced or there is already surge protection up-line from your TV, phone or Internet service provider and the second level of surge protection from this item interferes with the signal level.

Some surge protectors are equipped with an end-of-service alarm which will buzz when the surge protector has taken a hit and must be replaced. This is a good feature for surge protectors that are out of sight such as behind a refrigerator. If the alarm sounds, turn off the surge protector then turn off and unplug connected equipment before unplugging the surge protector from the wall outlet.

These ports are designed to provide charging power to cell phones, tablets, cameras, wireless headsets and other USB charged small electronic devices. These charging ports will enable you to do so without having to use one of the standard AC outlets in your surge protector. Some models have charging/charged indicator lights that change color from red (charging) to green (charged) so that you can easily see when your device is fully charged and ready to use.

Surge protectors/power strips that have screw slots on the back can use #8 self-tapping screws. The most common are pan-head or flat-head, depending on the opening slots on the back of the unit. Pan-head screws are good for the units with smaller slot openings. Flat head screws are better for the larger openings.

There is no registration process for the warranty for your surge protector. If you have an incident where connected equipment is damaged, please contact Prime to file a claim under the conditions of the warranty as outlined in the warranty form packaged with your Prime surge protector.

The warranty covers defects in material and workmanship.

Contact Prime’s customer service department at our toll-free number, 1 (888) 445-9955 and request a claim form. The claim form provides detailed instructions on how to start the claim process.

Upon our receipt of the surge protector and completed claim documentation (including all receipts, technical reports, estimates for repairs, etc. as outlined in the claim procedure) it takes approximately 4-6 weeks to complete the claim evaluation process.

The starting position will vary from house to house. It is best to choose a starting point that has an easy ending point. For example, near a downspout. You can use a downspout to use excess cable by first doubling up the cable with spacers every 6 inches to prevent the cable from crossing over. Do not choose the location of the beginning point solely based on where you have an existing outlet. If no outlet exists in the location you plan on starting, have one installed by a licensed electrician with the following specifications:

-          120 Volt Outdoor rated

-          Grounded - CAUTION: A ground fault protection device must be used with this heating device

-          On a circuit with an appropriate current (amp) rating.

-          Has an on/off switch.

-          Is protected from weather.

-          Is within 6 feet of the starting point.

For typical roof application, beginning at one end of the roof edge is the most logical solution to prevent using too much cable. If you have specific trouble areas on the roof, we recommend still covering the entire roof edge as new trouble areas may form over time. If you are still unsure of where to begin after analyzing your trouble area, contact a licensed electrician.

The PRIME Roof & Gutter Cable Kit comes with everything you need to install directly in metal gutters and downspouts. We recommend installing the cables double length when installed in gutters only. This means for 30 feet of gutters, you will need 60 feet of cable. Remember to include measurements for downspouts for the cable to run in and back up. If you have 2 downspouts at 10 feet you will need 20 feet X 2 for a total of 40 feet for the gutters. So total cable needed to cover 30 feet of gutters + two 10 foot downspouts (60 feet + 40 feet) = 100 feet. Remember to use spacers every 6 inches in the gutters or downspouts to prevent cables from crossing over.

PRIME provides step by step instructions for measuring the length of cable needed using the PRIME Roof & Gutter De-Icing Kit length calculation tool located on the PRIME De-Icing page. Detailed length calculations can be found in the instruction manual for each Roof & Gutter De-Icing Kit and is also available for download at www.primewirecable.com under the PRIME De-Icing page.

Yes, however DO NOT allow the cable to be crossed over or touch each other at any point during operation.

Before installing the PRIME Roof & Gutter De-Icing Kit, be sure to check the outlet intended to be used for the following:

-          Should be ground fault protected using a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter

-          Should be outdoor rated

-          Should be covered

-          Should have an appropriate current (amp) rating

-          Is within 6 feet of the starting point on the roof

If the cable meets all of the qualifications above, you should unplug the cable and visually inspect the cable completely. If there are any nicks or cuts, or if the cable has been crossed, causing it to overheat, it could potentially trip the breaker. If the cable has been damaged, DO NOT attempt to repair in any way, dispose of the cable immediately. It is possible to damage the cable internally by kinking the cable (bending the cable by anything less than ½ inches). If no damage is visible to the outside but it is still tripping the breaker, dispose of the cable or contact a licensed electrician to inspect the cable.

We recommend installing the cable only on its own circuit. If you plan to install it on a shared circuit, we recommend speaking to an electrician first.

NO, Roof & Gutter Cables require all layers of protection to function properly. Continuing to use cables that have been damaged may cause electric shock or fire and may result in injury or death.

All PRIME de-icing cables are manufactured with the PRIMELIGHT® Indicator Light in the plug. This light illuminates to let you know the cable is receiving power. The PRIME Roof & Gutter Cable remains warm at all times when the indicator light is on. After only a couple of minutes, the cable should be warm to the touch. At no point when the cable is plugged in should the heating portion be crossed over itself or touching any other part of the cable including the power cable.

We do not recommend using the PRIME Roof & Gutter De-Icing Kit in gutters using any form of gutter protection. If you still wish to install in gutters with gutter protection, contact the manufacturer of your specific type of gutter protection before installation.

The warranty covers defects in material and workmanship.

Contact Prime’s customer service department at our toll-free number, 1 (888) 445-9955 and request a claim form. The claim form provides detailed instructions on how to start the claim process.

Upon our receipt of the surge protector and completed claim documentation (including all receipts, technical reports, estimates for repairs, etc. as outlined in the claim procedure) it takes approximately 4-6 weeks to complete the claim evaluation process.

Yes – Plastic pipes are a particularly troublesome area in many homes exposed to harsh cold in the winter. The PRIME Water Pipe Freeze Protection Cable can be used on metal and plastic pipes up to 1.5 inches in diameter. To be used on plastic pipes, the pipes must be primary supply pipes and cannot be drain pipes. The best method to heat plastic pipes is by first wrapping the pipes in aluminum foil; this will provides a better chance for even heat distribution. Warm pipes that are exposed to cold temperatures can also be protected by the Freeze Protection Cables as long as the water within the pipe will never exceed 150°F/65°C. 

NO, Water Pipe Freeze Protection Cables require all layers of protection to function properly. Continuing to use cables that have been damaged may cause electric shock or fire and may result in injury or death.

It is important to wrap fiberglass insulation around the pipe and the pipe heating cable after installation to keep the heat evenly distributed. Wrapping the cable also serves to keep the cable from turning on when it is not necessary to do so. If unwrapped, the cool air will cause the pipe to stay on even when the pipe is not in danger of freezing, causing your electric bill to go up.

All PRIME Water Pipe Freeze Protection Cables are manufactured with the PRIMELIGHT® Indicator Light in the plug. This light illuminates to let you know the cable is receiving power. The indicator light on the PRIME Water Pipe Freeze Protection Cable illuminates only to let you know it is ready to turn on when temperatures on the pipe drop below 40°F/4°C. A quick way to test the cable to make sure the thermostat is working properly is to take an ice pack and apply it directly to the small black cap on the thermostat. After only a couple of minutes, the cable should be warm to the touch. At no point when the cable is plugged in should the heating portion be crossed over itself or touching any other part of the cable including the power cable.

Water Pipe Freeze Protection Cables should be secured using tape rated to withstand heat up to 175°F/80°C. In addition, zip ties and cable ties may be used as long as they are not so tight as to cut into the cable during operation.

The warranty covers defects in material and workmanship.

Contact Prime’s customer service department at our toll-free number, 1 (888) 445-9955 and request a claim form. The claim form provides detailed instructions on how to start the claim process.

Upon our receipt of the surge protector and completed claim documentation (including all receipts, technical reports, estimates for repairs, etc. as outlined in the claim procedure) it takes approximately 4-6 weeks to complete the claim evaluation process.

Our manuals, warranties and instructional videos can be found on the individual product pages.
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