220-1102 Question 731
Single answerSurge suppressorA technician is troubleshooting a small office workstation that rebooted during a thunderstorm. The PC, monitor, and external hard drive are all plugged into a surge suppressor that is six years old. After power is restored, the workstation boots normally, but the external hard drive no longer powers on. The surge suppressor's power switch is lit, but its protection status light is off. Which action should the technician take FIRST?
- A
Replace the surge suppressor and move the workstation equipment to the new unit
- B
Reset the surge suppressor using its circuit breaker button and continue using it
- C
Plug the external hard drive directly into the wall outlet to verify the drive is not receiving enough power from the suppressor
- D
Open the surge suppressor to inspect the internal MOV components for visible damage
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This question tests practical recognition of a failed surge suppressor. Many surge suppressors continue to provide electrical power after their protection circuitry has been degraded by previous surge events. A lit power switch only indicates the strip is passing power; it does not confirm active protection. If the protection or protected light is off, the unit should be replaced. This aligns with common manufacturer guidance for consumer and office surge suppressors, which typically state that loss of the protection indicator means the device should no longer be used for surge protection. Reset buttons are for overload protection only, not for restoring spent MOV-based suppression circuits. In real-world support, the technician should first replace the failed suppressor, then continue diagnosing any damaged peripherals such as the external hard drive.
- A. Correct.
Correct. A protection light that is off while the strip still provides power commonly indicates the surge suppression circuitry has failed or been exhausted. In that state, the device may still act like a basic power strip but no longer provides surge protection. Best practice is to replace the failed surge suppressor immediately and reconnect equipment only to a known-good protector.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A resettable breaker addresses overload or short-circuit conditions, not failed surge protection components. If the protection indicator is off, resetting the unit does not restore its surge suppression capability. Continuing to use it could leave equipment unprotected.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Directly connecting the external hard drive to a wall outlet may help test whether the drive itself has failed, but it is not the first action in this scenario because the suppressor has already shown a failed protection state. The immediate priority is to remove critical equipment from a suppressor that no longer protects against surges.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Opening a surge suppressor is unsafe and not part of standard field service. Many surge suppressors contain components such as metal oxide varistors (MOVs) that are not user-serviceable. CompTIA-style best practice is replacement, not internal repair or inspection.