There's also the fact that consumer surge protectors are incapable of determining if they're any good or not. There's a small component in there that eats the surge--a severe surge and it's destroyed, it's obvious. However, there's a range in which it no longer functions but is not destroyed. The next surge goes on down the wire.

I really wish someone would come up with some surge suppressors that have a string of field-replaceable suppressors. Periodic maintenance, replace the suppressors.