On Sun, 6 Oct 2013 11:49:06 -0700 (PDT), westom
wrote:

Surge protection is about an anomaly that occurs once in many years or a decade. Protectors that can completely fail (a potential fire) may occur with surges too tiny to damage appliance. Effective surge protection (properly earthed) makes such surges irrelevant.

Earthing a 'whole house' protector would help to protect a house from plug-in protector fires. Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate. A small reality that explains why many high reliability facilities solve this problem another way. They do not use plug-in protectors. Instead they earth 'whole house' protectors so that protection inside electronics is not overwhelmed. And they upgrade what does the protection - earth ground - to make all 'whole house' protectors even more effective.

Not once has anyone said an earth ground is not needed.

What you miss; obviously, is that plug-in protectors DO WORK.

They work in conjunction with earth ground, a "whole house" SPD (surge
protector device) at the electric panel (breaker type or SPD).

I've stated earlier an SPD at the electric panel will not warranty a
sensitive device like a computer, television, etc.

Show us where an anomaly only happens in terms of "years" or a
"decade".

crickets