Surge Protector Grounded Light

[hiiamdog]

Not exactly sure where to ask this, move it if you need to.
I just got a new surge protector (Staples brand). I have 2 questions about it. First, when I tried plugging my PC/monitor/speakers/etc. into it, it was *extremely* hard to plug it in. It does have protector plates that you slide over the outlets, and I made sure they were open. Some of them, pressing as hard as I could, would not go in. I found some of the outlets I could plug into, and just left it as that, writing it off as the outlets needing to be broken in, since it's brand new. Second, it has 2 lights, 1 for telling you if it's grounded, and 1 for telling you if it's protected from surges. Only the protection light was lit. The grounded light was a dim green, but I'm pretty sure that bit of light was just the excess light from the protected light right next to it. Is it just a dead LED? Or is it faulty?

 

[Essdub8]

Personally, I wouldn't trust my PC to a cheap Staples brand surge protector. You may want to consider returning it (use the inability to plug into the tight sockets as the excuse, if needed) and purchase a reliable brand. The varistor contained inside is very likely extremely cheap and unable to handle the typical surge.
Personally, I like APC or Dynex.

That said, without testing the LED to ensure that's all it is, I wouldn't power up my PC with that surge protector.

 

[hiiamdog]

Personally, I wouldn't trust my PC to a cheap Staples brand surge protector. You may want to consider returning it (use the inability to plug into the tight sockets as the excuse, if needed) and purchase a reliable brand. The varistor contained inside is very likely extremely cheap and unable to handle the typical surge.
Personally, I like APC or Dynex.

That said, without testing the LED to ensure that's all it is, I wouldn't power up my PC with that surge protector.

I actually was pretty skeptical about the brand when I saw it (I asked my father to just pick one up for me, I guess he just picked the cheapest). Beforehand, I had in mind an APC or Triplite.