Speaking on Deep Background, the Press Secretary whispered:
Virtually all surge protectors have MOV - Metal Oxide Varisters - within. These are devices with s sharp knee on their Voltage vs Resistance curve. In other words, they do not conduct for a 120V level, but do at 200, shunting that overvoltage to ground.
Careful: that conduction voltage is peak, is it not?
Some Marketing Dude must have decided that such was too complex for customers.... So the traditional MOV part # is a f(RMS working voltage) NOT the peak where it conducts... Grr Gnash Argh!!! Note the "customer" is a design engineer...
Smoke emitting diodes? MOV's are bipolar...
But note that the OP does not have a MOV issue; he has an inspector issue. His best answer there may be buying outlet strips that offer no surge protection. He likely will need to first pin the inspector down on what rules he's allegely broken, however.
This is the most cogent point to date, and the one I made off list: ask him to quote chapter and verse.
And be sure it's not an Alexander Hamilton type issue.. -- A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com & no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433 is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433