Those instructions make no sense to me. A good surge protector will PREVENT a short circuit if a surge occurs, that is the whole point of them. The one I have is rated to 2300 joules and will kill itself for the greater good if the surge is too much for it to handle. It also has a nifty light that indicates whether the plug its plugged into has a good ground going or not. Many houses have 3 prong plugs but no ground hooked up for whatever reason.