I bought a American Power Conversion Corp. surge-protecting power strip today. It's a seven-outlet model; I found it at the thrift store for $4. It appeared to be in decent condition, though I did drop it a few feet onto the hard floor shortly after buying it.
Late at night, the house was quiet. I plugged the device into the wall outlet and turned it on. The "Protection Working" LED lit up. Good.
I then plugged my laptop's AC adapter into the device. As I did so, I heard a "pop". The sound was a bit louder than a finger snap, but much quieter than a hand clap. My heart started racing.
Wondering if I damaged anything, I turned the laptop on. Thank God, it still works perfectly.
What could have caused the "pop" sound? Should I continue to use the power strip, or should I discard it?