IsoBar Teardown and Repair

Teardown and repair of the IsoBar power bar from the computer room. This is a newer model and the build quality is certainly disappointing compared to how these used to be constructed. I am very dissatisfied with how the outlets are connected to the board and I'm surprised there aren't more failures.
Despite my dislike of the design, this is an isolated failure. I deploy these units at work, as well as all over my house. I've set up over 50 of these this past year alone, and this is the first time I've ever had an issue with one.

[@cultivatingcuriousity5542]

Another day. Another successful repair of quality equipment.

[@JordanU]

Indeed.

[@FixYourFans]

Good save! These used to be all I'd buy as well, until I had to do what you are doing. They also doubled in price when I needed one a few months back. That might just be in Canada, though. The Isobar is still better than plastic strips by a longshot, But I went with a half-dozen of the Leviton 5100-IPS bars and have been super impressed. They even make a 20A version, too. Both all metal and much better receptacles. Made in Mexico, and not China. Proper UL certification, not the ETL cop-out. Only downside, the receptacles grip almost too tightly, which isn't an issue for more permanent uses. Can't go wrong with a bar made by the people who make receptacles I figured. I still like the Isobars for use at my work benches/for testing appliances. I also serviced a Furman bar awhile ago and was easily able to replace the receptacles with off the shelf household ones.

[@JordanU]

I just looked up the Leviton unit. It's priced similarly to the ISOBAR in the US market. It looks like a nice bar and I will keep the model in mind in case I need one in that form factor. I'd much rather buy something made in Mexico than China.

[@FixYourFans]

@@JordanU Right on! The weight and solidity is right on par with the Isobar as well. The made in Mexico really me sold on it. Always had good luck with Leviton products. I do kind of wish it had the stubbier form factor like the Isobar does, as its a little less tippy, and deals with adaptors better.

[@LemontTheFanMan]

glad to see you fixed the problem bro hopefully it will last longer this time i enjoyed the video

[@JordanU]

I hope so too. Glad you enjoyed it bro.

[@Logan-pr5pv]

Hopfully it works longer and doesn't break anytime soon, love your videos keep up the great work ❤

[@JordanU]

Thanks for the kind words.

[@Logan-pr5pv]

@@JordanU your welcome 😁

[@NPCdude01]

I’m a working mobile DJ and sound/lighting technician, i have always used iso bars for almost everything, especially when i want good reliable protection. I think i have around 6 iso bar ultra’s so far.

[@JordanU]

I do believe these are the best bars you can get today.

[@fishbowl7098]

Tripp-Lite and Panamax have always been my go-to for decades when I want a high quality surge protector

[@JordanU]

This has always been the model I go to for just about everything.

[@danieldavinroy9726]

Nice job Jordan this is good

[@JordanU]

Thanks

[@obesefeline]

Just bought one of these today after watching your previous video. Looks like a quality product.

[@JordanU]

I would consider these to be the best power bars you can buy today.

[@Ajcimo14]

I have an old belkin powerbar like this that has 8 real outlets and its amazing. I use all of them and there working fine. Plus i have it in plain sight so if something goes wrong ill be able to see itp

[@JordanU]

Thanks for letting me know.

[@connorm955]

I have a older beige Tripp lite super 7 i bought at an estate sale in March. Thought it is the cheap rail design and made in China.

[@JordanU]

Thanks for letting me know.

[@djbrucebanner9882]

I like it

[@JordanU]

OK

[@TimeCapsuleClips530]

Autism has entered the chat

[@Rosco-p3g]

Is this the one from this morning?

[@JordanU]

Yes

[@JessicaFEREM]

yea for $80 that's a lot. you could get a junction box and an extension cord and make one yourself for cheap. $4 for a GFCI industrial outlet box front with gfci and normal outlet holes $5 for the back of the box $17 for a leviton gfci outlet $3 for a normal outlet because you don't need 2 gfci's $12 for extension cord 25 ft $5 for lever lock terminals $18 for 25 ft of romex which you'll need like 3 inches of per box so even if you wanted to make just one, the cost scales down quite a bit. you'll probably never have to buy romex again because you only need a few inches, and the lever lock terminals come in a huge pack. the only real thing you'll need per box is the sockets, the outlet boxes and the extension cord and ofc you could use stuff laying around the house if you have any of these around, like chopping off the cord to this extension strip could be reused in this since the cord is fine. once you make 2, the price per unit goes from $64 to $41 per outlet using the stuff.

[@JordanU]

This is a surge protector, not an extension cord...

[@rs12official]

You’re forgetting about surge protection. You would have to use surge protection outlets, which are at least $20 apiece. And the IsoBar is at the high end of power strips with surge protection, most models are not that expensive.

[@achannelwithaprofilepictur6253]

The reason it’s more expensive is because it has a joule rating of 3300, and a standard $15 surge protector is rated to around 700 joules.

[@DunceReviews]

Don’t power bars have an anti fire hazard feature?

[@JordanU]

I don't know what that is.

[@rs12official]

Most power strips have internal circuit breakers to protect against overloading if they are plugged into 20A circuits, if that’s what you’re referring to.

[@rs12official]

Geez, that IsoBar was not very repair-friendly! That thing where they just looped the wires around contact patches in the circuit board is a terrible design. At least it’s not as bad as the typical plastic power strip with the long bus bars inside instead of true outlets. As for the wires being pushed into the outlets, I’m pretty sure both of my vintage 1990s ones (not IsoBars) are also like that. The outlets they use don’t even have screw terminals on them. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s just how most metal power strips are, probably makes it easier to manufacture them. If you want to take atrocity to the max, I have seen some newer metal power strips that have plastic bottoms. Only the top is metal to fool people at the store into thinking they are more heavily built than they really are. Pretty unfortunate since it defeats any safety advantage that metal might have. On top of that, I’ve heard that some of those power strips also just use the same kind of long bus bars as plastic power strips do, disguised under the black plastic “outlets.”

[@JordanU]

Even though this is not what I wanted to see inside, I still think these are by far the best power bars you can buy today.