Surge protection

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By installing a surge protection device, protect the electronic equipment in your home/office and prevent costly damages to happen. To protect electronic equipment, you can either connect individual surge protection devices (like power bars) for specific devices or a more comprehensive whole house surge protection installed at the main panel by a professional. This whole house surge protection will cover all circuits in the main panel. Lets see what a power surge is and how it is prevented.

how does a power surge occur?

A power surge is a sudden and significant increase in voltage above the normal operating level. The typical wall outlet delivers 120-volt AC power, but this voltage is not constant. It can fluctuate between 0 and 169 volts. During a damaging power surge, the voltage exceeds 169 volts. Strong power surges can even result in damage or destruction to electronic devices in your home. Power surges can happen in several ways:

Utility Company Switching: They can originate from an electric utility company during power grid switching.
Transformer or Transmission Line Malfunction: Surges can occur if there’s a malfunction in a nearby transformer or transmission line.
Lightning Strikes: Some of the most powerful power surges can occur due to a lightning strike.
Internal Home Surges: Surges can also occur within the home when your electrical system receives higher voltage than normal levels

What are the effects of a surge?

A power surge can have significant consequences for your electrical devices and appliances. Let’s explore the effects:

Damage to Electronics: A sudden increase in voltage can fry sensitive electronic
components in devices like computers, TVs, and smartphones. This damage may be immediate or cumulative over time.
Data Loss: Surges can corrupt data on hard drives, SSDs, and other storage devices. If your computer or server experiences a surge, you might lose valuable files.
Reduced Lifespan: Frequent power surges can shorten the lifespan of electronic devices. Components stressed by voltage fluctuations may fail sooner than expected.
Malfunctioning Appliances: Appliances with microprocessors (such as refrigerators, microwaves, and washing machines) can experience glitches or outright failure due to surges.
Light Bulb Burnout: Surges can cause light bulbs to burn out prematurely.
Fire Hazard: In extreme cases, surges can lead to electrical fires if wiring or insulation is damaged.
Disrupted Internet and Phone Lines: Surges can affect modems, routers, and phone lines, disrupting communication services.
Costly Repairs or Replacements: Repairing or replacing damaged devices can be expensive. Surge protectors can help prevent this.

How can you prevent a power surge?

You can’t prevent what happens outside your home, office, or retail store. But you can protect what’s on the inside. Here are some steps to safeguard your appliances and electronics from power surges:

Whole-Home Surge Protection: Consider installing a whole-home surge protection system. This system guards against external surge sources, such as lightning strikes or Utility Company Switching, by protecting your entire home’s electrical system. This way you don’t have to use separate surge protectors for each devices or appliance.

Use High-Quality Surge Protectors: Invest in a quality surge protector, also known as a surge suppressor or surge diverter. These devices divert voltage spikes safely to the ground, preventing them from entering the sensitive circuits of your appliances and equipment
Separate High-Powered Appliances: Ensure that large appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators don’t share the same circuit with other devices. When these appliances turn on or off, they create brief power demands that can disturb the steady voltage flow in your electrical system. This is the reason why all newer buildings have a dedicated circuit for each appliance or electrical equipment.

Remember, investing in surge protection is not only about safeguarding your electronics, it’s also about ensuring your safety and preventing data loss. If you need a surge protector installed in your home, office, store, shop etc. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to book a quote. Safety and professionalism is always our top priority.