Home Surge Protection
A majority of household products require electricity to function. Unfortunately,
electrical disasters related to power surges can compromise these susceptible
belongings by frying or melting the items in an instant! Although these
incidents can take place in a moments notice, you can protect you and
your belongings by simply calling Mister Sparky to install and maintain
home surge protectors.
Our professional electricians will arrive promptly to your property to
not only implement the home surge protector, but examine your existing
grounding system as well to make certain that your home will be fully
protected. Contact Mister Sparky to secure your electronic valuables through
home surge protector installation and services.
What Is a Power Surge?
Power surges, which may also be referred to as voltage surges, occur when
voltage is elevated beyond normalcy for greater than 10 milliseconds.
Power surges may happen through two different types of cases:
- Spikes (elevations) or interruptions in the electrical current cause a
boost in the flow of energy to electrical outlets
- An electrical source induces a back-flow of energy
Power surges can lead to a jolt of electricity increasing the electrical
flow by as little as 5 volts to 1000’s of volts depending on the
cause of the surge. Serious variations can cause electrical equipment
connected to outlets “fry” and can blow fuses completely.
Surges can affect sensitive electronic devices and microprocessors including
but not limited to:
- Televisions and related equipment (DVD players and stereos)
- Computers as well as servers and modems
- Telephones and answering machines; faxing machines, laser printers and
copy machines
- Kitchen and utility appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and
microwaves, washing machines and dryers
- Residential and commercial security systems
- Heating systems and air conditioning
- Automatic garage doors
Surges may also be a threat to smaller electrical devices such as hair
dryers, electronic tools, and even electric razors.
What Causes Power Surges?
Lightning has a reputation of being a large contributor to power surges.
Since lightning may strike power lines or transformers, these disasters
rarely transpire but are generally the largest dangers. Other complications
may arise from branches or debris coming in contact with power supply,
restoration of electricity after power outages, and transfers of electricity
performed by electricity companies. However, 60% of power surges are related
to a range of daily activity causing energy fluctuation within your home.
For instance, any appliance that is turned on then shut off regularly such
as washing machines and hair driers may provoke a power surge. Refrigerators
and air conditioning or cooling systems are a couple of the most common
sources of power surges. For commercial properties, elevators, vending
machines, and large computers may be potential hazards. Because these
appliances require high amounts of continual energy that is often interrupted
or altered when changing from function to function, power may be diverted.
The intensity of the surge depends on the amount of power that is being
altered in the process. Luckily, household items generally cause much
less severe forms of power surges.
Homeowners should be aware that errors in electrical wiring can also cause
serious power surges. Systems that have not been installed correctly pose
high risks for these electrical issues. It is important to have your electrical
wiring installed and examined by professional electricians to prevent
damage to your home.
How Can Home Surge Protection Prevent Surges?
Surge protectors allow electric currents to run through them to electronic
devices. Once a voltage spike is detected, surge protectors take on the
energy and transfer excess electricity to the grounding wire of the outlet.
Surge protectors can sustain high amounts of voltage in order to absorb
the energy released in a power surge. The most common surge protectors
are whole-house surge protectors and point of use surge protectors.
- Whole house surge protectors prevent damage from transient surges or surges
from outdoor sources which may affect the energy flow as it enters the
service entrance or electrical panel of the house. This effectively minimizes
the intensity of the power surge before reaching electronic devices. However,
whole-house surge protectors are not designed to protect against power
surges caused by electrical fluctuations within the home.
- Point of use surge protectors plug into wall outlets in order to defend
electronics and items with microprocessors against power surges. This
style of surge protector can endure approximately 6,000 volts.
Professional electricians typically recommend that property owners invest
in both types of surge protectors for full coverage. Consult Mister Sparky
for home surge protection advice, and for quality surge protector installation
and repair services.
