Power Outage

Power Surge Protection And Preparation

electrical panel on fire

When it comes to home protection most people do not think about protecting their houses from power surge damage. Even though the possibility of it happening to you is hard to understand, they often occur frequently. When you see lights flickering or a device with a digital clock flashing, you probably just had a power surge. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent damage.

Power Surge Protection

  • A Whole-House Surge Protector- Would be installed in your primary breaker box. This controls the current coming into your electrical system correcting the amount your house would need at 120 volts
  • Tripp Lite Surge Protector- Protects any electronic device that would be plugged into the surge protector, prevents fires and damage to your devices such as phones and computers.
  • Surge Protector Outlet- Is the same as a tripp lite surge protector, but an outlet.

Power Surge Prevention

When a power surge happens, 70% of the time it is an internal power surge that occurs when your house or office exceeds 120 to 169 volts. Nature accounts for power surges that happen 30% of the time. The ways to prevent power surges are:

  • Have someone inspect your wiring- Damaged or faulty wiring can increase the possibility of a surge. If you hear an unusual sound coming from your outlet, that is a good sign to call in someone for expert help
  • Upgrade your AC Unit- If you have an AC unit that uses up a lot of power to operate, you should probably consider purchasing a newer AC unit model that is more energy-efficient.
  • During a storm unplug any electronic devices- There is a high chance for a power surge to occur right after an outage. A single bolt of lightning contains one million volts, and when it comes in contact with your electrical system, surge protectors fail to protect your devices, thus damaging them.

We hope you found this article helpful and when it comes to your home “Always be ready for the unexpected”. If you would want to start preparing your home for power surges please call us at (210) 899-2430 and a dispatcher will be happy to assist you.