The air conditioner in your neighbor’s house turns on, causing voltage spikes in your electrical system. Your pricey electronics will not be safe against these daily surges with those 10-dollar power strips. The majority of homeowners use the simple outlet strips, and they are like the umbrellas in the hurricane; they do not work when you need them the most. The professionals in home electrical services are aware of the shocking fact on the actual surge protection.
The Real Story Behind Electrical Surges
Not that lightning strikes causing power surges are the only reason why it happens. A power surge is a fast, brief increase in electrical voltage that travels in a power system, exceeding the normal voltage levels. The startling fact is 8 out of 10 damaging surges are caused within your own house.
Each time your refrigerator compressor kicks on, your HVAC system turns on, or you operate a high-powered appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner, it causes tiny electrical spikes. These micro-surges occur tens of times every day and gradually wear out your electronics over months and years. You cannot see the harm right away, but your smart TV begins to malfunction, your computer freezes more frequently, or your household appliances appear to wear out earlier than usual.
The dramatic ones are external surges, such as lightning strikes, utility grid switching, or power line problems. External surges, such as lightning strikes, utility grid switching, or power line problems, can produce significant voltage spikes that can instantly fry unprotected equipment. But the thing is, most people do not realize that even a minor surge of 10 volts or so above the normal can ruin delicate electronics in the long run.
Why Standard Power Strips Fall Short
Even in any electronics retailer, you will find aisles of surge protector power strips that claim to protect your equipment. The thing is this: these strips only offer protection to whatever is plugged directly into them. They provide nothing to the electric circuits that serve your large appliances, or lighting, or permanently wired devices.
Worse still, most cheap power strips have such low joule ratings that they are beaten by a single moderate surge. When they have taken in their rated amount, they tend to keep on supplying power to your appliances without protection whatsoever. Some are not aware that their “surge protector” has been dead for months.
The huge power draws of contemporary houses cannot also be dealt with by standard strips. Whether it is electric vehicle chargers, home offices loaded with equipment, or just more and more sophisticated appliances, current homes need electrical protection like never before.
The Whole House Solution That Actually Works
However, a new procedure is suggested by professional home electrical services: whole-house surge protector systems that are placed at your main electrical panel. It is not a mere device but a multi-level defense mechanism, which covers the electrical system of your whole house.
The layered system offers a redundant protection level, which greatly diminishes the chance of getting damaged due to surges of different natures. A whole-house surge protector is the initial protection, which intercepts large surges before they get into the wiring of your house. It operates together with individual outlet protectors to provide multiple layers of protection.
Consider it as using a security system and door locks. Your security system is the whole-house protector—it surveils and prevents the threats before they enter your house. Your personal outlet strips are the door locks of your house—an extra security for certain valuable possessions.
What Your Electrician Won’t Tell You (Unless You Ask)
The average homeowner will never know about whole-house protection, as they only call electricians when an item is broken. At that point you are concerned about solving the problem at hand, rather than deterrence of future problems. And skilled electricians have to look at the results of surge damage all the time—fried circuit boards, charred appliances, and expensive electrical repairs that were perfectly avoidable.
They are meant to protect your electronics by absorbing the extra energy during a power surge and bypassing it by not sending it into the electrical system of your home. A typical installation only requires a skilled electrician a couple of hours, and the protection is guaranteed for years.
The trick here is to deal with home electric services that are knowledgeable about current electricity requirements. Depending on the particular electrical load of your house and the condition of your grounding system, your installer should be able to advise you on what whole-house surge protector rating is suitable for your requirements.
Making the Smart Investment Decision
Whole-house surge protectors run $400-800 when installed by professional electricians. This investment will be self-paying by avoiding a single replacement of a major appliance. More importantly, it saves you thousands of dollars in electrical system damage caused by rewiring and panel changes, and it will prolong the life of your electronics.
The Bottom Line on Protecting Your Investment
Power strips are not sufficient in the current houses. Professional home electrical services will install a whole-house surge protector. This investment is self-paying, as it helps avoid thousands of dollars in damage. Don’t gamble with your electronics; make sure you have comprehensive protection before the next surge occurs in your neighborhood.
