HOME POWER SURGE PROTECTION

WHAT IS A POWER SURGE?
A power surge simply means that the line voltage goes higher than it is rated for a duration of ten milliseconds. These electrical surges in voltage travel throughout your home’s entire electrical system and are what cause damage to your appliances and home electronics.

WHAT CAUSES A POWER SURGE?
Storms, lightening, brown outs, blown transformers in your neighborhood and equipment you have plugged in that is not functioning properly can all be sources of power surges. Power surges can also come from within your home generated by things like electric motors starting up. 

 A COMMON OCCURRENCE

Damaging power surges are common and don’t occur just because of a lightning storm or strike. Your home may receive hundreds of power surges a day, they happen in milliseconds, but most of these surges are called ‘transient’ and are often ignored or not noticed.

Those flickering or dimmed lights are an example of these type of power surges. Lightning strike power surges are less common but potentially more damaging to your home.

Over time, power surges of all types unabated can damage your appliances and electronics from their constant exposure to these home invaders.

• Up to ⅓ of all power outages are lightning generated.

• The insurance industry regularly reports that approximately 5% of insurance claims come from power surges caused by lightning.

• The average home may experience three damaging power surges per month.

• Global warming and disruptive weather patterns are predicted to increase the instances of lighting produced power surges.

 WHY IS PROTECTION FROM POWER SURGES SO IMPORTANT? DON’T MODERN ELECTRONICS HAVE BUILT IN SURGE PROTECTION?

The answer is even modern electronics can be damaged or rendered dysfunctional by power surges. Laptops and many home appliances with such as stoves, refrigerators, washer and dryers, automated pool systems, routers, cable boxes, exercise machines and more all can rely on circuit boards to function.

A NECESSITY
Surge protection is no longer an option but a necessity to avoid expensive repair or repurchase of electronics. Simply having a surge protector strip on your home computer is not enough.

RURAL HOMES ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE
For those who live at the end of power line, a power surge coming down the line has no where to go and that means it ends up in your equipment and appliances.

 WHAT ARE MY CHOICES IN HOME POWER SURGE PROTECTION?

The choices for home surge protection are two-fold: Point-of-Use surge protection and Whole-House surge protection.

Point-of Use Surge Protection
These surge protectors are the ones you are most familiar with. They are plugged into or between the wall outlet and your computer, tv, etc.. These types of surge protectors can usually handle upt to 6,000 volts on average.

Whole-House Surge Protection
The advantage of a whole-house surge protection are obvious. One device protects your entire house and everything you have plugged into those circuits. It is important to remember that a whole-house surge protector cannot protect from internal surges caused by things like motors turning on and off. Whole-house surge protectors guard against transient power surges that can enter your house through the city electrical grid. The whole-home surge protector is usually installed near your power meter or electrical panel.

Britt Rice Electric is expert in the sizing and installation of surge protectors. This is a job best left to professionals to insure proper selection and installation.