Do you live in a city or area that experiences a lot of thunderstorms or other such natural phenomena? Then your house might be prone to electrical surges.
These sudden bursts of voltage can lead to damage, malfunctions, and even pose a fire risk. Protecting your home from electrical surges is essential to safeguard your valuable electronics.
In this article, we will explore effective strategies and measures to shield your home from electrical surges. The primary one being whole home surge protection.
Understanding Electrical Surges
An electrical surge, also known as a power surge, is a rapid and temporary increase in electrical voltage. Surges can occur due to various reasons, including:
- Lightning strikes
- Utility grid fluctuations
- Power outages
- Cycling on and off of large electrical appliances
These surges can travel through the electrical wiring of your home. This could damage sensitive electronic devices, such as computers, televisions, and kitchen appliances. It is an unexpected expense that’s easy to avoid.
Surge Protectors
One of the cheapest ways to safeguard your home against electrical surges is by using surge protectors. These devices are designed to divert excess voltage away from your electronics. This prevents them from being damaged.
Install surge protectors at key outlets throughout your home. Particularly place them at the outlets used for valuable electronics and appliances.
Ensure that the surge protectors you choose have a high joule rating. This indicates their ability to handle larger surges.
Whole Home Surge Protection
Even though surge protectors are a cheaper method of protecting your home from surges, the best way is to set up whole home surge protection. This way you won’t receive localized coverage, but a comprehensive one throughout your home.
These systems are installed at the main electrical panel or at the point where electricity enters your home. The main purpose of a whole-house surge protection system is to divert excess voltage from power surges away from your electrical system. This prevents it from reaching your valuable appliances and electronics.
These systems consist of surge protection devices (SPDs). These can handle larger surges and offer a higher level of protection than individual surge protectors.
Consider consulting a licensed electrician to install a whole-house surge protection system. This is necessary for optimal safety.
As you will see below, whole home surge protection is quite complicated. It requires expert installation. It’s not something you can do as a DIY job.
Here’s how a whole-house surge protection system works.
Professional Installation
Installing a whole-house surge protection system requires the expertise of a licensed electrician. The electrician will assess your home’s electrical panel. This will help them determine the appropriate type and capacity of surge protection equipment needed.
Primary Surge Arrester
The system typically includes a primary surge arrester. This is also known as the service entrance surge protector.
It is installed on the main electrical panel. The device is responsible for capturing and diverting high-voltage surges that enter your home through utility power lines.
It provides the first line of defense against external surges caused by lightning strikes or power grid fluctuations.
Secondary Surge Protectors
In addition to the primary surge arrester, secondary surge protectors are installed at various locations throughout your home. These secondary protectors provide an added layer of defense.
The defense is against surges that may originate from within your home. This could be from large appliances cycling on and off.
Diverting Excess Voltage
When a power surge occurs, the surge protection devices in the system detect the excess voltage. They then redirect it to the grounding system.
The excess voltage is safely discharged into the ground. This protects your electrical system and appliances from potential damage.
Benefits of a Whole Home Surge Protection System
There are many reasons why you should choose a whole home surge protection system for your home. This is even more true if you live in an area prone to storms or if your home is often subject to surges.
Comprehensive Protection
A whole-house surge protection system provides protection for all outlets and appliances in your home. This ensures that all electrical devices are shielded from voltage surges.
You won’t have to rely solely on individual surge protectors or worry about forgetting to plug devices into protected outlets. Surge protection is always on no matter what day or hour it is.
Higher Surge Capacity
Whole-house surge protection systems are designed to handle larger surges compared to individual surge protectors. They can effectively handle higher voltage spikes caused by lightning strikes or utility grid disturbances. This provides a higher level of protection for your home.
Convenience and Peace of Mind
With a whole-house surge protection system in place, you can have peace of mind knowing that your entire electrical system is protected from power surges. You don’t have to worry about unplugging individual devices during storms. Nor do you have to think about managing multiple surge protectors throughout your home.
Extended Lifespan of Appliances
By preventing voltage surges from reaching your appliances and electronics, a whole-house surge protection system helps extend their lifespan. It reduces the risk of damage and malfunctions caused by electrical surges. This saves you from costly repairs or replacements.
The cost of installing a whole home surge protection system pays for itself several times over in this manner.
How To Prevent Electrical Surges – Get Whole Home Surge Protection
Investing in a whole home surge protection system is a proactive and effective approach to protecting your home’s electrical system. It also protects valuable electronic devices from the damaging effects of power surges.
But don’t do it all yourself. This is something that you need to hire an experienced electrician for.
They will assess your home’s or business’s electrical needs. This will ensure proper installation of a whole-house surge protection system for optimal surge protection. Contact us if you wish to install a whole home surge protection system in your household or business.