Almost every home contains electrical equipment that is susceptible to surge , including kitchen utensils, computers, media players and game consoles. The components inside these electronic devices require a certain stable voltage to function properly, so severe changes in currents can cause them to malfunction and potentially damage. Surges like this often occur during severe thunderstorms or partial power outages.
The simple solution to prevent them is to use the power board surge protector . You can even use some at home. These create a stopgap measure between the power socket and the device inserted into it, adjusting the input voltage.
However, these types of surge protectors provide protection only for electronic devices inserted therein. If you want to protect your entire house from voltage spikes, you may want to buy a whole house surge protector.
What is a whole-house surge protector?
"Whole house surge protection is primarily found in houses and buildings with sensitive electronics, and you want to prevent exposure to harmful surges. If these types of facilities or properties are offline, it may cost them a lot of income and/or reduce their customers "Believe in their products," said Chris Haas, a licensed electrician in , Maryland. "Some families, such as those who may run a home business or own expensive electronics, can also install them. "
Whole House Surge Protector looks like an inconspicuous grey box that must be installed by an electrician. It is installed between your circuit breaker panel and the community grid. Once activated, the protector regulates the current flowing to every electrical device in your home, including equipment like water heaters and air conditioning units.
"The entire home Surge Protector protector protects your entire home, including your hardwired equipment and items that you may not be able to install surge rods on washer, dryer, refrigerator and stovetop," Haas explained. "This provides more protection for homeowners when repairing or replacing some of the most expensive equipment. "
Which devices are susceptible to surges?
Almost anything plugged into the grid will be affected by voltage spikes, but today's modern electronics are particularly sensitive. "Anything that has not been strictly mechanically processed with digital displays, circuit boards, computer boards, or [components] is susceptible to surge damage," Haas said.
In the United States, most electronic devices operate on 120 volts AC , although their power supply usually includes a converter to step down current to a lower DC output voltage. It's far more than 120 Volt standard current spikes will cause additional wear and tear on these power supplies and the components they power.
When power-intensive devices such as dryers and air conditioners are turned on or off, small surges may occur in the home grid. Larger surges are usually the result of power transformer failure or offline in substation offline. In rare cases, lightning strikes can also enter the wire and cause huge voltage spikes. In the most extreme cases, the device may overheat to the point where it causes an electrical fire.
If your electrical or electronic equipment in your home is affected by a surge, you may not notice anything immediately. But a duplicate spike can destroy connections on precision circuit boards, preventing your device from working properly and incur repair costs.
Home insurance may cover some of the expenses associated with surge damage, but preventive causes will always reduce downtime. "The worst case of a surge is that you have to file an insurance claim to repair or replace your appliances, including without air conditioning on the hottest days of summer." “Surge protectors can stop surges and continue to protect your home, while your neighbors face the worst. ”
Should you install a whole-house surge protector?
Whole-house surge protectors are commonly used in commercial and industrial environments to cover thousands of dollars in electronics and mechanical equipment. However, they are equally beneficial to homeowners.
"Today, when considering vulnerability and protection, all your cooking equipment—your stove, microwave, dishwasher, Keurig, wall-mounted TV—have to be considered," Haas said. "This is where the ‘ordinary family’ is vulnerable. If you run a business or have certain hobbies, you can also have servers, multiple computers and game consoles." The
power board surge protector can cover devices such as computers and TVs, but devices that are hardwired to the grid will not be protected. Haas recommends using both a whole-house surge protector and a traditional socket protector to create the widest possible safety net. Even if a protector is installed on the circuit breaker box, voltage abnormalities will still occur in the house, so these additional power strips will eliminate these problems. The price of
whole-house protectors is also surprisingly affordable, with many devices under $100. Of course, there is an additional fee to hire an electrician for installation. “If you want top-notch products on the market, surge protection across the entire home can range from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars that your electrician offers and installs,” Haas said. "All factors are in mind, they are one of the cheaper improvements you can make to your home's electrical system."
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