20 Apr Surge Protection – Defense Against Voltage Spikes
What would we do without electricity? It powers our lights, televisions, computers and charges our phones and wireless devices. Without surge protection, however, all of our electrical devices are vulnerable.
What is a Power Surge (Voltage Spike)?
Power surges are voltage spikes in a home or buildings’ electrical current. The surge is usually very brief and lasts less than a thousandth of a second. Despite the short duration, a surge can still cause damage to the electrical system of a home and the devices connected to it.
Every appliance in your home has a set electrical current that it operates under. An increased voltage above said current can sometimes create an arc of electrical energy. The arc, in turn, generates heat that can fry circuit boards and damage other electrical components.
Surge Protection – What You Can Do
External Power Surges – Not much can be done to protect against external power surges like lightning. The best thing you can do is to unplug your electrical devices during a lightning storm so that if a surge were to occur, no arcs could affect them.
Internal Power Surges – There are a few more options when it comes to internal surges. The easiest way, however, still remains unplugging devices that are idle or not-in-use. Other options include:
- Surge Protectors – Power strips that redirect extra electricity to the individual outlets’ grounding wire
- Install a surge suppressor inside the breaker box
Even the smallest power surge is capable of causing a multitude of problems. Guard your home and re-assure yourself and your family that you are prepared to combat any and all electrical anomalies.
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