A whole house surge protector will protect your devices, appliances, and electronics from power surges in the electrical system. It is attached to your electrical panel and can save you thousands of dollars in electronics that can suffer damage during a power surge.
Mr. Electric of Edmonton shares more about power surges and whole-home surge protectors.
What will cause an electrical power surge?
A surge is a sudden boost of electrical current flowing through the system. Large appliances turning on, like the air conditioner kicking in or the dishwasher cycling, can cause an electrical surge. Smaller appliances can cause electrical surges too. For example, switching on a hair drier can start a small surge. In addition, faulty wiring or shoddy electrical work can cause a surge.
Though less likely, a lightning strike can cause a surge. Surges can also occur when the utility restores power after an outage. Sometimes, a power surge can happen when a power line comes down in a storm.
How can it damage devices?
When a surge occurs, it carries an unexpected surge of energy through the system. That energy is pushed into wired devices and things you have plugged into the electrical outlets. This electrical surge can damage those devices. Depending on the strength of the surge, it can cost you thousands of dollars in damage.
LED lighting needs protection
In addition, it’s crucial to have surge protection when you have LED lighting. Unlike other types of lighting, LEDs use highly sensitive electronic components that can be easily damaged and are more vulnerable to power surges. Having Edmonton electricians install a LED lighting system is a significant investment worth protecting. Surge protection will protect your LED lighting system and your investment from damage.
What is a whole home surge protector?
You might have used a power bar with built-in surge protection for your computer or home entertainment system. When a surge occurs, that power bar limits or blocks the voltage to the electronics plugged into it. A whole home surge protector works similarly but on a much larger scale.
A whole-home surge protector is installed right into the main electrical panel. It will block, limit, or ground any high-voltage flow that could damage the system or devices.
Surge protectors come at various voltage protection ratings. So, the higher the voltage rating, the more protection you’ll get, as it can block out more high-voltage surges. If you’re unsure how much protection your home might need, talk to electricians in Edmonton like Mr. Electric. They can make recommendations on whole-home surge protection that best meets your needs.
