Wondering why that expensive LED or the laptop stopped working? It can be due to a power surge. Power surges can enter your home from the transformer and fry up any devices connected to a particular point. You might notice a massive power surge, making it easier to track what happened to your appliances. But some power surges also originate within the home. They are comparatively small but can damage your valuables beyond repair.
The damage from power surges is pretty extensive. This article guides you about the measures you can take to protect your home from a power surge.
What Is a Power Surge?
A power surge is when the current running in your home gets a sudden spike. The standard voltage running in homes is 120 volts. However, it can rise suddenly for a very brief period. The sudden rise overloads your home’s electrical lines and circuits, possibly damaging any appliance connected to an outlet. Since there is a rapid and unexpected overflow in the current, it goes farther than it is supposed to be, harming machines even when switched off.
- Power surges can happen for several reasons:
- Accidents due to weather conditions (tree falling over power lines, a wire touching another wire, etc.)
- High power demand due to too many appliances running together
- Electricity coming back after a power outage
- Low-grade components
- Lightning strikes
- Faulty wiring
What Appliances and Devices Are Most Likely to Be Damaged in a Power Surge?
Before we see how we can protect our homes from a power surge, it is essential to know which devices are not vulnerable to a power surge. Most appliances in your home running on a microprocessor require stable voltage to stay fully functional. Unfortunately, most of our machinery is computer operated, leaving an extensive list of appliances to take care of. These include:
- Computers
- Microwaves
- Refrigerators
- Washing Machine
- Dryer
- Security System
- Television
- DVD Player
- Air Conditioners
- Dishwasher
How Can I Protect My Home From a Power Surge?
There is little to nothing you can do to prevent the power surges. However, there is a lot you can do to contain the damage of power surges. Below, we discuss the ways you can protect your home.
Plug Machines Into Surge Protectors
This is one of the most common and inexpensive ways to protect your appliances from a power surge. Power surge protectors are machines to which individual appliances can be connected. The surge protector eves out the current overflow to that particular point. While it can not handle the tons of volt resulting from lightning, it can deal with the lesser-voltage surges that are usually the case.
Consider a Home Surge Protection System
A home surge protection system is an expensive solution but the only one that can take off the stress of a massive power surge due to lightning. Unlike surge protectors that you can plugin various points to protect a particular appliance, home surge protectors are installed at the electric panel of your home.
They divert power surges of all scales to the ground, where the energy disperses and dissolves without causing any harm. However, you will still need individual power surge protectors to protect the devices from internal surges.
Unplug Your Sensitive Electronics and Important Appliances in a Storm
Spending money is not necessary to protect your home from sudden spikes in voltage. Instead, you can do it with a simple solution – unplugging the devices and appliances before the storm hits the ground. You can’t enjoy those machines for a while, making your life a little uncomfortable, but it is better than spending top dollar on power surge protectors or repairing appliances that cost a fortune to buy.
Get an Electrical Inspection to Rule Out Weak Points
We saw faulty wiring and low-grade components as the main reasons for power surges. The wiring in your house is meant to deteriorate after a certain period, leaving behind exposed and weak wires. Moreover, rodent activity between cables and electrical components behind the wall can also disturb the effectiveness of the wiring. Exposed hot wires touching neutral wires can create an internal power surge.
Besides that, you might have outdated wiring in your home that is not advanced enough and powerful to support the many technological needs of today. When you plug in more devices than your home’s electrical system can handle, it can create a high power demand, overheating the wiring, leading to power surges.
An electrical inspection consists of an electrician testing and analyzing your home’s electrical system. If they find any problem, they will suggest the best and most effective solutions.
Ending Note
Power surges are usually inevitable. But these tips will ensure that you contain the damage and protect your home from a power surge. It is best to get an electrical inspection to determine the best solutions for your electrical needs. To hire an electrician, please reach out to us at goldenelectricalservicellc@gmail.com
