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How to Protect Your Home Against Electrical Surges

To safeguard your home against electrical surges, install surge protectors, replace the electrical panel, and ground properly. Lightning surges, power outages, or faulty wiring can ruin appliances and pose shock hazards.

Whole-home surge protectors protect all your appliances, and routine electrical inspections can detect issues and enhance safety. Light up your life today. If you require energy-efficient lights or repairs, our skilled staff is at your service. Call today for a free consultation and let us light up your life!

What is a Power Surge?

Power surge protection

A power surge, at times brought on by dazzling lightning shows or utility power surges, is a temporary, brief increase in voltage that halts electricity flow in your home.

Surge Damage

These short surges, which are usually not more than a second, can destroy sensitive electronics. Or worse, they could destroy your home’s entire electrical system.

In the U.S., every household appliance runs on a 120-volt standard. It’s 240 volts on the same circuit that large appliances such as dryers and heating and air systems require in order to run safely and effectively. During a surge, the voltage is higher than usual, even several thousand volts, overloading circuits and causing them to burn out.

1. Define a Power Surge Simply

Power surges are occurrences where electricity’s electrical voltage suddenly increases and leads to an interruption of electricity flow. They may be internally caused, for example, by the activation of a heavy load, or externally caused, for example, by utility grid faults.

Sensitive electronics such as computers and other intelligent home devices are most prone to getting damaged. Subsystems of these systems are not safe from high-voltage spikes.

2. Common Causes of Power Surges

Power surges may occur as a result of everyday things like electrical overload or wiring faults. Lightning strikes, although less likely, are another external photobomber menace, slamming thousands of volts into your house.

Even the abrupt return of electricity after a blackout can generate destructive surges. On the consuming side, appliances such as refrigerators or AC units can create internal, smaller, and more cyclic surges while in use.

3. Internal vs. External Surges

Internal surges are frequent and normally pass unnoticed when electrical devices are switched on and off. External surges, such as those that accompany dramatic lightning storms, can impact the entire electrical system, which is a serious threat.

4. How Surges Damage Electronics

The voltages in surges, like those created by spectacular lightning strikes, can burn out circuits instantly, and repeated power surges weaken components over time, contributing to ultimate failure due to latent damage.

5. Frequency of Power Surges

Small power surges that occur commonly in everyday life are commonplace, particularly in areas with unstable infrastructure. After a while, they contribute to power surge damage, and hence, whole-house surge protectors become a must-have line of defense.

Recognize the Signs of a Surge

Surges of power, often the product of instantaneous lightning strikes or power company surges, are short but powerful bursts of voltage that can destroy your home’s electrical system. Although the power surges themselves may only last a fraction of a second, the damage can be catastrophic and long-lasting, so good surge protection is required to safeguard your appliances and ensure overall home safety.

Identify Immediate Surge Indicators

There are some pretty obvious signs that your home or business has been affected by an electrical surge. These are:

  • Flickering or excessively dimming lights, particularly when starting up big power hogs like air conditioners or dryers.
  • Appliances unexpectedly shut off during use.
  • Resetting electronics, like clocks or Wi-Fi routers, losing their configurations.
  • An unusual burning smell near outlets or devices.

These clear-cut signs mean you might be risking permanent damage to your home’s electrical system. For instance, if your refrigerator suddenly stops working or your TV resets itself, it could be a direct result of a surge.

Detect Delayed Surge Damage

Some surge damage isn’t immediately obvious. Long-term, you might start to see decreased performance in electronic items or even have devices fail on you completely.

Surge-damaged devices may overheat or function erratically, symptoms that may not be detected until catastrophic failure develops. Your laptop battery is not charging. This can be the first indication that surge damage was sudden and delayed.

For example, a broken smart thermostat could send the same alert out. Routine testing of electronic performance and checking the iteration of appliances can prevent hidden problems from becoming costly emergencies.

Warning Signs of Circuit Overload

Recurrent tripping of electric circuit breakers or blown fuses may be an indication of an overloaded electrical circuit. Circuit overload fires are a danger, especially when power-sucking appliances are operating simultaneously on overloaded circuits.

With increased monitoring and real-time usage information on appliances like space heaters or air conditioners, we can prevent overloads and make everyone safer.

What to Do After a Power Surge

A power surge is likely to be an instant danger to causing power surge damage to your home electrical system, as well as to your appliances and electronic components. Whether the surge is caused by high-drama lightning flashes or improper wiring installation, it is important to be aware of what to do afterward. Having effective surge protection in place is important for detecting damage and doing repairs while protecting your home.

  • Assess Damage After a Surge

Start by verifying all the plugged-in electronic appliances to determine whether there is power surge damage. Look for burnt odors, scorch marks, or melted parts close to wall plugs or outlets. Attempt to use any undamaged appliances and electronics, such as televisions, alarm clocks, or small appliances in the kitchen, to ensure they function normally.

This evaluation may be very time-consuming, taking a few hours to thoroughly examine all details. While assessing, record any apparent damage by photographing it and taking detailed notes. List affected devices, including the make, model, and other distinguishing details, since these records are vital in documenting home insurance claims.

If you must replace or fix things, be sure to keep all receipts for future use. Taking proper surge protection steps can prevent future power surge damage, keeping your costly electronics intact.

  • Document Damage for Claims

Accurate documentation will make the claims process easier and smoother with your insurance provider. By creating a clear-to-read list of damages, you can easily check losses and obtain approvals quickly.

Photographs, receipts, and repair estimates serve as documentation of the power surge’s effects to make sure you are fully compensated.

  • Contact Professionals for Inspection

Once you’ve taken care of whatever needs immediate attention, bring in a licensed electrician to conduct an overall inspection of your home’s electrical system. A trained technician will be able to spot damage you might not see yourself or future threats that may have caused the surge.

For ongoing safety, consider scheduling regular inspections to maintain system integrity.

  • Surge Protection Options

By investing in surge protectors, the risk can be greatly reduced for the future. Point-of-use protectors can be installed on individual devices. Whole-house systems protect the entire home.

Select the right technology for your home’s particular needs to ensure dependable, long-term protection.

Ensuring Long-Term Protection Against Electrical Surges

Protecting your home from electrical surges is important for safety and equipment life. Proper surge protection prevents costly damage and downtime. Investing in quality surge protectors and regular maintenance is smart and offers peace of mind.

When working on home projects, being prepared is key. For expert advice and trusted electrical services, turn to TurnKey Electricals. Let us help you protect what matters most. Talk to our experts for personalized solutions. Dial us today for a free consultation—let’s light up your future together!

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