A power surge causes instantaneous and serious damage to your home’s appliances and gadgets. Any item that is plugged into an unprotected outlet at the time of the surge can be damaged, including your TV, audio equipment, computer and phones that are charging. While the most obvious cause for a surge of electricity is a lightning strike nearby, other possible causes include grid switching at the electrical substation and turning off and on of high powered appliances in your home, such as an air conditioning unit.
Protecting your Gadgets and Appliances
There are several ways that you can protect the gadgets and electrical appliances in your home from getting damaged by a power surge. One way is to install point-of-use surge protectors for your most sensitive electronics, such as flat-screen TVs and computers. You can also have your electrician set up your home’s wiring so that large appliances are on their own circuits. Your air conditioner, dishwasher, oven, furnace, and microwave should all have their own circuit with nothing else plugged into it.
How an Electrician Installs a Whole Home Surge Protector
You may also want to consider contacting professional electricians to install surge protection for your entire home. One of these systems is installed at the incoming box where the current from the power lines is delivered into your home. The electricians can mount a service entrance surge protection system at the base of your electrical meter. This type of system protects everything in your house that is hard-wired into the electrical system, such as your lights. The system also works to lower the current from a lightning strike by the time it gets to gadgets plugged in.
Sources
Facts About Power Surges, Natural Handyman’s Home Repair Articles
Protect Your Property from Power Surges, State Farm