Did
you know that power strips are not really adequate protection for your home or
business?
With so many
homes receiving new electronic devices as Christmas gifts, we thought we would
take some time to talk about protecting those new electronic devices and home
appliances from power surges.
Power surges are
bursts of higher than normal electrical voltages. Surges may last for only a few millionths of
a second however they can carry tens of thousands of volts of electricity. When
a power surge occurs it will follow any wire into a house. That means all
lines- including phone and cable lines- are conductors and that can mean damage
to all electrical devices and appliances in your home. Although many people associate power surges
with lightning strikes, power surges can also start inside the home with major
appliances such as refrigerators, clothes dryers, and air conditioning units
that cycle on and off. These small surges can cause minor damage that may not
be evident right away, but will be show over time.
Protecting your
valuable appliances and electronics from power surges requires a two-sided approach.
At Great Lakes Electric, we recommend installing whole house surge protection
to guard against power surges. This is a device that is hardwired into a home’s
electrical panel and protects all electrical devices and appliances in the
home. When higher than normal voltage spike occurs the whole house surge
protection device reroutes the excess voltage to the ground wire. Once the
levels return to a normal voltage, the electricity is restored to its normal
flow. Hardwired surge protection devices are recommended by the National Fire
Protection Association and the Institute for Business and Home Safety. Whole house
surge protection installation starts at $375.00 at the low end which includes
labor and materials.
The second side
to this approach is utilizing “plug in” surge protectors to cover any potential
gaps in the protection for vulnerable appliances and electronics. It is important to remember that not all
surge protectors are high quality and actually some are just a little more than
glorified extension cords so plugging appliances into a power strip cannot
guarantee you will avoid damage. Power strips and surge stations come in many
sizes and you can expect to pay between $20 and $70 for a quality surge station
or power strip. A surge station can be utilized to guard certain appliance and
electrical devices such as the components of a home theatre system or computer
against damaging power surges.
To find out if
your home and valuable appliances and electronic devices are protected, contact us at Great Lakes Electric today for an electrical assessment. In today’s age of
advanced electronics, you want to be sure to avoid any damage created by power
surges in your home. Our team of qualified electricians can show you the best
way to protect your home.
