Electrical Contractor Tips: What Power Surges Are And How To Avoid Them | Wilmington, NC
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Power surges can be scary, causing interruption to your electrical service and possibly causing damage. But few homeowners actually know what they are and how they can be avoided using preventative measures. This blog will explore what is really happening during a power surge and how simple measures can help safeguard your home and property from power surge damage.
For the most power, a power surge happens when there is a problem with the electrical system in your home. Specifically, these events can happen at any time that the electrical power exceeds what the home can handle. If this happens, the power surge might actually damage the items that are plugged into your system, including expensive appliances or devices.
What causes a power surge?
So what causes the power to surge beyond what your home can handle? One such cause is a severe weather event such as a lightning storm. During these events, lightning can actually strike a power line and cause the voltage to boost. This results in a power surge. Interestingly, this can even happen if the power lines are buried underground. This is a fairly rare type of power surge, however. Which is good, because there are few significant preventative measures you can take to prevent this type of power surge. In reality, this is something your utility company needs to monitor. However, you can still protect your devices from damage by unplugging expensive devices during a severe lightning storm. Devices like air conditioners, which consume lots of power and are more likely to be on blast during high humidity weather, might be a thing to watch for. It could be smart to turn down the juice on air conditioners if this is a concern.
Other power surges originate from within the home, and can be prevented through prudential measures. Some surges are the result of bad wiring in electrical appliances or improperly load balanced electrical systems. These internal electrical system causes can be addressed by working with electrical contractors. Mister Sparky of Wilmington boasts a team of highly trained electrical contractors who can assess interior electrical systems and help you safeguard against a power surge.
How can you avoid a power surge?
We’ve spoken a bit about how preventative and prudential measures can protect you against power surges. This section will take a closer look at a few risk management methods that can keep you safe from serious power surge events. With the importance of electricity in our everyday lives, these measures are increasingly worth the time.
An electrical contractor can help by setting up surge protection in your home. Surge protection refers to the installation of devices throughout your electrical system that enforce a maximum voltage use on your outlets. This can help protect individual outlets and the appliances attached to them. An electrical contractor can also set up a “whole house” surge protector, which operates directly on the electrical meter to keep whole-home voltage to a safe level.
Although these whole-home measures do protect your home from power surges that originate with your utility company, they importantly do not mitigate against issues that start within your property. This level of protection can be accomplished through surge protectors targeted to specific outlets. This is a good measure to take with your highly expensive appliances and devices.
What are surge protectors?
Surge protectors are tools that keep your devices and appliances safe if a power surge occurs. Many modern electrical devices are rather complex and can be seriously damaged by a surge. To make sure your devices and appliances are safe, you should invest in a surge protector for high-value items. You can work with an electrical contractor to determine which devices are most vulnerable to surges in order to best target your resources.
You may want to start with your TV set, refrigerator, washing machine, or other appliances that are highly expensive and which consume quite a bit of power. Mister Sparky of Wilmington, NC, has been working in the electrical services industry for years and we are happy to work with you to set up a successful surge protection system in your home.
An electrical contractor also understands how to select the right surge protector for the job. There is a range of protectors out on the market, and investing in the right one for the job is critical. Home surge protectors are available at the individual outlet or power strip level. The best way to select a protector that meets the need of your device is to work with a professional electrical contractor. Mister Sparky of Wilmington is happy to work with you in selecting the appropriate surge protection hardware to mitigate the risk and keep your important devices safe and sound.
How can I get started?
Surge protection is a great investment in your home’s electrical system and resiliency. This blog has discussed what power surges are, what causes them, and how you can work with an electrical contractor to set up effective surge protection. Mister Sparky of Wilmington, NC, wants you to know the easy next steps you can take. By calling us up, we can work together to assess possible vulnerabilities in your home, set up whole-home protection, and target specific devices for extra in-home surge protection. Our trained professionals have enormous experience working with homeowners to ensure safe and resilient electrical systems.
Electricity is critical to our daily lives. To make sure nothing can interrupt your electrical service, it is key to take smart, preventative measures against electrical failures caused by surges. Additionally, expensive household items are an important part of daily life and should be protected from damage caused by surges. That’s why it’s so important to work with Mister Sparky of Wilmington and get the process started.