We’ve probably all heard about the dangers of lightning storms on our electrical equipment. Some people recommend that we disconnect such things like our computers and TVs during a powerful storm as a nearby strike can cause a significant amount of electricity to come into our house through our external wires and fry our electrical systems. This is an example of a power surge, but there are many more common ways that power surges will affect our homes.
This month, we may see power surges when freezing ice and melting water get into the electrical infrastructure. There can be a short, it could shut things down, or disrupt power. Then a power surge could follow as the power makes its way through again, or when the power company turns the power back on.
A power surge is when there is a sudden increase in the flow of power that is coming into, or that is flowing through a particular circuit in, our home. A surge can happen when a device that uses a high amount of electricity in your home starts up, like a refrigerator or an air conditioner, or gets turned on, like a microwave or a high capacity space heater. Power surges can also be caused by old or damaged wiring, some of which you may not even be able to see.
Surges can cause damage in multiple ways…
For one, a strong power surge could wreck your home power outlets, an occurrence that has the potential to create a fire. Power surges can also damage microprocessors, the little chips in our computers and many of our modern appliances and gadgets that allow them to function and operate. The damage to our devices can happen in one surge or take place over time with the mini-surges that take place as our devices, big and small, turn off and on.
Surging power in our homes is unavoidable, but it’s possible to avoid and protect yourself from the adverse effects of a power surge. Some choose to turn to a surge protected power bar to have in their home offices and entertainment spaces. Most easily purchased consumer products like this will provide a minimal amount of actual protection but unfortunately will be utterly ineffective in the case of a power outage or massive surge. Some people creatively choose what can be turned on at the same time in their home, never using a particular outlet while the dishwasher is on! You don’t have to do this anymore. We can fix the issue.
From better ground wiring to individual room or whole home surge protection systems, we can work with you to find the right solution for the electrical problems you are experiencing from flickering lights to tripping breakers to malfunctioning devices.