Power surges are known as the most destructive of the four types of electrical power disturbances. An electrical surge can cause damage to a wide range of your electrical equipment in your home or business to include, but not limited, to the following: TVs, computers, fax machine, copier, tablet, cell phone, and many other electronics found in your home. With this in mind, it is important for you to prevent damage to your electronics with surge protectors.
What Is a Power Surge?
An electrical power surge may be quick, usually lasting less than 1/1000 of a second, it can cause a lot of damage. Many people have heard of power surges, but really do not know the damage they can cause until they have to pay the cost of replacing those valuable items. By definition, an electrical power surge is a spike in your home’s electrical current. to be specific, it s a transient wave of current, voltage, or power in an electric circuit. A surge does not always have to be positive, it sometimes has a positive polarity.
A power can be caused from a variety of reasons such as a high-power electrical device when it is turned on; this could be a refrigerator, space heater, or even an air conditioner. Also, if you have some faulty wiring, it will reduce your home’s ability to withstand the power spikes. The power surge can be caused by something as simple as a tripped circuit breaker or a short circuit in your wiring system. If you have noticed or believe that power surges are a problem in your home, call a Raleigh electrician.
One of the most common causes of power surges is lightning. Even if the lightning doesn’t strike near your home, it can still cause a power surge. If it strikes close to a power line, a surge is very possible. One lightning strike is enough to cause a surge that will burn out your computer monitor, router, and television!
How Does a Power Surge Hurt My Appliances?
Computers and TVs are usual victims of a power surge. Once the power surge enters your home, it will usually fry the circuit breaker and then spread to other outlets in your home. If your appliance is plugged directly into the electrical system, the surge of electricity can immediately break that piece of equipment.
All of your electronics are designed to operate at specific voltages. This could be 120 Vac, 240 Vac, 480 Vac, etc. Most homes in the United States use electrical power in the form of 120-volt, 60 Hz, single phase, alternating current. While your equipment is designed to handle some under and overages, a surge is more than your equipment is designed to handle.
How Can I Protect My Electronics From a Power Surge?
To protect your equipment from a power surge, you should contact a Raleigh electrician at Future Connections Electrical. Our team of electricians have you covered for all levels of surge protection you need for your Raleigh home or business. At Future Connections, we first identify the parts of your electrical system that need surge protection. Also, we make sure that your Raleigh electrical system is established with a grounding system that can channel wayward electricity. Then, we take all of the necessary steps to find surge locations, later securing those areas with layers of protection.
To protect your electronics that are plugged directly into your electrical system, you should invest in large and small surge protectors. The large surge protectors are your whole-house surge protectors that are installed at the main electrical service panel. This is where the circuit breakers or fuses are located. During a power surge, the extra electricity will be channeled by the suppressor and stop it from getting into your main electrical system. For all of your individual electronics, consider using a surge protector power strip, as these work like the whole-house surge protectors but on a smaller scale.
Call Future Connections Electrical Today!
For more information about how to protect your home during the next lightning storm, or if you are concerned that you may have faulty wiring, contact the Raleigh professional electricians at Future Connections. Future Connections is proud to serve the Triangle area : Apex, Benson, Chapel Hill, Cary, and more! Call Future Connections today at 919-854-1556