Causes of Damaging Power Surges and How You Can Protect Your Home
When there is an excessive strain on your home’s electrical system, it can cause a power surge that affects all the other electrical appliances, equipment, and systems in your home.
What is a power surge?
A power surge occurs when an increased demand for energy causes a spike in the flow of electricity. The surge travels through the circuit of your home, threatening the home appliances. It usually threatens the expensive equipment that has microprocessors such as TV sets, computers, etc.
What is the cause of this surge?
The air conditioner in your home can cause an energy surge. Air conditioners are made with high-powered compressors, and they can put a strain on your electrical system, creating an imbalance in the flow of voltage.
Do your lights flicker when your AC cycles on? That could be a power surge.
Most times, it usually doesn’t shut anything down immediately. The effects of a surge are often more subtle, affecting your electrical system over time.
A power surge can occur as a result of the following:
- High-powered appliances: Like ACs.
- Lighting
- Bad wiring
- Power company problems: Although this is rare, a power surge can occur as a result of equipment malfunction from your power company.
How do I protect my home?
Many Maryland homeowners use small surge protectors, just like power strips, to divert electricity. But, this solution can be ineffective and costly since power strips aren’t powerful enough to protect your home.
The best solution to this problem is whole-house surge protection. It is inexpensive and offers a broader range in protecting all the appliances in your home. It works by diverting potentially damaging electrical surges to the earth wire directly from the central service panel.
Sadly, there’s no sure system you can use to predict a power surge, and there’s nothing you can do afterward to limit the damage it leaves on your home. Fortunately, you can protect against surges with whole-house surge protection.Arctic Plumbing & Air can help install whole-house surge protection in your home to prevent electrical damages in your Maryland home.
