Home Surge Protection

True home surge protectors, known in the industry as whole-house surge protectors, protect your home from surges or blackouts that could damage your appliances or devices during a thunderstorm. They are an essential part of any home in areas with frequent storm activity.

It is important to know that a typical household power strip is not a whole-house surge protector; there is a big difference between the two. A whole-house surge protector serves to protect the entire home from a power surge since it is wired into the electrical panel of the home. In turn, a household power strip tries to protect individual devices in the home (i.e., TVs, computers, printers) from sudden unexpected power surges.

A power surge is a sudden increase in voltage that substantially exceeds the standard 120 volts. When a power surge happens, the wiring inside your devices overheats and starts to burn. This can be disastrous to complex devices and, in extreme cases, can break them entirely.

Many modern homes have an abundance of important and expensive electronics and appliances, including computers, phones, stereos, televisions, and microwaves, that can benefit from a whole-house surge protector. In addition, many electronic devices have circuitry or microchips that are especially sensitive to fluctuations in voltage. Even a slight power surge can:

• Put an electrical strain on the device
• Compromise a device's performance
• Destroy a device

One of the most common reasons for power surges is the operation of heavy-duty electrical devices. Refrigerators, air conditioners, and clothes dryers are just a few large appliances that require a significant amount of electricity to switch motors and compressors on and off. Devices that have heating elements, such as toaster ovens, electric kettles, and coffee makers, can also cause power surges on some circuits.

Toggling high-power electrical equipment and devices can create heavy demands for electricity that can disrupt the constant flow of voltage in the electrical system. The following can also cause power surges:

• Faulty electrical wiring
• Downed power lines
• Problems with utility company’s lines, transformers, or other components
• In some cases, lightning can cause power surges. This is rare, though it does happen more often in areas with frequent thunderstorms. Lightning may increase electrical pressure in wiring by millions of volts, overwhelming even the best power strip style surge protector.

When you hear the words ‘surge protector,’ you probably imagine a power strip with several devices plugged into it. Surge protectors work by passing the electrical current from an electrical outlet to the devices plugged into the strip. A surge or spike above the designated level causes the surge protector to automatically redirect the extra electricity into metal oxide varistors (MOVs) inside the power strip.

Household power strips usually do not help protect against power surges; they offer very limited protection for devices and usually must be replaced after one power surge. 

Whole-house surge protectors work in much the same way as household power strips, but they are built to withstand multiple power surges over the course of many years. They also protect all the appliances and devices receiving power from the electrical panel that the surge protector is wired to.

Whole-house surge protectors are a smart way to keep all your sensitive electronics and valuable appliances safe from electrical surge damage.