Power Surge And Emergency Electrician 101: How To Avoid Electrical Damage | Florence, SC
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Though many homeowners know that power surges pose a possible threat to their electrical systems, few know why they occur and how to prevent them. This article will explain the context for these power surge events and how homeowners can safeguard their homes against them. By working with a trained emergency electrician service such as Mister Sparky, you can get out ahead of power surge issues and protect your high-value appliances and devices.
The vast majority of power surges are the result of an internal problem within your home or property. A surge can actually happen at any point when the electrical charge in the power lines is boosted beyond the appropriate level. When a power surge occurs in your home, it could cause damage to electrical devices plugged in at the time. That’s why it is important to understand what drives these events and how to prevent them.
Power Surge Causes
Power surges have multiple possible causes. One is extreme weather, such as a lightning storm. When a bolt from a lightning storm hits around a power line, it could lead to an unsustainable boost in voltage that results in a power surge. Contrary to popular belief, this can even impact lines that are buried underground, in addition to above-ground electrical wires. Although there is no real way to protect against a lightning strike to public utilities like power lines, this is a very rare cause of power surges. For an individual property-owner, the best way to protect your devices is to stay unplugged during a bad lightning storm– just in case. Specifically, look for larger devices like air conditioners that consume lots of power.
There are other causes for power surges as well, including some that you can help mitigate. One example is faulty wiring in electrical appliances. Other examples include generator failure or a poorly balanced power load. To minimize the risk of a power surge resulting from a faulty home electrical system, you should consult with a professional emergency electrician. The trained staff at Mister Sparky is happy to inspect your system to shore up vulnerability and protect your property and devices.
How to Risk Manage Against Power Surges
With the prevalence of personal electronics in the home and the critical importance of electricity in homes with electrical heating, you should take precautions to ensure power surges are less likely to impact your home. The number one mitigation strategy is to set up surge protection in your home or property.
If your home has been affected by power surges in the past, you should definitely get in touch with a professional emergency electrician. Mister Sparky of Florence, SC, has years of experience in helping homeowners through surge protection.
Surge protection requires the installation of a device that will cap the amount of voltage delivered to your outlets and appliances. Electrician services can also install a general “whole-house surge arrestor” to the electrical meter that will limit voltage to the entire home electrical system.
Whole-home solutions help protect your house from surges that stem from utility company problems, but can’t protect against surges that originate from within your home. For that next level of protection, you should work with an emergency electrician to install individual surge protectors for high-value devices plugged into your electrical system.
The Power of Surge Protectors
Surge protectors are…well….powerful tools for protecting your home’s electronic devices. This is because power surges can actually damage any devices or appliances plugged in at the time of the surge. The complicated parts and components of many expensive appliances and devices are quite vulnerable to electrical damage. For this reason, it makes sense to purchase individual surge protectors for sensitive and high value items. An emergency electrician service can help you determine which items are at the highest risk of damage from a power surge.
The first one many customers choose to protect is their personal computer or laptop, due to its value and the underlying importance of the information stored within it.
Other devices to consider protecting include televisions, gaming consoles, entertainment accessories, washing machines, and refrigeration systems. Talk with an emergency electrician service to determine which devices in your home are most vulnerable and what solutions exist to safeguard those investments. Mister Sparky of Florence brings years of experience and a trained staff of professionals to make sure you can protect your home and property.
Selecting a Surge Protector
Because surge protectors are critical to safeguarding your high-value belongings, you should make sure you select the best protector for your home. Some are certainly better than others, and it is worth investing in the right product for this particular job. Cheap protectors provide the least effective protection for electrical devices. Home device surge protectors can be purchased for individual outlets or in a power strip. A decent power strip can run pretty cheap but you can still opt for more expensive and (and more protective) stations geared towards expensive devices like personal computers. The truth is that prices vary widely depending on need. The best way to determine the best return-on-investment is to consult with a professional emergency electrician. Mister Sparky of Florence can come into your home and perform a full assessment of the system to determine the appropriate surge protector for all of your electronic devices.
Taking the Next Steps
Now that you know what power surges are and how to protect against them, the next step is to take action. Mister Sparky of Florence, SC, is a full-scale emergency electrician service that specializes in prevention and repair for home and business settings. Our trained experts have years of combined experience, training, and certifications in electrical repair services. To make sure you select the appropriate surge protection for your home, whether a whole-home or more individualized solution, you should work with Mister Sparky at every step of the way. An emergency electrician service is key to protecting your home and staying on ahead of the game.
