Modern devices and appliances can be fragile when it comes to electrical damage. It may not be obvious, but your household might suffer from a power surge. It can be surprisingly damaging. Your new refrigerator might start acting up, or you might need to go to a PC repair service to fix your broken computer because of one. Additionally, a terrible power surge can even cause a house fire.
A power surge happens when the electrical supply in your home fluctuates. While many people associate such surges with lightning strikes, there are more common reasons for your appliances to suffer from them. For example, your local power supply might be in flux because of stormy weather or even turning your appliances on and off too quickly. The important thing to know is that these surges are devastating to electrical parts, and protecting against them should be a priority.
Install Surge Protection for Your Entire House
One effective way to protect your home is to install surge arresters. These are also called lightning arresters because their main purpose is to stop the fluctuation. They are installed where the power comes into the house so that they can stop the power surge from happening. The great thing about these devices is that they are automatic. Power surges often happen in a split-second.
This means that it can be hard to predict them. But since surge arresters do the job once they detect the higher voltage, you don’t have to worry. These arresters then divert the extra voltage into the ground so that your home is safe from the fluctuations. Your only problem will be to choose the level of voltage. Some of these surge arresters can handle up to 20,000 volts.
Specific Devices Can Get Added Defenses
Surge arresters are expensive, so if you want something more affordable or only plan to protect specific devices, you can invest in surge protectors. Don’t make the mistake of thinking surge suppressors are the same. Those are usually in the form of simple power strips with circuit breakers. A surge protector is something you attach to your socket that does something similar to what a surge arrester does and diverts the extra power into a ground wire. Choose one with a decent joule rating so that too much power doesn’t come through. Also, remember to replace them when they have been in place after a few years.
Consider Multiple Layers of Protection
If you want full protection for your home, then you need to install multiple layers of protection. First, you can have protection for your entire home by installing a surge arrester between your street power line and your power meter. The next point to install an arrester is between your power meter and your breaker box. The final layer is to the devices and appliances themselves. While surge protectors are a common solution, you should also consider buying a UPS device. This can provide your device with continual power at a safe voltage. This stops the sudden turning on and off that can damage your more sensitive devices like your PC.
Remember Common-sense Precautions
Even with all the protection you install, there is still a good chance that surges can damage your appliances. It would help if you took some precautions to protect them further. The most obvious one is to turn them off and unplug them. Do this during lightning storms to ensure that they are completely safe.
Power surges are simple enough to handle. You don’t even need to invest much, and the protections you install can protect much more valuable appliances. Take the necessary steps, and you won’t have to worry about power fluctuations at all.
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