Keys to Surge Protection for Your Home

Spring and summer brings warm weather and green countryside. These seasons also bring thunderstorms, and lightning occasionally delivers harmful electricity to our homes. When lightning strikes, it may damage expensive appliances and electronic devices that are plugged into your outlets. However, electrical surges can’t be blamed only on lightning. The following covers the keys to surge protection. Consult with an experienced licensed electrician to get the best results for your home and safety.

Whole House Surge Protectors

It is important to ensure the protection of appliances and electronics from damaging electrical surges, which are spikes in voltage entering your home. These spikes are usually caused by the power grid, electrical issues inside a home, or lightning. Whole house surge protectors are designed to regulate electricity entering the entire home. As voltage increases, a surge protector will direct excess voltage into the ground and away from electronic devices and appliances. A whole house surge protector is typically contained within the main electrical panel, where it can stop an electrical surge before it spreads to other areas of a home.

The total costs of replacing your desktop computer, laptop, television, air conditioner, refrigerator, and other appliances makes the investment in a whole house surge protector wise. Even a micro surge can damage and shorten the service life of electrical equipment. Whole house surge protection is affordable and provides the necessary protection for expensive electrical devices.

Secondary Protection

A whole house surge protector does not mean secondary surge protection is not needed for sensitive equipment. When lightning strikes, the electricity it generates does not always enter a home through a power line. It may take other paths through phone lines or coaxial cables. When this occurs, lightning can damage sensitive equipment before its electrical surge enters the main panel. Consequently, secondary surge protection provided by high-quality power strips with a rating of at least 3000 joules is crucial for sensitive electronic equipment in lightning-prone regions.

Electrical Services You Can Trust

Founded in 1991 and serving Maryland, Virginia, and D.C., where they are licensed and insured, Meyer Electrical Services provides home and commercial electrical services you can trust, including:

• Standby Generator Installation
• Panel Upgrades (Heavy-Ups)
• Electrical Vehicle Charging Stations
• Structured Cabling
• Circuit Breaker Replacement

Based in Bethesda, their team proudly serves all of Montgomery County. Receive a free consultation for custom electrical work today by calling (866) 403-4752.