While power surges due to lightning and grid disruptions have existed since we have been electrifying our homes, the need for an effective power surge solution is more critical than ever before due to the sheer amount of electronics that our homes contain. Enter the whole-home surge protector.
But what is a whole home surge protector, and is it right for your home? A surge protector is a wise and necessary investment for homeowners in Orlando, Florida. Our electricians at Frank Gay Services explain why.
What Causes Power Surges?
While most people think of lightning as the culprit for power surges, believe it or not, the average home experiences around 20 power surges a day. About half of these are caused by internal factors!
In the United States, there are over 20 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes that occur annually.
Common causes of power surges include:
- Lightning strikes
- Power line surges
- Faulty or old wiring
- Short circuits
- Tripped circuit breakers
- Rolling blackouts
- Normal operation of appliances or electronics
What is a Whole-Home Surge Protector?
A whole-home surge protector protects all the appliances and electronics in your home from electrical voltage spikes, effectively limiting excess electricity from making its way through your home.
Though this includes shortages that occur due to lightning, it is important to note that 60-80% of surges occur from within your home. These are typically from major appliances like the washer and dryer or your HVAC system cycling on and off.
With all of the electronics and smart technology found in homes today, you simply cannot afford to leave surge protection to chance.
Whole-home surge protectors are hard-wired into your home’s electrical system so that when an electrical voltage spikes or surges, it is blocked or grounded. This way, your appliances and electronics aren’t damaged from an overload of energy.
Keep in mind that proper grounding is key to successful surge protection. Without grounding, the whole-home surge protector will not work.
Do Whole Home Surge Protectors Work?
Absolutely! A whole-house surge protector instantly blocks power surges from entering your home’s circuits, thus providing comprehensive protection for all your household electronics. Individual plug-in surge protectors can’t protect hard-wired electronics. Only whole-home surge protectors can.
Garage doors, HVAC units, sprinkler systems, security systems, and washers and dishwashers are all hard-wired into your home’s electrical circuits.
Only a whole-house surge protection system can protect all the circuits—hard-wired included— in your home from exterior-originating power surges.
Interested in installing a whole home surge protector? Because of the risk of electrocution, it’s best to call on our electricians at Frank Gay Services at (407) 329-5145 to install a surge protector for your home!
Do I Need a Whole Home Surge Protector?
If your home contains delicate electronics and sophisticated appliances, those devices are vulnerable to power surges.
Without proper surge protection, a voltage spike won’t just cause damage but also could cause an electrical fire. You can reduce these hazards by having a whole home surge protector installed.
Multi-level surge protection is key to protecting your home’s electronics and appliances, so we like to recommend:
- A whole-house surge protection system that is installed between the power lines and your home’s electric meter
- Whole-house surge protection between the meter and breaker box inside your home
- Point of use wall outlet surge protection
Protection from Power Surges
Living in Florida, we are no strangers to lightning strikes and power surges due to storms and grid malfunctions. If you want to protect your Orlando home from possible power surges, call on Frank Gay Services! We will help you decide on which type of whole-home surge protection system is right for your needs.
Have greater peace of mind the next time the power goes out. Call our 5-star team for a whole-home surge protector consultation today; (407) 329-5145!
