Determine if a Whole House Surge Protector is Right For Your Home

Does your home need a whole house surge protector? Read more to decide.

Electricity flows steadily from the utility power grid and into your home at a designated current flow. The distribution lines carry high voltage current, but transformers reduce the current flow to accommodate household needs. Appliances and devices are designed for either 240 or 120-volt current. But the current of electricity often increases suddenly for various reasons.

• Normal in-home surges. Surges are a normal occurrence in an electrical network and are often caused by turning a device, such as a hair dryer, on and off. This causes a minor current change, maybe as low as 5 or 10 volts each time. This is considered a normal surge occurrence.
• Normal power grid surges. It is not unusual for the current that enters a home from the power grid to fluctuate between 120 and 169 volts without it being considered abnormal. Household wiring is designed for this amount of current change. Generally, devices can handle this fluctuation without much problem.
• Abnormal surges. Abnormal surges rise above that 169-volt threshold and may be caused by an animal or tree limb encountering live wires, an accident that damages a power pole, or a lightning strike to utility equipment. Any cause for an abnormal surge can lead to damage, but the last, a lightning strike, can cause thousands of volts of current to surge through the utility lines and into residential systems.

How dangerous are surges?

• Normal surges. When normal surges happen, whether internal or external, the damage caused by these small surges depends upon the sensitivity of the device and the number of surges that occur over time. Each surge is like a microfracture, not dissimilar to erosion. The damage is very small, but over time, the accumulation of these small damages can be significant.
• Abnormal surges. There is nothing insignificant about a surge of thousands of volts at once. That much current can damage the wiring inside a home and destroy electrical components within devices that receive that kind of surge. The surge can spark a fire, and damage to the wiring can create sparks that come later and start a fire.

What is a Whole House Surge Protector and how do they work?

Whole House Surge Protectors are devices that detect a surge and deflect it to a ground wire, avoiding its connection with wiring, equipment, devices, and appliances. They use a protection medium that redirects the surging electricity safely away from trouble.

• Protection mediums might use metal oxides or gas tubes to deflect the extra current to the ground wire and avoid damage. Since electricity moves at close to the speed of light, these devices must also be prepared to detect and respond incredibly fast to avoid damage.
• As long as the deflection medium is in place, power surges are redirected. Whenever the protection medium is used up, the protected network loses the protection and is vulnerable to surges.
• Surge protectors must be checked often, and the deflection medium replaced to maintain the designed protection.

Whole House Surge Protector comes in a variety of sizes.

• Power strip versions of surge protectors are common to most homeowners. Owners use them to protect sensitive computers, media, and entertainment devices, and we often only think about them during storm events that bring lightning. Any device plugged into the power strip is protected from both normal and abnormal surges as long as the protection medium is intact. (Power strips should be replaced every 2 or 3 years.)
• Whole-house surge protectors are a better solution. This equipment is installed by a professional electrician between the power grid and the electric service panel that distributes electricity throughout the house. This device will protect the wiring, appliances, and all devices, sensitive and otherwise, from the large, abnormal surges that can do so much damage, as long as the protection medium is intact. These devices will need to be checked and maintained to continually protect the home from large, abnormal power surges.

The Whole House Surge Protector Professionals

With our four decades of experience as a Residential Whole House Surge Protector Contractor, AirPro Houston provides you with the skill and expertise to help answer your Whole House Surge Protector questions.

We have financing options available with great options with up to 72-month terms with approved credit. Call our team of Electricians at  281-880-8805 and let us partner with you for all of your electrical repair, electrical safety, Whole House Surge Protector installation, and electrical installation needs.