Most people believe that lightening is the only cause of power surges or fluctuations in electricity. This is true less than 15% of the time. The other 85% of power surges can occur at any time, and are usually due to faulty wiring, downed power lines, and when something as simple as your refrigerator or air conditioning unit turns itself off and on. We all have refrigerators and most of us have air conditioning units, and it takes an increase in power to turn them on and off. This is probably the most common reason for surges. This means that all of your other electronics are at risk of damage. This damage can sometimes be irreversible or can lead to very costly repairs. It is these appliances and home electronics that the benefits of a whole house surge protector was intended for.
The function of the house surge protector is to protect your entire household of electronics at the point of power entering your home. The protector will detect any increase in voltage right at the electrical panel. Once detected, the surge protector redirects the excess power into the protector, and allows only the safe levels of voltage to pass into the home or office. This function protects your electronics from the damages caused by these power surges, and does so without disruption of your equipment.
One of the advantages of having a surge protector whole house unit is that most of them offer all-in-one protection, which includes your power, cable and Internet, and even your satellite. The cost of these surge protectors is quite affordable, and when you think of the money you would spend to replace all the electronic equipment in your home, it pays for itself the first time it deflects a power surge to your home. Another benefit is that once the power surge is over, your surge protector will reopen the circuits when the event has passed, and resets itself without you ever having to do anything.
Surge protectors for the whole house are small and can be purchased online. They are fairly easy to install on your own, but it is highly recommended that you hire a professional, qualified electrician to do the job for you if you have doubts. This will not only give you the peace of mind that it has been properly installed, but also that local safety codes for installation have been followed. It is worth the extra money to know that it has been installed correctly.
If you think about how many appliances and electrical devices that are in your home today, it is probably a wise decision to do anything you can to protect them from damage. Series surge protectors do not always provide the protection needed to save your equipment, but a whole house surge protector can and will protect your household electronics.
