Today’s homes are loaded with electronic devices from computers and TVs to appliances and LED lighting. Circuit boards control an ever-growing number of things. Those boards can be weakened by small, repetitive power surges or taken out altogether by large ones.
Small System Spikes Add Up
You may think lightning is the biggest threat to your delicate electronics, but the fact is that up to 80% of the power spikes in your home circuitry come from right inside your house. Motors on compressors in refrigerators and air conditioners and high-demand appliances like clothes dryers send small surges through the system, and these repetitive little spikes can degrade the motherboards on any device. The effect isn’t immediate, but they add up, causing premature failure.
Power Grid Surges
The second most common cause of surges comes from the power grid itself. Downed lines, lightning strikes and surges from nearby businesses can send electrical spikes into your home. These grid surges are particularly common in areas prone to intense weather particularly in mountain and remote locations. If the amperage of a lightning strike powers through your home wiring, a surge protector probably won’t help. The best defense is a good lightning rod.
Two-Layered Whole-Home Protection
The best protection against power surges comes with a two-layer system. First, a whole-home protector should be installed at the main panel where power enters your home and individual circuits branch out. For extra insurance, you may want to add protection to phone and cable lines. Even with good whole-house protection, a small amount of voltage may leak by with a large surge, so proactive local protection of delicate electronics is advisable. This can range from common multi-tap power strips and uninterruptable power supplies (UPS) that regulate voltage and provide backup power to units designed to protect all the components of a home theatre.
Nearly all of these protection systems dump excess voltage into your ground wires, so it’s essential that your electrical system is properly grounded, too.
Licensed Electricians for Hardwire Installation
Since home protection systems need to be hardwired, installing them is a job for a licensed electrician. And with so many types of protective devices on the market, it’s important that your electrician knows the right ones for your particular needs.
Allstar Electrical Services has been installing surge protectors in homes and businesses along Colorado’s Front Range for nearly 25 years. Our home safety experts can make sure that your home is secure and well protected. We’re happy to offer a free estimate for the system that will work best for you. We can also do a Residential Electrical Evaluation Audit to identify sources of present and potential issues in your home’s electrical service.
We are proud to have been recognized by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Independent Electrical Contractors Association with numerous meritorious service awards. We’re A+ rated by the BBB and have won a Super Service Award from Angie’s List®. Give us a call at (303) 399-7420 or use our handy on-line forms to request an estimate or set up an appointment. Simply go to our Residential Services page or drop an email to us at estimating@allstarelectrical.com for complete details.