If your home is vulnerable to power surges, this could cause immediate damage to your appliances or have a cumulative effect that might eventually contribute to system failure. Surges are created by lightning strikes, when the electric provider switches from one grid to another, or whenever power is being restored after an outage.Fortunately, there are a few options for protecting all of your electronics, whether you do it individually for each device, or as a whole-house system.
Before you purchase or use a power strip, verify that it is, in fact, a surge protector. The packaging should state that it's a surge protector, an interrupter switch, or a fused strip. The best surge protectors carry the UL 1449 standards rating. Some surge protectors let you plug incoming cable or internet lines into them to minimize the risk of higher voltage electricity going through these low-voltage wires.
Use single plug-in protectors for appliances that use more electricity, like your refrigerator, washer and dryer. Look for the devices that have a light that shines when the plug is working. When the light goes out, it's time to replace the plug.
Service entrance protection devices will protect your entire home from power surges. They must be installed by a licensed electrician to prevent electrical device damage. They can also protect all of your switches, outlets and wires from any power surge damage.
Using whole-house surge protection can prevent damage to your HVAC system, along with other valuable and indispensable appliances. During a storm, your power can go out unexpectedly, and when it comes back on, a surge my occur. A surge can damage the components inside your HVAC system, taking it out of commission until it's repaired or replaced.
To learn more about preventing power surges, contact Air Assurance. We've been providing HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners for more than 30 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Andrew Scherbackov/Shutterstock”