Today we are more connected than ever before. We are constantly streaming, downloading, uploading, and integrating more high-tech gadgets into our daily lives.
Today’s homes are outfitted with state-of-the-art heating, cooling, and entertainment devices, meaning increased electrical demands. And with increased demand comes the need for excess protection from potentially catastrophic electrical problems like power surges.
In this blog, we’ll explore whole-house surge protection, from what it does to why you should consider adding it to your home improvement list.
What Is a Power Surge?
Surges are transient waves of current or power in an electric circuit. All the electrical equipment in your home is made to operate at a certain voltage.
Minor voltage variations are normal and can usually be handled by the equipment itself. But huge spikes in voltage can damage the equipment it’s flowing through, leading to potential safety hazards, like an electrical fire, and huge financial risk.
Where Do Power Surges Come From?
The most common cause of a power surge is lightning storms. But surges can also occur during power outages, or by activity elsewhere on your electrical grid, a tripped circuit breaker, short circuits, or larger appliances like air conditioners or your refrigerator turning on and off.
Surges can happen any time, day or night. So it’s better to be prepared now, rather than sorry later.
You can tell when a power surge has occurred by noticing:
- Power loss or a sudden reset
- Failing devices
- Tripped circuit breaker
- In extreme cases, scorched outlets and electrical fire
How Does a Whole-House Surge Protector Work?
Now we know that power surges aren’t something to be taken lightly. But how exactly does a whole-house surge protector keep you and our devices safe?
Protection at the Source
Unlike plug-in power bars, whole-house surge protectors are installed on your home’s electrical panel. They offer downstream protection to all your electrical appliances, including those that are hardwired into your home.
Whole-home surge protectors are easily installed by a trained electrician.
Protection For Hardwired Appliances
You might be asking, what is a hardwired appliance? A hardwired appliance is connected to your home through a junction box. There is no plug to insert in an outlet.
This means that once the appliance is connected, it’s more complicated to remove and more cumbersome if a surge damages the equipment.
Hardwired appliances also tend to be the pricier additions to your home.
Examples of hardwired appliances include:
- Electric ranges
- Built-in ovens
- Furnaces
- Dishwashers
- Air conditioning units
Power Bar vs. Whole-Home Surge Protection
Power bar or strip protectors offer protection against small surges, but should a large-scale surge hit your home, they are virtually useless.
A whole-home surge protector will protect the entirety of your home, including the devices connected to individual power bars.
Cost for a Whole-Home Surge Protector
Installation
Whole-home surge protectors can vary in cost depending on brand and quality. Products from reputable manufacturers start at about $300 and up for a 200 amp main panel.
Since whole-home surge protectors will need to be installed by a licensed electrician, it’s important to budget for electrician labour rates as well.
At Westridge Electric we install the highest quality protectors and are an authorized dealer and installer of CleanVolt Surge Protectors.
Warranties & Guarantees
Westridge Electric offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee, as well as our main service panel guarantee. This ensures that your whole-home surge protector install will be completed on or before the promised completion date.
And if the protector should fail within the first five years, we’ll repair the problem free of charge.
Protect Your Connectivity
Your family’s connectivity is important to us, but your family’s safety is our top priority. Don’t allow your appliances to get fried, and keep your expensive electronics protected from surges.
Improve your home’s electrical safety while staying connected to all your favourite devices with the installation of a whole-home surge protector from Westridge Electric.
