Is a Whole House Surge Protector a Good Idea?

You may have heard about whole home surge protection from a neighbor or an ad online. But, what exactly is home surge protection, and is it necessary for your home? Our experts at MZ Electric compiled everything you need to know about surge protection, including what causes a power surge, how whole home surge protectors upgrade single units, and installation options.

When your home undergoes a power surge, your appliances are left defenseless. To keep these amenities from becoming damaged or starting an electrical fire in your home, whole home surge protection keeps you safe. Keep reading below to learn more about damaging surges and how you can prevent them from harming your home!

Are you interested in whole home surge protection? MZ Electric is the Ken Caryl electrician you can trust. We can discuss installation options and help you book an appointment today, at (303) 933-9220.

What Causes a Power Surge?

Power surges happen when a notable increase of electricity enters your home’s electrical system. While small daily power surges often go unnoticed by homeowners and don’t affect much, bigger power surges can mean trouble. Strong power surges can cut power to your appliances and damage large utilities like your refrigerator or home air conditioner system.

Significant power surges are typically caused by electrical overloads in your home, damage to power lines and towers, or lightning strikes and extreme weather. After a power surge, it’s useful to unplug and re-plug your devices, so you don’t damage them. After any big storms, it’s useful to have professionals inspect your electrical system to assess efficiency.

What is a Surge Protector?

Basic surge protectors are frequently sold in a strip, similar to a power strip. However, they do more than just power your devices. Like any outlet, a power strip is vulnerable to power surges, but surge protector devices ground stray voltage to stop it from overloading your appliances and breaking them. Voltage is redirected away from your surge protector strip.

While surge protectors are useful, they only protect single areas, and the number of plugs they can hold. In the case of a massive power surge, surge protector units will protect the area they are in, while the rest of your home may experience effects from the disturbance. Surge protector strips also wear out over time and are damaged from plugging too many plugs into them.

Whole Home Surge Protection

On the other hand, whole home surge protection offers a safe solution for your entire home. Whole home surge protectors are integrated into your electrical system through your main panel, instead of being sold in strip forms. With this method, it protects high stray voltage from even entering your electrical system.

In areas where thunderstorms and lightning are common, whole home surge protection is especially useful. Whole home surge protectors are also useful for keeping your electrical system balanced. With surge strips, a damaged area of your home can make the rest of your electrical system work harder to compensate and drive up your monthly bills.

Trust an Electrical Professional For Your Installations

Electrical work should always be handled by an electrician professional. Mishandling electrical work can lead to electrical shocks, electrocution, and electrical fires. Since whole home surge protectors are inserted directly into your electrical panel, they have a high potential for danger. Electricians are trained to keep your home and family safe.

Electricians also know what to look for when it comes to repairs and replacements. If there is another faulty part of your electrical system that is impacting its safety, they can locate it and offer solutions to homeowners. This ensures that any additional products you add will work at the best of their ability and not wear out before their lifespan should be up.

Other Safety Products For Your Electrical System

In addition to electrical surge protector options for your home, an electrical professional can walk you through the ways you can revamp your electrical system and keep your home protected. Some examples include installing tamper-proof electrical outlets, that won’t harm children who touch them, AFCI outlets, and GFCI outlets.

AFCI outlets are useful to detect arc faults and cut the power if your electrical system is in a dangerous position before it’s overloaded. GFCI outlets are especially useful in rooms around water because they help to prevent electrocution. Adding safety measures like whole home surge protectors and enhanced outlets keeps your home running safely and efficiently.

MZ Electric is the Reliable Ken Caryl Electrician

When you’re looking for a Ken Caryl electrician you can trust, look no further than MZ Electric. Our trained electricians have been delivering quality electrical services since 2009. As an electrical professional, our company brings customer service to the forefront. We’ve seen many electrical issues and can handle whatever you throw at us.

When you need a Ken Caryl electrician professional, don’t hesitate to call MZ Electric. We can help you book your appointment today, at (303) 933-9220.