What Causes an Electrical Surge?

Power surges are one of the most common electrical problems this time of year—and a big reason why they’re so common is that people don’t understand what causes electrical surges in Carlsbad, NM in the first place. We put together this helpful post in order to reduce the number of surges and prevent property damage this season:

• Lightning: When lightning strikes near a power line, the electrical energy boosts the electrical pressure by millions of volts. The bad news is that this surge overpowers pretty much any surge protector on the market. The good news is that lightning strikes are the least common cause of electrical surges.
• High-powered devices: Appliances and devices that use a lot of electricity, like your fridge or furnace, can cause power surges when they suddenly turn off and back on again.
• Power company problems: Your local power company is trusted to keep your lights on and your appliances running, but if there’s some kind of issue with the power grid, your home (and all the others on your block) could be susceptible to a power surge.

Dangers of an electrical surge

We wouldn’t be so concerned about electrical surges in Carlsbad, NM if they weren’t so hazardous! Here’s what can go wrong if you experience a surge:

• Electronic damage: The massive amounts of voltage that come through during a power surge can instantly fry the electronics in your home. Without a surge protector, the electronic components in all of your devices can be destroyed.
• Property damage: The only thing worse than a power surge destroying your computer would be one that also fries the wiring in your home! This is especially dangerous for older homes that have outdated or faulty wiring systems.

How can you protect your property?

The good news is that protecting your home and property from a surge is easier than you might think. Take these steps, and you’ll be safe from the dangers mentioned above:

• Have an inspection: The best way to ensure all of your wiring isn’t destroyed during a massive power surge is to have it inspected. During a professional inspection, we’ll ensure that your wiring is up to code, and we can rewire your house if that’s not the case.
• Buy surge protectors: Simply put, all of your expensive devices should be plugged into a surge protector. Surge protectors can prevent damage from most electrical surges, better ensuring your devices don’t get fried and destroyed.
• Install a whole-house surge protector: On top of plugging your appliances into surge protectors, we recommend installing a point-of-use surge protection device (SPD) at your home. During an electrical surge, SPDs divert the voltage into the ground, ensuring all of that extra electricity doesn’t overload your circuits or ruin your devices.

Don’t be the victim of electrical surges in Carlsbad, NM this winter. Instead, hire the team of professional residential electricians at JB Electric LLC to install a surge protector at your home. Give us a call today to find out what we can do for you and your electrical system.

Categorised in: Electrical Issues