Surge & Lightning Protectors
Electrical Service
About Surge & Lightning Protectors
Homeowners may pass on the whole house surge protector to go with a budget-friendly alternative such as protected power strips, but these would need to go on every outlet in the house to get similar results. Higher-powered appliances are usually hard-wired so a surge protection strip isn’t always an option. In the 2020 edition of the National Electric Code, a change was made to make a surge protection device a standard component in a new electrical system. Although the requirement calls for just 1 device, we still recommend layering different methods of protection.
Have Any Questions or Concerns? Send Us A Message, Were Here To Help!
FAQ
What does a Surge Protector do?
Ever wonder how a lightbulb rated for 50,000 hours goes out in just a couple of years? It could be that you bought a bad pack. Maybe you were on a budget and went for the cheaper bulbs. We’ve even come across houses with loose neutral wires that caused damage as well. However, it’s more than likely that it failed due to the daily hits of electrical surges that go on without notice. Surges are quick increases in voltage that can damage, wear out, and in some cases destroy any or all electronics in the home if the surge is big enough. These surges can be prevented with a whole-house surge protector.
Is a Surge Protector right for my home?
Although lighting and inconsistencies with the utility company can seem like the most common source for surges, it’s the surges within the home that cause the most wear on your electrical system. According to NEMA, up to 80% of surges are created within a building. Actions such as your furnace kicking on, magnetic fields created by current from a nearby circuit, and even static electricity can cause a disruption. Surges only last a split second, but that’s all it takes for a surge of overcurrent to damage those sophisticated, but delicate circuitry boards you find in anything from LED lights to motherboards in furnaces, Laptop, and major appliances.
Is having a Surge Protector installed worthwhile?
It’s not just your appliances, your panel, or your property you have to keep in mind, but you also have to remember the surges that come from the utility company servicing their transformers or doing work around the neighborhood. There is also the rare, but still possible, risk of having lighting strike your home with about 300 million volts of electricity and about 30,000 amps of power according to the National Weather Service. To put things in perspective, the usual current in a household is 120 volts and 15-20 amp circuits. Due to this, we like to layer different types of surge protection in order to prevent damage and prolong the lifespan of our electronics.
CONTACT EMS GENERAL CONTRACTORS TODAY
With modern household technology becoming more sophisticated and automated, the number of electrical components within these appliances grow as well. More electrical components result in higher-risk appliances that are prone to being damaged from electrical or lightning surges. Not only is surge protection needed by NEC standards, but it’s an important component in the safety of the house and the many sensitive components within it.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment for a FREE surge protection estimate.