What Causes Power Surges And How to Protect Your Devices

Power surges occur when there is an untimely boost of electrical current, typically brought about by lightning strikes, faults in utility grids, or the turning on and off of huge appliances. Power surges may destroy electronics and appliances by overloading their circuits with too much voltage.

Big Easy Electricians recommends protecting your equipment with surge protectors and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and ensuring that your home’s wiring is up-to-date with electrical codes. This buyer’s guide will teach you how to protect your devices properly.

What is a Power Surge?

A power surge results from your electricity rising beyond the typical 120 volts. It often spikes the maximum safety margin of 169V. Such an abnormal jump is just a matter of several volts. Electricity is prone to dangerous fluctuations, climbing into the hundreds and thousands of volts, especially under lightning attack.

What Causes Power Surges?

When a large leap in electrical voltage happens, power surges can take place. Here’s a closer look at the typical causes of power surges.

1. External Causes: Lightning Strikes

Lightning strikes are perhaps the most dramatic of the external causes of power surges. When lightning strikes close to power lines, it discharges a din of electrical pressure into the power grid. This surge can then journey into your home, creating a dangerous potential.

2. External Causes: Utility Grid Issues

Outside of the power lines on your property, problems with the utility grid cause surges. As a result, tree limbs frequently fall onto power lines. Utility poles can also succumb to the impact of car accidents, and maintenance work can frequently stop the current as well.

3. Internal Causes: Appliance Cycling

Up to 80% of power surges originate inside your home. Your electricity-guzzling devices, such as air conditioners or fridges, will produce tiny surges every time they turn off and on. All these ongoing surges will erode your sensitive equipment, such as computers or TVs, in the long term.

4. Internal Causes: Faulty Wiring

The most common cause of voltage surges is aged or broken wiring. Likewise, visible or defective wires may also spike the voltage, causing the electrical current to surge unexpectedly and resulting in similar situations.

5. Internal Causes: Overloaded Circuits

This happens when several devices tap energy from a common outlet. This creates an imbalance that, at its worst, causes electrical surges and, at best, heating. For example, plugging many high-wattage machines into a power strip can cause power surges.

Protect Your Devices: Surge Protection

Power surges can mess up your electronics. Taking some simple precautions can help lower the chances of damage and make your devices last longer. The best way to protect your residence/appliances is by using layers of protection.

Install Whole-House Surge Protector

A whole-house surge protector, installed where your power enters your home, will be your first line of defense against damaging power surges. It gets hardwired at your central electrical panel. This device protects your whole house by preventing excess voltage from ever entering your system.

Use Power Strips with Surge Protection

Surge-protected power strips are a good secondary line of defense. Surge protectors help keep your electronics, like TVs, computers, and game consoles, safe from damaging voltage spikes. Make sure to pick one with a joule rating of at least 1,000. Outlet adapter surge protectors are more space-efficient and suited for small configurations.

Unplug During Storms

Plugging out appliances when there is a storm or some other calamity is the easiest safety step one can follow. This safety step is most important for more expensive items such as refrigerators or home theaters. Plugging out appliances you use infrequently will lower the chances of their being ruined even more.

Inspect Surge Protectors Regularly

Surge protectors diminish with use. Replace surge protectors once they exceed their joule rating or every few years for continued reliability. Regular inspections can spot wear and tear and keep them working the way they were designed to.

Advanced Surge Protection Strategies

To safeguard your appliances, it is crucial to understand what power surges are. The most prevalent form of surge, occurring approximately 80% of the time, is internal and occurs at home as a result of faulty wiring or plugged circuits. Lightning can generate larger surges externally. Internal surges typically measure between 121 and 170 volts.

Use the service point and wall-mounted protectors for delicate devices. Larger voltage spikes can be handled by whole-house protectors. Don’t forget to replace surge protectors every three to five years because they only last that long. Having multiple stages of protection is a good idea, particularly during storms or outages.

Keep Your Electronics Safe and Secure

Power surges can occur at any moment, such as when lightning strikes or there is a brownout, and they can endanger your appliances. Proactive action ensures that you protect your equipment and prevent future problems with your electrical system.

It’s worth it to hire Big Easy Electricians for assistance. For the protection of your devices and assets from power surges, call us today. We provide sound solutions that can make a difference.