Installing Whole House Surge Protectors in Birmingham, AL
Protect Your Appliances and Electronics With a Whole House Surge Protector
Think for a moment about all your home’s electrical devices and appliances. How much do you suppose it would cost if you suddenly had to replace them all, from your flatscreen TV to your refrigerator? Unfortunately, this nightmare becomes a reality for many homeowners when they are hit by a power surge that fries their home’s electronics.
Mr. Electric of Birmingham helps homeowners in the Birmingham, Alabama metro area prevent this disaster by installing a whole home surge protector. You may have power strips throughout your home with surge protectors on them, but these can only protect what is plugged into them. Sometimes, they do a poor job at even doing that. The best whole house surge protectors safeguard your entire home at your electrical panel, preventing power surges from entering your home’s electrical system in the first place. Learn more about whole home surge protectors.
What Is a Power Surge, and Why Does It Matter?
Your home’s electrical system is designed to provide a very stable voltage of electricity at all times. Likewise, your appliances and electrical devices are designed to use and handle a specific amount of electricity. When something suddenly causes the voltage in your outlets to jump, we call it a power surge. You may experience this during a lightning strike, power outage, or brownout, just to name a few. When the electronics plugged into your outlets receive excess electricity during a power surge, it can cause severe damage. Sometimes it will simply compromise the device’s performance. Other times, it can completely ruin expensive appliances and electronics. Some of the appliances and electronics that a power surge can destroy include:
- Refrigerators
- Flatscreen TVs
- Desktop computers
- Air conditioners
- Washing machines
- Clothes dryers
- Coffee makers
- Plugged-in smartphones, laptops, and tablets
- Microwave ovens
- Ovens, ranges, and stoves
What Causes a Power Surge?
Diagnosing the exact cause of any specific power surge is a tricky task. Anything that causes a sudden increase in the supply of electricity to your home can cause a power surge. However, a sudden jump in voltage that lasts less than three nanoseconds is called a voltage spike. Repeated voltage spikes can also cause damage to your electronics, although they are less likely to suddenly ruin your appliances like a power surge can. Some of the most frequent causes of power surges include:
- Downed power lines
- Problems with your electrical wiring
- Issues with your utility company’s transformers, lines, or other components
- In rare cases, lightning strikes can blow through the surge protectors on your power strips
How Do Surge Protectors Help?
You can think of whole home surge protection as a barrier between your home’s electrical system and the rest of the power grid. When something goes wrong and the voltage spikes through the power lines that supply your home’s electricity, your hardwired surge protector will stop it at the point where it enters your home. When you do not have a surge protector, the excess electricity has to go somewhere. It usually goes into your electronics--burning wires, frying components, and causing computer files to be lost.
Is a Whole House Surge Protector Better Than a Power Strip?
You might wonder about the pros and cons of whole home surge protectors vs. power strips. With the benefit of protecting your home from a catastrophic power surge, are there any downsides to whole home surge protection? Not really. However, the benefits you get are immense.
- It is relatively inexpensive to install a whole house surge protector, especially compared to the price of replacing expensive appliances or electronics.
- You will never have to worry about power surges damaging your home again.
- Surge protection is much better than power strips because whole home surge protectors cut off power surges before they ever enter your home’s electrical system. This protects every electronic device and appliance plugged into any outlet. When you only have a power strip with a surge protector, it only covers what is plugged into it. On top of that, it is susceptible to being overloaded by especially intense power surges.
Meet the Pros at Mr. Electric of Birmingham!
If you are just now learning about the dangers of a power surge, you might be a bit anxious at this point. No need to worry. Mr. Electric of Birmingham’s top-notch team of electricians has your back! We can install the best whole home surge protector and safeguard your home against power surges. We have been serving Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Chelsea, and surrounding areas, since 2005. We have a reputation for prompt, friendly, and safe service. Request your whole home surge protector installation appointment online now!