If you’re like most people in the Rochester, Minnesota, area, you keep your appliances and electronics plugged into outlets at all times. Imagine purchasing a new appliance only to experience a power surge that affects not only the new appliance but also some of your electronics. Read on to learn about three culprits that cause power surges and three ways that surge protectors can help your home.
Causes of Power Surges
When it comes to power surges, also known as voltage spikes, there’s more than one thing that can cause them. Lightning is one of the most common causes of power surges, which is why experts recommend unplugging all electronics and appliances during thunderstorms. Here are a few other causes of power surges:
- Downed powerlines – High winds, ice storms, and traffic accidents are good culprits for downing powerlines, which cause power surges. Other causes include someone working on a nearby structure, people doing electrical work on poles, and high-profile vehicles accidentally snagging power lines.
- Poor Wiring – When there’s poor wiring in the home, the electrical flow doesn’t travel through the wires as it should. It would be best if you didn’t handle damaged or exposed wires because it could cause further damage, injuries, or even death. Damage to wiring occurs from pets chewing on cords, pests, rough handling, simple wear and tear, or excessive bending.
- Blown transformers – Electrical transformers have no moving parts and rely on magnetic induction to step electrical voltage up or down. Power surges from lightning strikes send thousands of volts through a neighborhood, affecting everyone’s appliances and electronics. Other causes for blown transformers include small animals that enter the transformer for shelter and chew on the wires inside.
Benefits of a Whole-Home Surge Protector
Apart from unplugging devices and electronics when there’s a thunderstorm, the other way you can shield your home is with a surge protector. You might have some familiarity with power strip surge protectors, but a whole-home surge protector adds an important layer of protection by blocking extra voltage flow and sending it into the ground. Here are three advantages this type of device provides.
1. Protects Appliances
A whole-home surge protector guards your appliances against sudden voltage spikes that affect the efficiency of your appliances over time. For example, the differences between today’s modern refrigerator and a fridge from 15 years ago are striking. Today’s smart fridge includes electronics that allow you to store recipes, play music, set calendar reminders, and so much more. Power surges affect smart fridges in many ways, from not closing an app to preventing an app from functioning.
2. Protects Electronics
With all the electronic devices in the home, now including appliances and LED bulbs with circuit boards, it only makes sense to protect them from electrical surges. You rely on your smartphones, computers, appliances, and other electronic devices too much not to shield them.
3. Prevents Internal Surges
Did you know that 80% of power surges are generated internally? These transient power surges don’t cause immediate significant damage, but they can shorten the lifespan of your electronics and appliances.
If you’re motivated to protect your home from power surges, our team would be happy to help. Contact Paxton Electric today for all your surge protection needs in Rochester, Minnesota, and the surrounding areas.
