Are Surge Protectors Worth it?

A surge protector is an electrical device designed to protect electronics from harmful power surges. The most common surge protectors are found in the form of power strips that offer additional electrical sockets. It is important to use surge protector power strips to power important and expensive electronic devices like computers, televisions, and gaming consoles. But there are more electrical devices in your home that can benefit from surge protection.

What Happens In A Power Surge?

A Power Surge is when a spike in electricity bypasses the standard 120-volt level circuit breakers. This could happen in a variety of different ways including lightning striking a nearby utility pole, a short circuit, or the switching on or off of a high drawing appliance.

Lightning

With a lightning strike occurs, up to 20,000 volts of electricity could come surging into your home. Without a whole house surge protector which is located before your circuit breakers, the electrical current will travel through your home destroying electrical wiring and appliances.

The cost of installing a whole house surge protector will more than pay for itself if your home is subject to a power surge. When a large power surge occurs the wiring in your home can fry, your electrical appliances can short out, and an electrical fire can occur. With a whole house surge protector, you will stay protected from the thousands of dollars in damages that could result from a power surge.

Short Circuit

A short circuit occurs when unused electrical current builds up in a circuit when an electrical device malfunctions. Some electrical devices are designed to direct this excess electricity towards an electrical grounding, but not all appliances have this feature. In a short circuit, electricity can cause harm to other electronics or cause the risk of electric shock.

Is protection worth it?

The easiest way to making sure that in-house power surges do not occur is to install GFCI electrical outlets. These electrical outlets offer premium protection by stopping electrical current when a malfunction is detected. GFCI outlets measure electrical current flowing into the outlet and coming back from the electrical device to detect when a difference occurs. It is smart to install a GFCI outlet on each electrical circuit in your home to offer additional electrical safety when an issue occurs.