Of all the ways to protect your Lexington, Kentucky home, having surge protection installed is one of the most important. Like many consumers, you probably have a number of high-end gadgets, electronic devices, and appliances plugged in. Without surge protection, these items could be irreparably damaged during the next power outage. Surge protection prevents electrical fires and reduces the impact of short, transient surges. Read on to discover six solid reasons to invest in whole-house surge protection today.
1. Minimizes Damages Caused by Internal Surges
Internal power surges occur whenever there’s a disruption in your power supply. When power is suddenly restored, elevated voltage levels travel through your home’s electrical wiring and into everything you have plugged in. Many consumers are surprised to discover that it doesn’t take a power outage to cause surge-related damages. In fact, small, short-duration surges are likely to occur in your home all the time. Moreover, these seemingly unimportant events may shorten the lifespan of your electrically powered items.
It is estimated that nearly 80% of all power surges happen internally. This means that the cause of these events likely lies with your electrical load, your home’s wiring, or other factors specific to your household and environment. If your lights flicker whenever a major appliance is turned on, you may have a wiring problem or an outdated panel. Updating your electrical panel to support your lifestyle and electricity needs could solve the problem.
Flickering lights can also indicate short-term disruptions in the main power supply. In this case, whole-home surge protection will shield your appliances and devices from these events whenever they occur. Whole-house surge protection can also safeguard your electronics from potential damage from short circuits, lightning strikes, tripped circuit breakers, electromagnetic pulses (EMPs), and inductive spikes.
2. Makes Surge Protection Easy
There are many different forms of surge protection that consumers can rely on, and each has its own level of efficacy and cost. Countless homeowners use outlet surge protectors or power strips with built-in surge protection. Although these options come at an affordable price, they can work for or against you, depending on how you use them.
Everyone in the home must remember to plug their items into wall-mounted surge protectors. If you have costly electronics plugged directly into wall outlets from time to time, a single surge event could result in their destruction. Moreover, although surge protectors can help prevent electrical fires, if they’re ill-maintained, overloaded, or used to support devices they aren’t meant for, they can actually contribute to those dreaded fires.
Whole-house surge protection eliminates human error. No one has to remember to plug their devices into protected outlets, and your home’s surge protection will reliably prevent electrical fires and other surge-related hazards. It’s also worth noting that while whole-house surge protectors guard everything, outlet surge protectors have a number of limitations. For instance, you cannot use them with:
- Washing machines or clothes dryers
- Space heaters
- Microwaves
- Sump pumps
- Refrigerators
- Portable air conditioners
Even some high-capacity coffeemakers and toaster ovens aren’t compatible with outlet surge protectors. The only safe and sure way to protect your major appliances and your most costly electronics is by investing in whole-home surge protection.
3. It’s a Customized Solution
Whole-home surge protection can be tailored to suit the needs of the environment. For instance, most homes with 120-V electrical systems use 80 kA-rated surge protectors. However, homes in areas that are prone to electrical storms or that experience frequent power outages can opt for more surge protection.
Homeowners have the option to use layered surge protection. Layering works well for homes with expensive electronics, multiple smart features, complex home entertainment systems, and other factors that significantly increase their electricity loads. Without layering, if appliances or high-capacity devices send surges through shared rather than dedicated circuits, other outlets might not benefit from surge protection that’s only connected to the circuit panel. Layered protection is offered at each possible point of use for a lower likelihood of surge-related damage.
When we provide surge protection services, we carefully assess the home’s layout, the number of devices and appliances used, and the existing risk factors. Doing this allows us to arrive at a surge protection plan that suits the unique needs of each environment and is far more effective than outlet-based protection.
4. Pay For Fewer Repairs
Surge protection that covers all your electronics and major home appliances can reduce the amount you pay for repairs over time. Not only do power surges diminish the lifespans of the items that you keep plugged in, but they also cause various internal systems and components to malfunction. If you’re tired of paying to fix your HVAC equipment, lighting, computers, and more, the cost of protecting your entire home from power surges is worthwhile.
5. Protects and Optimizes Your Backup Generator
If you’ve installed a backup generator in your home, whole-house surge protection is a must. Although backup generators are incredibly durable and powerful, they can still sustain damage from high-voltage power spikes. Leaving your generator unprotected could result in its malfunction or outright failure right when you need it most.
With whole-house surge protection, your generator will enjoy a long lifespan and reliably offer superior performance. Moreover, your generator and surge protection will work together to neutralize the effects of power outages entirely. Your generator will keep your lights and everything else on, and your surge protection will ensure that the eventual restoration of electricity doesn’t cause any harm.
6. Your Home Warranty Company or Insurance Policy May Require It
Even if your home warranty agreement doesn’t explicitly state that surge protection is required, evidence of surge-related damage could leave you paying for replacements or repairs out of pocket. With 80% of short-duration surges occurring within the home, there is a high likelihood of having surge-related damage cause one of your high-value items to fail.
While home insurance policies will often cover surge-related damages, this is usually only in the event of lightning strikes. Surge-related problems caused by power surges initiated internally aren’t typically covered.
Carefully read your home warranty agreement and insurance policy to understand if surge-related damages are included. These are mutually binding agreements with terms and conditions for both parties. In some instances, such as when the risk of lightning strikes and recurring power outages is high, some form of surge protection may actually be required by your insurance company. Whether mandatory for remaining in compliance with these agreements or simply an effort to limit your out-of-pocket spending, adding surge protection to your home will show that you’ve done all you can to mitigate the risk of electrical fires and other surge-related problems.
At Absolute Services, we’ve proudly served Lexington, Louisville, and Elizabethtown residents since 2008. We originally started as a garage door company, and today we also provide a complete selection of heating, cooling, electrical, and plumbing services. If you’re ready to experience the benefits of whole-home surge protection, get in touch with Absolute Services today!
