Lightning and thunderstorms are one of the most exciting things you can see. Mother nature puts on a shower every time a thunderstorm rolls through with loud rumbles and startling lightning.
But excitement can quickly turn to fear and frustration when lightning strikes your home and causes a power surge. With the right power surge protection in place, you can enjoy the lightning storm and know that your valuable appliances and electronics are safe.
Keep reading to learn more about power surges and how you can suppress them.
What Is a Power Surge?
A power surge is a surge of power throughout a building’s electrical system. It lasts for a fraction of a second and occurs typically when lightning strikes a transformer. It can also happen when you plug in a blow dryer.
The power surge interrupts the flow. For some reason or another, the power has stopped, and then suddenly electricity surges through the system.
Power surges can cause irreversible damage to the appliances and electronic devices plugged into your home when the surge occurs. Laptop chargers fry and TVs sustain irreversible damage.
What Causes a Power Surge?
Power surges stem from a variety of sources. We often think of lightning as the culprit, but truly, they happen because of other things as well.
- Exposed wiring
- Drawing too much power from one current
- Sudden power restoration
Power surges occur in these instances because the steady flow of power is interrupted. When you practice basic electrical safety at home, though, you can prevent such surges.
Protecting Your Home
You can protect your home first by installing a whole-home surge protector. Small power strips will protect whatever is plugged into them. Whole-home surge protectors come hard-wired to your home’s electrical box.
This surge protector protects any appliances plugged into your home’s outlets.
Have a professional eletrician install the whole-home surge protector for you. If you can’t afford whole-home surge protector, you can do a few more things.
Inspect Wires
Exposed and faulty wires invite power surges. If you have any flickering, dimming lights, or buzzing sounds when you flip on a switch, call in an electrician to inspect your wires. Also, if you every notice a burning smell or see charred, burned wall outlets that emit smoke, have an electrician take a look at your wiring.
When you handle exposed wiring on your own, you run the risk of electrocuting yourself. So call in a professional electrical contractor.
Prepare For a Storm
When you know a big storm is coming, unplug your appliances. Lightening can strike at any time during a storm. When this occurs, it books electrical pressure intensely and causes power to surge throughout the home. If you have your high-value appliances unplugged, you can protect them.
Use Power Strips
Power strips are the simplest solution for power surges when you’re on a budget. You can combat small surges when you plug you sensitive electronics, such as ell phones and computers, into a power strip.
Power strips have built-in surge protectors that protect your computer from getting fried by an electrical surge.
Seek Power Surge Protection
Don’t let power surges ruin you appliances or your day. You can protect your appliances and electronics by using a surge protector, unplugging valuable appliances during a storm, and having an electrician inpect loose wires.
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