Protect Your Home from Power Surges: Essential Tips and Solutions

Understanding Power Surges: What You Need to Know

Extreme weather conditions like heat, freezing rain, tornadoes, and storms can cause power surges and outages. These power surges can severely damage valuable appliances and electrical systems in your home. But what exactly is a power surge?

A power surge occurs when your electricity is interrupted and then restored, causing a sudden increase in voltage that can damage electronic devices. Power surges can happen internally, often triggered by household appliances, or externally, typically due to issues from the energy provider.

Internal Power Surges: Small but Frequent

Did you know that at least half of all power surges occur inside your home? Every time an appliance with a motor starts, such as your air conditioner or refrigerator, it requires extra energy, leading to small power surges. While these internal surges are usually harmless, they can cause issues if circuit breakers trip frequently. If this happens, it’s wise to contact an electrician to check for potential overloading problems.

External Power Surges: The Bigger Threat

External power surges are more harmful because they usually involve larger spikes in voltage. These can be caused by power outages, lightning strikes, fallen power lines, and even small animals interfering with transformers. After a power outage, the sudden return of electricity can overload your system, causing significant damage to appliances and electrical infrastructure.

The Risks of Power Surges: Protect Your Devices

Why should you worry about power surges? Every electronic device and appliance in your home contains sensitive components that can be damaged by sudden spikes in electricity. High-value items like televisions, computers, and washing machines are particularly vulnerable. While large power surges cause immediate and noticeable damage, smaller, more frequent surges can lead to gradual deterioration of your devices, causing them to fail over time.

Preventing Power Surges: Practical Tips and Solutions

To protect your home and appliances from power surges, consider these proactive steps:

1. Manage Overloaded Circuits: Discuss any concerns with your electrician to ensure your circuits can handle the load.

2. Unplug Unused Devices: Unplugging electronics when not in use can prevent damage from surges. However, for essential appliances like fridges and freezers, this may not be practical.

3. Install a Whole-Home Surge Protector: A whole-home surge protector, installed by an electrician, can safeguard all your appliances and electronics, offering peace of mind and long-term savings.

Why Whole-Home Surge Protectors are Essential

Whole-home surge protectors act like a robust surge protector for your entire house. They shield all your devices from damaging surges that can occur during power outages or other electrical disruptions. Installation is affordable, often costing less than replacing a single high-value appliance.

Additional Solutions for Power Outages

Beyond surge protection, consider these options to maintain power during outages:

1. Manual Transfer Switch: This allows you to use a portable generator to power specific circuits in your home. Though it requires manual operation, it’s a cost-effective solution at around $1,300.

2. Whole-Home Backup Generac Generator: For the best protection, a Generac generator provides automatic power restoration, ensuring your entire home continues to operate smoothly during outages. This option starts at approximately $12,000.

Prepare for Severe Weather

Given the increasing frequency of power outages due to weather events and aging infrastructure, it’s crucial to be prepared. Stock up on essential supplies like batteries, flashlights, and water. For more tips, check out this Severe Weather Guide.

Contact Us for Expert Assistance

At Collaborative Services, we’re here to help you safeguard your home from power surges and outages. Whether you need a whole-home surge protector, a manual transfer switch, or a Generac generator, our team is ready to assist. Contact us at RDahlberg@CSLLC-TX.com or call 936.228.2916.

We have the POWER, and so can YOU!

Prepare today to protect your home and loved ones from power surges and outages.