Nowadays, most homes are filled with TVs, computers, microwaves and a growing list of expensive electronic equipment. The microchips and circuit boards inside these devices are extremely sensitive to voltage fluctuations, so an electrical spike can cause costly and permanent damage. That’s why it’s a good idea to protect your electronic equipment from these damaging power disturbances.
A whole-house surge suppressor can do just that. Power surges can come from two general areas: 1) disturbances from outside the home, like when lightning strikes, or 2) right from within your home, from something as simple as static electricity. With two sources of potential trouble, you’ll need two types of protection in both areas.
Installing a whole-house surge suppressor at your main power supply will help reduce the damage caused by a direct lightning strike to your home. This is the first line of defense.
The suppressor absorbs the majority of the high-energy surge, while the rest of the energy is easily dealt with by a second surge suppressor at the point of use. These are the kind you plug a television or a computer into and are available at most any home improvement store.
For the best protection, it is better to have both areas — the electrical box and the inside appliances — shielded. That way, should any unforeseen power disturbances arise, you’ll be completely guarded against costly repairs and damage to your home.
Joel Wensley is a licensed mechanical contractor in the state of Michigan, a WJBK-TV Fox2 Detroit news contributor and president of Mechanical Heating & Cooling in Dearborn Heights.