Worried about power surges during heavy storms? This article explains how to safeguard your home from power surges during heavy storms. Learn about surge protectors, unplugging devices, and inspecting your wiring to protect your valuable electronics and keep your home safe.
Key Takeaways
- Power surges during storms can significantly damage electrical appliances and systems due to sudden spikes in voltage, often caused by lightning and downed power lines.
- To protect homes from power surges, key measures include installing whole-house surge protectors, using surge protector power strips, and strategically unplugging major appliances during storms.
- Regular electrical inspections and upgrading outdated wiring are essential practices to prevent potential surge-related issues and ensure the safety of the home’s electrical system.
Understanding Power Surges During Storms
A power surge is a sudden and brief spike in voltage, often exceeding 169 volts. While many think of dramatic lightning strikes as the primary cause, power surges and electrical surges can occur from various sources, both large and small. These surges can pose significant risks to your appliances and electronics, even if they last a mere microsecond.
During a power surge, the voltage rate jumps dramatically, pushing too much electricity through the system. This excess voltage can flow into all devices connected, potentially causing severe damage. Knowing the nature and risks of power surges helps in safeguarding your home.
Causes of Power Surges in Storms
Power surges during storms are commonly caused by lightning strikes, downed power lines, and power line failures. A lightning strike can inject a massive amount of voltage into the power lines, leading to a significant surge that can damage electrical systems. Similarly, downed power lines due to severe weather conditions can become dangerous once re-energized, causing unexpected surges.
Power line failures are another major contributor to power surges when power surges happen during storms. When these failures occur, power surges occur, disrupting the normal flow of electricity and creating wild swings in voltage that can impact homes. Recognizing these causes enables proactive measures to protect against them.
Effects on Your Home’s Electrical System
Power surges can have devastating effects on your home’s electrical system. They can damage or destroy appliances and electronics, such as computers, TVs, and major appliances. Even smaller surges, often overlooked, can reduce a device’s lifetime by many years.
High voltage surges can cause significant damage because most appliances are not designed to handle such spikes. The arc of electrical current generated during a surge can lead to overheating within devices, posing a fire risk. Circuit breakers can trip or fail due to excessive current, further complicating the situation.
Surge protectors are essential for shielding electronics from these surges. Unplugging sensitive electronics during a storm helps prevent damage. These precautions minimize the risk and protect your home from costly repairs.
Essential Steps to Protect Your Home from Storm-Induced Power Surges
A multi-faceted approach is necessary to protect your home from storm-induced power surges. High-quality surge protectors, whole house surge protectors, and unplugging major appliances are key steps. Implementing these measures can minimize both short-term damage and long-term wear on your electronic devices.
Installing Whole House Surge Protectors
A whole house surge protector is installed where the electricity supply enters your property, providing broad protection against external power surges. It covers not only the incoming electrical power line but also telephone lines, cable TV, and satellite dish cables. A whole house surge protector shields your appliances and electronics from power surges, ultimately saving repair costs.
Whole-home surge protection and GFCI outlets keep your electrical system safe from storms. There are different types of surge protectors, including plug-in power strips with surge protection and transient voltage surge suppressors (TVSS). Ensure the whole house surge protector covers the required joules and amps for your home.
However, surge protection devices do not guard against all power surges, especially direct lightning strikes. Professional installation by experienced electricians like Arc Angel Electric ensures the system is set up correctly and effectively.
Using Surge Protector Power Strips
Surge protector power strips are designed with electronics that divert excess voltage, unlike standard power strips. A regular power strip does not protect against surges, whereas a surge protector does. Plug computers, televisions, and appliances into surge protectors to guard against frequent, low-voltage surges.
Managing your outlets strategically avoids circuit overload and prevents voltage fluctuations. Avoid plugging too many power-hungry devices into the same outlet and refrain from daisy-chaining power strips to prevent electrical issues. Look for surge protectors with a light indicator to ensure they are still providing protection.
Unplugging Major Appliances
Unplugging major appliances during storms minimizes the risk of damage from unexpected voltage spikes. This simple action can protect expensive devices like air conditioners, refrigerators, and other major appliances from surge damage.
After a significant power surge, reset and unplug all electronic devices before restoring power to the circuit breakers. Reset your HVAC unit as per the manufacturer’s specifications to ensure it functions correctly after the surge.
Inspecting and Upgrading Wiring
Regular checks and upgrades of older wiring systems prevent issues that lead to power surges and electrical fires. Scheduled electrical inspections with professionals like Arc Angel Electric identify outdated components that may increase the risk of power surges.
Common wiring issues that can lead to power surges include old, cracked, frayed wiring, rodent-chewed wiring, and improperly installed wiring. Symptoms of potential wiring problems include flickering lights when appliances start and buzzing in wiring. Before protecting appliances from power surges, ensure your home doesn’t have faulty wiring.
Additional Protective Measures
Power surges can lead to costly repairs and serious fire safety concerns. Both whole house surge protection and point-of-use protection minimize risks.
Homeowners should also be aware of their utility company’s role in power surge incidents, as they can contribute to surges during electrical service and maintenance.
Strategic Outlet Management
Distributing high-powered appliances across different outlets reduces excessive demand on a single circuit, helping balance electrical loads and minimize the risk of circuit overload. This strategic outlet management prevents power surges and ensures the safety of your electrical system.
Point-of-use protection offers extra defense for appliances like TVs and computers, providing an additional layer of safety. Strategic outlet management helps protect your home from electrical issues and power surges.
Regular Electrical Inspections
Regular electrical inspections are crucial for identifying potential issues within your home’s electrical system. Proactively addressing electrical issues minimizes the risk of disturbances and protects devices.
Common issues found during full-house electrical inspections include old cloth-wrapped wires, brittle insulation, and outdated components that may increase power surge risk. Older homes should have their electrical systems inspected to ensure safety and compliance with modern standards.
Installing GFCI Outlets
GFCI outlets are essential in areas like kitchens and bathrooms where moisture is present, as they prevent electrical shocks and surges. These outlets automatically trip when overloaded to prevent power surges and overloaded circuits. GFCI outlets significantly enhance the safety of your home’s electrical system.
Understanding and strategically implementing GFCI outlets can protect your home from electrical hazards and ensure the safety of your family and devices.
What to Do After a Storm
After a storm, check for signs of power surge damage and take appropriate actions to restore your home’s electrical system. Look for issues such as flickering lights or tripped breakers as indicators of power surge damage.
Follow safe procedures to reset circuit breakers after checking for damage. Once everything is secure, carefully restore power to your home.
Checking for Signs of Power Surge Damage
Common signs of a power surge include:
- Flickering lights
- Tripped breakers
- Damaged electronic devices
- Appliances that are unresponsive
- Flashing digital clocks
- A burnt smell around electronic devices
Inspect your home for any damage by checking appliances and electronics one by one to ensure they are functioning properly.
Surge protectors and power strips might need resetting after a power surge. Check for signs of damage to devices and outlets like burns or malfunctioning components and address them promptly to prevent further issues.
Resetting and Restoring Power
Quickly check for potential damage before resetting electronic devices to restore functionality. If no significant damage is found, reset Circuit Breaker to restore power.
This step-by-step approach ensures your electrical system is safe and operational after a storm.
The Role of a Licensed Electrician in Protecting Your Home
Licensed electricians play a crucial role in safeguarding your home from power surges. They can conduct an expert evaluation of your electrical system, identifying vulnerabilities that may be prone to power surges. Professional services, like installing whole-home surge protectors and ensuring proper grounding of electrical systems, are essential for protection.
Routine maintenance and inspections by licensed electricians ensure your electrical system complies with modern standards and is free from faulty wiring and improperly installed components that could lead to electrical fires. By investing in professional services, you can ensure that your home is well-protected against the dangers of power surges.
Summary
In summary, protecting your home from power surges during heavy storms involves a combination of preventive measures and professional assistance. Installing whole-house surge protectors, using surge protector power strips, unplugging major appliances, and inspecting and upgrading wiring are critical steps,,,. Additionally, managing outlets strategically and conducting regular electrical inspections can significantly reduce the risk of surge damage,.
By taking these steps, you can protect your valuable electronics and appliances, ensuring that your home remains safe and functional even during severe weather. Don’t wait for the next storm to strike—take action now and safeguard your home from the unseen dangers of power surges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a power surge and why is it dangerous?
A power surge is a sudden spike in voltage that can exceed safe levels, potentially causing damage to appliances and electronics by overwhelming their electrical systems. This can result in costly repairs or replacements.
How do lightning strikes cause power surges?
Lightning strikes create high-voltage surges in power lines, which can severely damage electrical systems. This extreme increase in voltage is the primary cause of power surges during storms.
What are some signs of power surge damage in my home?
Signs of power surge damage in your home include flickering lights, tripped circuit breakers, unresponsive appliances, flashing digital clocks, and a burnt smell around electronics. If you notice these symptoms, it’s crucial to address the issue promptly to prevent further damage.
How can I protect my home from power surges during storms?
To protect your home from power surges during storms, install whole-house surge protectors, use surge protector power strips, and unplug major appliances. Regular electrical inspections can further enhance your home’s safety.
Why should I hire a licensed electrician for surge protection?
Hiring a licensed electrician for surge protection is essential because they can assess your electrical system for vulnerabilities and install whole-home surge protectors while ensuring compliance with safety standards, offering you reliable protection against power surges.
