HVAC Surge Supressors

Surge Supressors & Lightning Arrestors

 

A power surge is a short-term spike in the electric current in your house. Power surges typically last only a second, but that is enough of your time to inflict chaos on your electric equipment. You will find two fundamental categories of home power surges: exterior and internal.

Exterior power surges result from outdoors your house. In the Pacific Northwest area, electric storms do happen every once in a while lightning will surely cause these surges. You might encounter power spikes from lots of other exterior causes as well.

These consist of specific things like electrical grid distribution activity, harm to outside power lines, power herb maintenance, and electrically powered heavy equipment working in town.

With electrical energy at being more expensive to produce through the hot summer months, utility companies often reduce their output of electricity. That is known as an electrical brown out. A brown out or sudden decrease in power can do permanent harm to your home appliances, specifically your air conditioning equipment. All home appliances are made to utilize a specific amount of power. If that power level is decreased, your devices will continue steadily to function, however they will be required to operate under stress.

A lightning strike to your house may damage or ruin all your electrical appliances. Having a lightning arrestor fitted in your breaker package, you can protect all your electrical appliances together with your air conditioning equipment, computer, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, stereo system and televisions with an individual dedicated lightning arrestor linked into the home’s electric panel. This basic, economical system can help you save thousands in the case your property is ever hit by lightning.

 

Power Surge resources can originate in the house

A lot of people aren’t aware that over fifty percent of most home power surges have their source inside the house. These inner power surges manifest when a power device suddenly switches off and halts drawing electricity into it.

This leads to a brief upsurge in voltage throughout the house because the existing electricity suddenly does not have any spot to go. Even a little appliance like a dryer can cause a power surge. However, air conditioners, for their size, power usage, and constant starting and stopping, air conditioning units are one of the most typical causes of surges.

Electric surges can cause a lot of damage in the blink of an eye by literally frying expensive equipment such as a personal computer or wide-screen TV. In the worst-case situation, surges may also lead to electric fires, that could burn down a house or building.

Sensitive electronic devices such as a personal computer are in danger from power surge damage. Nearly all electrical devices in your house include microchips, so it’s important to safeguard them from fluctuations in electrical current.

Here are some facts to consider doing to safeguard your home and possessions

1. Examine your house’s wiring. Defective wiring can result in power surge problems. Particularly if you have an older home, it’s well worth having an electrician come examine your home’s electric system for concerns such as broken wiring, badly installed wiring, poor grounding and circuit breaker problems.
2. Unplug any sensitive consumer electronics if there is a significant  storm occurring. Lightning attacks aren’t common, however they can be disastrous. The best way to safeguard your equipment during a power storm is merely to unplug it from the energy source.
3. Put surge protectors on important equipment. A surge protector is a tool that is installed in the middle of your equipment and its own power source. It screens the circulation of electricity, and if the voltage spikes too much for security, blocks the surplus from achieving your equipment by both blocking it or shorting it to floor.

 

There are many types of surge protectors you can install in the middle of your devices and the electrical outlet.

Power strips will be the most widely known, and cost between $10 and $200.

Another type is named an uninterruptible power (UPS), which in addition to over voltage safety contains an electric battery capable of running your device long enough to shut it down securely during a power event.

High-value digital equipment such as computer systems and TVs should each be guarded with a number of the devices. Take into account that quality of security varies considerably in one device to another.

Use a whole-house surge protector. Surge safety pieces are a good first rung on the ladder, but to essentially protect your home from electric spikes, it’s smart to choose whole-house, or main, surge protector. That is a tool that is installed at the principal breaker box in the middle of your home’s electric system and the grid. It’ll protect your complete household from exterior surges in electricity, together with your HVAC system.

Use a high-efficiency air conditioner. When you have an old air conditioning equipment, consider changing it for a more recent, better model. Not merely will it save a lot of money on your home cooling costs, it will pull less power and become less inclined to cause voltage spikes in your house.

 

 

Does my air conditioning equipment need a surge protector?

Even though Air conditioning units can cause power fluctuations inside your home, in addition they are vulnerable to harm by electric surges from outdoors your home. Modern AC units, especially high-efficiency ones, typically contain digital components that are often broken by power fluctuations. Even if indeed they don’t get fried by a big power spike immediately, repeated exposures to smaller surges can bargain their efficiency.

To reduce the probability of needing to demand HVAC repair, we recommend installing whole-house surge security. You could have a whole-house surge protector installed for approximately $1,000. While this might seem just like a great deal, it is a good investment considering that a solitary power spike can cause thousands of dollars of harm, or even business lead to a power open fire that could eliminate your home.

 

Common questions about HVAC and power surges

Surge safety is a significant issue as it pertains to protecting not only your air conditioner, but everything in your house. There are a huge selection of surge safety options available today. A few of them are worthy of buying, but others honestly aren’t up to the duty.

If you want expert help, don’t hesitate to get hold of us online or call us at 503.698.5588. Our qualified, factory-trained AC technicians can help you decide on the best answers to protect your AC equipment as well as all of your computer systems and other valuable digital home appliances and devices.