Your Katy, TX, home requires electricity to function. That’s why you need protection from a power surge.
Unfortunately, electrical disasters related to power surges can wreck valuable belongings by instantly frying or melting them! These can range from small household items to more significant items like heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, hot water heaters, and electrical wiring.
Although these incidents can take place at a moment’s notice, you can protect yourself and your belongings by calling Mister Sparky to install and maintain a home surge protector.
Our professional electricians will arrive promptly at your Katy, TX, property to install a whole-home surge protector and examine your existing grounding system to ensure your home is fully protected.
It is important to note that surge protection isn’t as effective without a proper grounding system. The NEMA Surge Protection Institute (NSPI) offers a more in-depth look at grounding and bonding.
Contact Mister Sparky to secure your electronic valuables through a home surge protector installation and services.
How Much Does a Whole-Home Surge Protector Cost?
The price of whole-home surge protection will vary based on the amount of protection and the manufacturer’s coverage. They are typically $500 or more, including the parts and electrician labor to install it correctly.
Most Mister Sparky surge protectors carry a five-year manufacturer warranty. How long it lasts depends on how often your electrical system relies on the surge protection device for protection.
What Are Power Surges?
Power surges, also referred to as voltage surges, occur when voltage is elevated beyond normalcy for greater than 10 milliseconds. Power surges may happen in two different types of cases:
- Spikes (elevations) or interruptions in the electrical current cause a boost in the flow of energy to electrical outlets
- An electrical source induces a backflow of energy
Power surges can lead to a jolt of electricity, increasing the electrical flow by as little as 5 volts to thousands of volts, depending on the cause of the surge. Anything connected to an outlet is at risk. Significant jolts can literally fry electrical equipment and blow fuses completely.
Surges can affect sensitive electronic devices and microprocessors, including but not limited to:
- Televisions and related equipment (DVD players and stereos)
- Computers, as well as servers and modems
- Telephones and answering machines, fax machines, laser printers, and copy machines
- Kitchen and utility appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, washing machines, and dryers
- Residential and commercial security systems
- Heating systems and air conditioning
- Automatic garage doors
Surges can also damage smaller electrical devices such as hair dryers, electronic tools, and even electric razors.
What Causes Power Surges?
While power surges can originate from internal or external sources, it is estimated that 60 to 80 percent of surges originate internally. The main external sources of power surges include lightning, grid, capacitor bank switching, and damage to power lines or transformers.
Since lightning may strike power lines or transformers, these disasters rarely transpire but are generally the largest danger. Other complications may arise from branches or debris coming in contact with the power supply, restoration of electricity after power outages, and transfers of electricity performed by electricity companies.
Internal power surges are typically caused by large loads switching on and off. For instance, any appliance turned on and then shut off regularly, such as washing machines and hair dryers, may provoke a power surge.
Refrigerators and air conditioning or cooling systems are two of the most common sources of power surges.
For commercial properties, elevators, vending machines, and large computers may be potential hazards. Because these appliances require high amounts of continual energy that is often interrupted or altered when changing from function to function, power may be diverted.
Can Electrical Wiring Cause Power Surges?
Katy, TX, homeowners should be aware that errors in electrical wiring can also cause serious power surges. Systems that have not been installed correctly pose high risks for these electrical issues.
The intensity of the surge depends on the amount of power that is being altered in the process. Luckily, household items generally cause much less severe forms of power surges.
Have your electrical wiring installed and examined by our professional Mister Sparky electricians to prevent damage to your Katy, TX, home.
How Does a Home Surge Protector Prevent Powers Surges?
Surge protectors allow electric currents to run through them to electronic devices. Once a voltage spike is detected, surge protectors take on the energy and transfer excess electricity to the grounding wire of the outlet.
Surge protectors can sustain high amounts of voltage in order to absorb the energy released in a power surge. The most common surge protectors are whole-house surge protectors and point-of-use surge protectors:
- Whole-house surge protectors prevent damage from transient surges or surges from outdoor sources, which may affect the energy flow as it enters the service entrance or electrical panel of the house. This effectively minimizes the intensity of the power surge before reaching electronic devices.However, whole-house surge protectors are not designed to protect against power surges caused by electrical fluctuations within the home.
- Point-of-use surge protectors plug into wall outlets in order to defend electronics and items with microprocessors against power surges. This style of surge protector can endure approximately 6,000 volts.
Call Today for Houston Home Electrical Services
Mister Sparky is a family-owned-and-operated business serving households in Katy, TX, and all the surrounding areas. Learn more about surge protectors and how they can protect your valuables. Call us at 281-907-8418 or request service online.