Power surges happen more often than you think. Whenever the wiring in your home experiences a brief jolt of high electrical voltage, you’ll see it in a flicker or buzz through your appliances or electronics. When the lights blink? Yep, that’s a power surge.
In most cases, we never think much about it. Even when we notice a minor power surge, everything returns to normal in a second or two, why think anymore about it? These power surges are far from harmless. They can damage your electrical outlets. They can fry your appliances and electronics. They can even start a fire.
Being proactive against the causes of power surges can potentially make your home a safer place to live. Here are a few things you can do.
Stop overloading outlets and circuits
How many tangled webs of wires exist within your home? Especially in older homes, you’ll often find excess wires behind the television and around desks where you have computer equipment attached. With phone and tablet chargers, you may even have webs in your kitchen or bedrooms. Plugging in too many items in one socket can lead to power surges and electrical fires. An electrician can check to see if all outlets in a room are operating on the same circuit and make changes to bring your electrical wiring up to date.
Eliminate damaged or exposed wiring
What you can’t see can sometimes hurt you. Mice and squirrels can get inside of walls and chew on the wiring. Damaged or exposed wires can cause power surges as the electricity flowing through is not directed or handled in the proper manner. Sometimes you may even smell smoke as the wires melt or burn up due to the abnormal flow of voltage. Exposed wires should never be handled as they can cause electrocution.
Give high-powered electronics and appliances their own circuits
High-powered appliances and electronics like refrigerators and air conditioners can cause energy spikes and power uses. Because they tend to draw large amounts of electricity as they power up, that excess power can move throughout the circuit, overpowering everything else in its path. The best way to eliminate that is to ensure all high-powered appliances have their own circuit.
How to protect your home
The easiest way to prevent damage from power surges is to be proactive. Don’t wait for disaster; call in an electrician and make modifications to your electrical system now. An electrician will make sure all of your wiring is up to code, and install outlets where more are needed. You should also install a whole house surge protector for added protection to every room in your home.
When was the last time you experienced a surge in your home?