Surge Protection
Residential & Commercial Power Surge Protectors in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and the Greater Lehigh Valley Area
Many individuals consider sufficient surge protection as plugging their computer into a power strip. Although that’s part of the solution, it is definitely not the only solution. Power surges, either from lightning or power company disruptions, can follow any wire into the house, whether electric, cable/satellite and even phone lines.
Power Surge Protection
Adequate Power Surge Protection requires a 2-prong approach. The first part is a whole house surge protector and the second part is to use a good quality plug-in surge protector for vulnerable devices like computers and tv’s (we say ‘quality plug-in surge protector’ because some are nothing but glorified extension cords).
What is a Power Surge?
Before we discuss surge protection, we need you to understand what a power surge is. Basically a power surge is a dramatic power spike that typically lasts a millisecond, but delivers, at its worst, tens of thousand of volts that can fry almost everything in its path. Most people think of lightning when they think of power surges. And although lightning-induced surges are the most powerful, they are not the most common. Most power surges happen from downed power lines, energy fluctuations at a local factory, or even from energy sucking devices within the home like hair dryers, air conditioners or vacuums.
Picture this: Lightning strikes a utility pole sending a tidal wave of power through your house. It fries the motherboard in your refrigerator, your dishwasher, a PC and an X-box. It kills 6 dimmer switches and all of the GFCI switches in your house. In less than a millisecond, this has caused thousands of dollars of damage. What’s worse…sometimes the damage effects of a power surge aren’t immediate, then a year later, the microwave stops working for no reason (another $800).
Whole House Surge Protection
Whole House Surge Suppressors are hard-wired into your circuit panel box and typically protect from, at minimum, a 40,000 amp surge. This requires the expertise of a certified electrician as it is a very dangerous job not suited for weekend warriors. Whole House Surge Protectors normally have an alarm or indicator light to notify the owner if a serious event occurred.
These units don’t always stop 100% of the energy fluctuation, which is where the second prong of surge protection come in – namely, circuit protectors, Uninterrupted Power Supplies and power strips.
How Much Does A Whole House Surge Protector Cost?
Most people think that whole house surge protection is expensive and costs thousands to install. the truth: The typical who house surge protector costs between $300 and $500 plus about 2-3 hours of labor from an electrician. The assurance you get knowing you’re protected in case of emergencies is invaluable. The cost of a single high-end refrigerator like Sub-Zero can be over $10,000.
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