Whole House Surge Protection, Etobicoke

Power surges are spikes in voltage that last only a fraction of a second, but they can leave permanent damage and at times, result in devastating consequences. Preventing these power surges is important for maintaining the safety of your home. Having a licensed electrician install whole house surge protection is the first and most important step to guard against damage. Surges, after all, will follow any nearby wire into a house, including phone and cable lines.

Whole house power surges can happen from widespread events on the grid that are out of a homeowner’s control. For example, after blackouts, restoring power can cause mass surges as everything comes back on all at once. Ontario itself was shown to be the province with the most amount of blackouts in 2017 alone! Sudden changes in electricity use by nearby factories can also impact the grid, as well as utility companies making changes to the grid.

Other causes for whole house power surges are lightning (the most frequently cited cause for immediate damage to central air conditioning and heating units), old or faulty wiring that then lead to short circuits (which then require an electrician to re-wire the home), or even the normal operation of your everyday household equipment (the main cause for power surges in general).

Power surges can originate both from the outside and inside, but the most common surges are reported to occur inside the home. Major systems embedded into the home, such as air conditioning or heat pumps, constantly cycle on and off, causing small surges throughout the day that add to cumulative damage. Statistics show that the home experiences on average 20 power surges per day, and at least half of those are internal.

So what can be done to prevent power surges from damaging your home and electronics? The most important consideration when thinking about this is surge suppression, which can be can be achieved in two ways. Plug-in surge suppressors, such as power strips, do offer some protection, but only to the electronics that are plugged into them. This is insufficient protection for the electronics that are hard-wired to the home — electronics such as HVAC equipment, major kitchen appliances, security systems, and more.

Therefore, plug-in surge suppressors should be used in addition to whole house surge suppressor installation. Having whole house surge protection allows for maximum protection against the most severe surges, since it safely re-directs excess energy away from your electronics and into the ground. Electricity tends to follow the path of least resistance, and surge protectors can thwart it away before it has the chance to make its way into the circuitry of your home.

You pay too much on your mortgage to risk it. Appliances and electronics are expensive, so investing in a whole house surge protector will practically pay for itself as you save money in the long run. To protect your home and your property, have whole house surge protection installed.

Contact MADE ELECTRIC for more information, to learn more about essential surge protection, and to inquire about having whole house surge protection installed in your home! We operate within the GTA to ensure that your home is safe.