Have you gotten for yourself (or received from loved ones) the thing you have always wanted to
have during the holidays? Maybe it’s that extra-large HD television you have always wanted? Is it the high-speed smartphone you have been dying to get your hands on? Or maybe you got for yourself the different parts you need to build your own powerful gaming PC? Perhaps you bought for yourself a new tablet? Regardless of the gadgets you got from someone or purchased for yourself, if it needs to be plugged into a wall socket to function, it is at risk of power surge damage.
Power surges are normal. As a matter of fact, it can happen at any time, and a homeowner does not even know when exactly it will happen. This is because the normal power surge does not do severe damage to an appliance or gadget, only a small amount of damage that can shorten a device’s lifespan slightly. In time, years are shaved off the life of the gadget, and you will need to replace it sooner than you think.
Where Surges Originate
Many people believe that surge protection is a safeguard from damage brought about by lightning strikes, but this belief couldn’t be any further from the truth. Surges that lightning strikes cause are rare and so destructive that no surge protection system in the market can mitigate or absorb all the damage.
Surges usually start and end in one’s home, and are caused by the activation of a major appliance, such as a refrigerator or air conditioner. The only way to tell that a power surge is happening is when the lights dim briefly (a split second).
Other surges can come from the electrical utility station in your area and pass along the power lines leading to your home. And during poor weather, the likelihood of getting a surge caused by a broken branch taking a power line down is higher than experiencing a lightning-induced electrical surge.
What’s the Best Way to Protect Appliances from Surges?
While not exactly the best solution against surges, a surge protection adapter or strip is enough to protect certain devices. The downsides to this option are their size, the limited number of devices they protect at a time, and the fact that they are very delicate—just one major surge is enough to render this device ineffective. You will also need to check the indicator light to see if surge protection has been activated. Failure to do so can cause you to think your devices are protected, when in reality, they are not protected.
Thus, you are better off with a surge protection system that protects every single appliance and device in your house. Once wired by a professional like someone you can hire from ACE Sydney Electricians, every single outlet in your house as well as important appliances like the refrigerator and air conditioner are protected from years of electrical surges.
