Are you under the impression that your expensive electronics are protected simply by plugging them into a power strip? According to the knowledgeable experts at Peterkin Electric, this is a common misconception. After all plugging your gadgets into a power strip does not offer the same protection you can expect from a surge protector. We are all guilty of taking our electronics for granted especially when they are functioning correctly, but it only takes one spike or power surge and your expensive electrical items could end up as useless dust collectors.

Power Surges and Spikes

Your electrical sockets are designed to provide a consistent flow of electricity but when a power surge occurs the voltages will increase. A sudden spike in power can occur for many reasons including power outages, lightning strikes and even malfunctions in the power grid. Regardless of the reason, a sudden increase in the current entering your home can damage your gadgets, in some cases beyond the point of repair.

How Does a Surge Protector Device Work?

Your standard electrical outlets are not designed to provide any protection from power spikes and surges. Surge protectors can be purchased as single or multiple outlets and protect your electronics by diverting energy into a component within the surge protector to ensure that the amount of electricity passing through your devices is safe.

How Many Joules of Surge Protection Do I Need?

The majority of surge protectors come with a breaker that will trip the device when the amount of power entering into your home fluctuates. Some other features you may be interested in considering include: warranties, automatic warning devices including lights or sounds, 3-line protection, power shut off protection, and GFCI protection. Specialized surge protectors can also be purchased depending on your requirements such as USB connections for your computers and barrel connections to protect your television.

Average Lifespan of a Surge Protector

Just like many other things in life, your surge protector is not designed to last forever and the components within your surge protector can wear down over time. In essence, the lifespan of your surge protector will depend on how frequently your electrical grid experiences power surges. Keep in mind that your surge protector is only equipped to absorb a limited amount of power before it stops working. Many surge protectors available for purchase are equipped with lights that will turn on when they can no longer provide you with the protection that you need, other models have an alarm that will sound to let you know that it needs to be replaced.

Whole House Surge Protectors

A power surge can occur at any time and although plugging your electrical items into a surge protector is a step in the right direction, installing a whole home surge protection system will offer you complete peace of mind eliminating the need to replace surge protection strips once and for all. The experienced electricians at Peterkin Electric can hard wire a whole home surge protector into your electrical panel so you will never have to worry about power spikes and power surges unexpectedly damaging your devices and gadgets ever again.

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For more information regarding whole home surge protection or other electrical services, contact the knowledgeable experts at Peterkin Electric today.