Why do I need a whole house surge protector?
While you might not think you get many surges, they are actually occurring in your home all of the time. Large voltage spikes are less common, think of lighting storms, but little ones are much more common. And even though minor power surges may not immediately destroy equipment, over time these surges can damage your electronics and appliances, reducing their performance and lifespan.
What is the best way to protect my home from a surge?
There is no whole house surge protector in existence that will protect your home 100%. There is always some voltage/current that will be sent downstream, but this surge remnant is well below damaging levels.
There are two layers your home needs to be protected against surges. The first layer is the whole house surge protector on your electrical panel and will be the first line of defense acting as a ‘large filter’. It will filter out the majority of damaging energy before it enters your home. When a whole house surge protector is installed, it will help protect all of your appliances in your home, especially those that aren’t plugged into a local surge protected outlet such as your washer, dryer, kitchen appliances, and lighting.
The second layer of protection will be a surge protected outlet and will act as a ‘fine filter’, filtering out any remnants of damaging energy. They add a layer of protection that will absorb any excess voltage. Surge protected outlets that you can plug into will offer local protection to your devices from internal surges and are recommend inside the home especially for sensitive electronics, such as computers and TVs.
Having both of these layers of protection will give you the most comprehensive surge protection for your home.
