How Often Do Power Surges Happen?
What Is a Power Surge?
A power surge is a quick and sudden rise in electrical voltage that goes beyond the normal level in your home’s wiring. This spike can last only a tiny fraction of a second but may send thousands of volts through the system, much more than what your devices are made to handle.
Frequency of Power Surges
Power surges often happen in homes, but how often they occur and how serious they are depend on the type of surge. These types include:
- Small/Internal Power Surges: These small surges can occur several times a day, often adding up to around 150 times a month in an average home.
- Major/External Power Surges: Major surges from outside sources are rare. A home might not experience one for several years.
Common Causes of Power Surges
The common causes of power surges can be categorized into the following:
Internal Causes
- Appliance cycling
- Faulty wiring
- Overloaded circuits
External Causes
- Lightning strikes
- Utility company equipment switching
- Storms and downed lines
- Restoration after power outages
The Impact of Frequent Power Surges
Frequent small power surges can slowly damage the internal parts of your appliances and electronics, even if you don’t notice it right away. These tiny spikes in electricity put stress on sensitive parts like circuits and capacitors. Over time, this can lead to poor performance, glitches, or even cause the device to stop working too soon.
Common items like TVs, computers, and other electronics are especially at risk. Since these small surges often go unnoticed, the damage builds up over time. Using surge protectors can help prevent this damage and make your devices last longer.
Signs of Frequent Power Surges
Here are some common signs that your home may be experiencing frequent power surges:
- Warm or buzzing outlets
- Smoke from outlets or wires
- Circuit breakers that trip often
- Flickering, dim, or buzzing lights
- Electronics randomly shutting off or acting up
- Strange burning smells near outlets or appliances
- Burn marks or discoloration on outlets or switches
How to Protect Your Home from Power Surges?
To keep your home safe from power surges, it’s best to use professional surge protection methods installed by licensed electricians or certified contractors. Here are the main options:
Whole-House Surge Protection (Service Entrance Surge Protector)
This type of surge protector is installed at your home’s main electrical panel, where electricity first enters. It helps stop large surges caused by events like lightning, power company switching, or restoring power after an outage. It works by sending the extra voltage away from your home’s wiring and electronics.
Point-of-Use Surge Protection Devices
These are smaller surge protectors that are placed at outlets or near important appliances and electronics. They act as a second layer of protection, handling smaller surges that happen inside the home when appliances turn on or off. Having them installed professionally makes sure they are grounded properly and meet safety standards, which helps them work more effectively.
Monitoring and Maintenance by Professionals
It’s important to have your surge protection devices checked regularly by professionals to make sure they’re still working properly. Some systems can even send alerts to you or your electrician if a device needs to be replaced. This helps avoid losing protection without realizing it.
Closing Notes
Power surges often occur in small amounts every day and can slowly wear down your electronics without you noticing. While major surges are less common, they can cause serious damage all at once. That’s why it’s important to check your surge protection devices regularly.
Contact our licensed electricians at Finch Electrical Heating & Air for home surge protection. Call us at (651) 243-4711 anytime.
