LaCarrubba Electric
Whole House Surge Protection
Whole house surge protection is required to protect electrical home appliances, from power surges that could damage their electronic components. It is becoming extremely necessary to install whole house surge protectors, owing to the increasing addition of electrical appliances to homes and the very high cost of replacement and repair. A power surge is a sudden and drastic increase in the electrical power that is being supplied. Power surges and stray electronic charges can damage the various delicate electronic components of an appliance, and are also capable of destroying the appliance altogether. If the power surges are of very high intensity, they could also cause a fire, that could destroy the entire.

A common misconception that most homeowners have, is that their appliances are protected from power surges once they are plugged into a power surge protection strip, also known as the eight outlet power strip. However, that might not be the case as stray electric charges can enter the home, via telephone and cable lines as well. Many a times, the power surge protection strips function more as extension cords, than as surge protectors, as they offer power supply but offer no protection against surges.

The best way to protect electronic home appliances, is to install a whole house surge protector. Whole house surge protection is preferred to the use of a power surge protection strip, as it protects the entire house and not just the appliances that have been plugged into the surge protection strip. Whole house surge protectors are devices that absorb voltage spikes that rise above a certain level and those that can harm electronic devices. They are also known as whole house voltage surge suppressors. The energy absorbed from the voltage spikes is sent out in different directions, through underground wires.


Whole house power surge protectors are available in various designs. Some of them are remounted as circuit breaker box devices or are built into a circuit breakers, whole some are installed under an electric meter. Some whole house surge protector models also provide protection for phone, modem and television cable lines. The factors to be considered while choosing a whole house surge protector for your home are its performance specifications, like its maximum surge current, the reaction time, the clamping voltage and the total energy dissipated.