Power Surges in Residential Homes
Having power to your residential Ocala area home is essential. Unfortunately, power surges have the potential to knock out your electricity. Even worse, there are some cases where a power surge will fry your electronics. Read on to learn all about power surges, including why they happen and how to protect your home.
What Exactly is a Power Surge?
A power surge is defined as a brief and sudden voltage spike. Your home likely produces 120 volts per outlet. During a spike, the voltage can rise significantly.
This is typically caused by faulty wiring, lightning strikes or power outages. Additional reasons for a power surge may include overloaded power strips and circuits, along with having a large appliance suddenly switching on or off.
Are Power Surges Common?
Yes, unfortunately. Although you might not notice a power surge when it happens, it’s extremely common for power to surge about 120 volts. In fact, power generally remains above 120 volts, but it only becomes a serious issue when it exceeds 170 volts.
Signs of a Power Surge
Whether it’s because you weren’t home or because everything seemed normal at first, it’s more than possible to suffer a power surge without knowing it. By keeping an eye on the following indicators, you might be able to take care of the problem before it causes costly repairs.
Damaged or Frayed Wiring
Wires that are deteriorated or exposed increase your risk of suffering from a power surge. Furthermore, these wires will weaken your entire electrical system.
Vibrating or Warm Outlets
If you discover one of your outlets is vibrating or warm, it means you’ve already suffered internal damage as a result of a power surge. To prevent the problem from getting worse, it’s vital to call a professional electrician.
Burning or Smoke Smell
Have you noticed a burning or smoke smell coming from your outlet? This is an emergency situation, and you should immediately shut off your power.
Buzzing, Dimming or Flickering Lights
Surge-induced voltage fluctuations can lead to a buzzing sound, dimming or flickering lights. Again, this is something to have a professional Ocala electrician repair before it causes bigger issues.
Discoloration or Scorch Marks on Outlets
Finally, take a look at your existing power outlets. If any of them are discolored or have scorch marks, you’ve most likely been hit with a power surge.
What Makes a Power Surge Happen?
Let’s take a closer look at the main reasons for a power surge, as previously listed.
Faulty Wiring
Have you noticed any buzzing outlets, flickering lights or burning smells in your home? Any of these indicates possible faulty wiring and may mean your insulation has deteriorated. If this situation isn’t resolved, it will eventually lead to power surges.
Lightning Strikes
A single lightning strike can cause millions of volts to spike into your home. It’s important to note that even if the lightning strike is miles away, it may still affect your home. To avoid this issue, it’s best to unplug your electrical devices when a storm hits.
Power Outages
Delicate electronics like televisions and computers can be at risk during a power outage. Whether the outage lasts a few seconds or a few days, there might be a spike of energy when it returns. Furthermore, you might experience a surge when your utility company switches your power source.
Overloaded Power Strips and Circuits
It’s best to stay away from low-quality power strips as they may actually increase your risk of power surges. Additionally, it’s imperative that you don’t overload your power strips or circuits.
Large Appliances Switching Off and On
Large, high-powered appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators and air conditioning all have the same risk. Therefore, it’s wise not to plug other devices into the same outlets. Otherwise, you could end up with fried appliances.
How Can I Prevent Future Power Surges?
Although you can’t control how much power comes through your outlets, you can take precautions to limit the damage. By putting the following tips into practice, you can help protect your home.
1. Invest in Surge Protectors
Surge protectors can help enormously, but only if they have a joule rating of at least 2,000. Otherwise, they’re not really going to help protect your sensitive appliances. Always ensure you’ve purchased high-quality surge protectors, or else you might discover they didn’t actually work at all.
2. Install a Whole-Home Surge Protector
You can also skip using individual surge protectors and choose whole-home protection instead. Ocala area residents live in one of the worst spots in the nation for lightning strikes. Therefore, investing in a whole-home surge protector is the best way to keep your home safe.
3. Choose High-Quality Electronics
Always select high-quality electronics when it’s time to choose a new computer or refrigerator. Although they’ll cost more initially, they’re also likely to have improved internal safeguards. In other words, by spending more upfront, you’ll probably receive a longer lifespan for each electronic device or appliance.
4. Avoid Overloading Circuits
Imagine you have a power strip with six outlets. You can use all six, right? The general consensus might say yes, but this is actually wrong.
You must take steps to avoid overloading your circuits. This means not using all six outlets. Even more importantly, this means not using daisy-chained surge protectors or power strips.
5. Unplug Your Devices During Storms
Unplugging every device in your home during a storm can make life much more difficult. It will protect you from power surges, though, which makes it a good option. However, a better option is to install a whole-home surge protector.
Protecting Residential Homes with Whole-Home Surge Protectors
When it’s time to switch to a whole-home surge protector in Ocala, it’s important that you don’t put up with any malarky. Call Mister Sparky instead! Our team of professionals will set you up with a whole-home system that will protect your valuable electronics and appliances.
