Surge Protectors and How they Work with Your HVAC System

More and more Americans are spending money on home entertainment systems and electronics than ever before. Every room in our homes seem to have a home computer or an LCD television. We often do not even think twice about guarding these costly electronics by plugging them into surge protectors. After all, we do not want to see our home entertainment systems or other appliances damaged by an unexpected surge of voltage. What about your home heating and cooling system? Did it ever occur to you that it is just as vulnerable to surges like your home electronics? 

Sudden spikes in the voltage of your home electrical wiring are the result of a power surge, and this can cause permanent damage to your home appliances, including your HVAC system. These electrical surges can be caused by:

• Power line failures resulting in power outages
• Lighting storms
• Faulty electrical wiring in your home
• Home appliances using large amounts of electricity cycling on and off

When you talk about surge protection, many people think about the type you plug into your electrical outlets to protect your home appliances and entertainment systems. However, you probably never thought about your HVAC system being connected to a surge protector. Having your home heating and air conditioning unit hard wired into a surge protector specifically designed for this purpose can be a valuable benefit in protecting it against damaging power surges. These specially designed surge protectors are intended to stop an excess flow of electrical current from entering your HVAC equipment.

We are regularly exposed to thunder and lightning storms here in the Cleveland area. If you are unsure whether or not you have a surge protector installed with your HVAC system then schedule an appointment with one of our certified HVAC technicians for an in-home inspection.

For more information about how and why surge protectors can help your home, contact us at Stack Heating & Cooling today. Our professional and friendly staff have been serving the residents of the Cleveland, Ohio area since 1976.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about surge protectors and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock