Surge Protection Against Inconsistent Power Supply in Your Home

As demands on electrical utilities rise exponentially, fluctuations in the electrical power on the grid are increasing, too. Expensive household equipment like home entertainment systems and computers requires clean, consistent power. So does the most expensive single piece of equipment in many households — the HVAC system. Unlike furnaces and A/C of the past, today’s heating and cooling equipment is driven by sensitive processors and circuits vulnerable to power surges and spikes that occur every day.  

Many surges last only a millionth of a second. Yet, in that brief span, rogue electricity entering your house can surge from a few hundred to several thousand volts above normal. This transient event can take down household appliances and HVAC equipment instantly. Or, the continuous exposure to low level surges over a period of time may degrade systems gradually, leading to unreliability and shorter component life.

Power surges can result from external causes such as anomalies at the electrical utility. Appliances within your home that draw high amperage may also cause a brief surge when cycled on or off.  Lightning is a common cause, too, and your house doesn’t have to take a direct hit — a strike nearby can send voltage surging through all electrical wires in the vicinity.

Surge protection technology can preserve HVAC systems and other possessions. These devices monitor line voltage, automatically sense dangerous spikes and disconnect power before the damage is done. Whole-house surge protection, also known as service-entrance suppressors, are available to safeguard the entire circuitry of your home. Installed behind your electric meter or wired into the circuit breaker box, service-entrance units filter all incoming voltage before it enters your circuits and cut off power when a surge is detected. Point-of-use suppressors can also be installed at individual major appliances and HVAC equipment. They add an extra level of surge protection by also guarding against surges originating inside your home or entering through non-electrical sources like cable wires or satellite dishes.

Protect your electronic valuables with more information on surge-suppression strategies from Stack Heating & Cooling. We’re your go-to source for HVAC technology in the greater Cleveland area.

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

Stack Heating services Cleveland, Ohio and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!