Electrical surges occur on a daily basis and can go unnoticed many times. It is a disruption or a sudden spike in the electrical flow, and little by little these surges can ruin electronic devices. That means anything from chargers to laptops, kitchen appliances, and anything plugged into an electric port. They don’t have to occur frequently to damage electronics, sometimes even a major spike can burn a device in an instant.
So how do you know when a power surge occurs? Some obvious tell-tale signs indicate an electrical surge. Have your lights ever flickered consistently for a few seconds or so? Yup, that right there is a power surge. It also sometimes happens that devices stop working out of the blue and most of the time it is because of an electrical surge that burns the inner wiring or chip of the said device. Many times there is also a burning smell around the device or from its electrical port – that can be quite dangerous and can indicate faulty wiring that resulted in a power surge.
What Causes Electrical Surges?
Electrical surges usually occur because of malfunctions in transmission lines or transformers, but there are more reasons why they can occur in households.
- High-powered appliances can cause minor surges from time to time because of the electricity distribution.
- Faulty wiring is one of the common causes and can be quite dangerous as it can result in short-circuiting.
- Lightning can cause sudden spikes in electrical voltage.
- Transmission lines and transformers do cause surges when they malfunction, but there are external factors that result in their malfunctioning. It could be the weather – rain, heat, snow, or even small animals hiding inside small spaces in transformers
Protecting Your Electrical Devices
There isn’t really a permanent solution for electrical surges because they’re caused by numerous factors – some that cannot be fixed and are simply like a bi-product of nature you can say. However, there are measures that can be taken to protect your home and your electronic devices.
- Installing a Surge Protector
Getting a surge protector or even an Electrical Surge Coverage package is one way to protect all the electronic devices in your home or office from undue damage – and at a very affordable price. First Energy Electric provides some of the most reasonable surge coverage packages across several states in the US.
- Unplug Electronic Devices
It is a good practice and one that should be made a habit, to unplug electronic devices when they aren’t in use – especially during storms. Unplugging devices like the microwave in the kitchen, the TV in the lounge, and even laptop and phone chargers when they are not being used, can save you hundreds of dollars in repairing or replacement costs. Electrical surges can occur at any moment and can go unnoticed which is why this small habit will go a long way.
- Get the Wiring Checked
Wiring within the walls is one of the reasons that can cause electrical surges and could sometimes lead to short-circuiting. People must consider getting their home wiring checked at least once a year in order to avoid further problems. Sometimes old wires can be problematic especially with older homes, and many times there is faulty wiring which homeowners aren’t even aware of.
- Upgrade Home Appliances
When we continue to use older appliances, no matter how great we think they work, we do not realize it but they consume more energy than they ever did before, and consequently, it leads to higher electric bills too. Consuming more electricity can sometimes cause a trip or even a spike, and then you know very well what happens.
In order to avoid having your other home appliances suffer because of a dear old air conditioner, for instance, it is best to invest in newer appliances that are more energy-efficient and simultaneously cut down on your electric bills in the long run as well.
