As a residential property owner, you need to choose your electrical contractor carefully. Electrical services go beyond installation, and unfortunately, they do not come with a manual for troubleshooting errors.
If you are experiencing power surges, the electrician should be able to tell whether it’s coming from a damaged line, faulty wiring/appliance, or other external factors such as lightning. At Custom Electrical Services, we have professional electricians who can offer lasting solutions to power surges by helping you invest in whole house surge protection to prevent such problems from recurring in the future.
What Is a Surge Protection Breaker?
A surge protector is a device that protects sensitive electronic equipment from voltage spikes caused mostly by lightning strikes and downed power lines. A voltage spike is when voltage exceeds what the appliance is rated for, which results in damage to your appliances.
Do Breakers Have Surge Protection?
Most electricity-related fires start when overheating occurs as a result of accidental circuit overloads. It can be caused by having too many smart home devices running on circuits connected or having faulty appliances pulling more amps than others. Therefore, a circuit breaker’s introduction ensures such tendencies do not lead to said fires since an overload causes the switch to trip. Circuit breakers are the best, and they come in different types according to your needs. Whole house surge suppressors tame big and dangerous power spikes. Both devices function as pressure relief valves for higher-than-normal electric current voltages.
Is Whole House Surge Protection Necessary?
A whole-house surge protector defends your home from total damage and any power surge magnitude that may occur from large electrical surges and other sources such as lightning strikes, in turn providing lower clamping voltage. They are connected from the power line to the main electrical box, offering an uninterrupted power supply. Wall outlets distribute cable lines to power strips in the whole house. A surge protective device (SPD) contains TVSS comprising twin 1-pole circuit breakers. A circuit breaker functions by tripping to cut-off supply once the recommended amps are surpassed. For example, a 20-amps flow passing through a 15-amp circuit breaker will automatically trip and cut the flow, preventing overheating wires by igniting their insulation. A whole-house suppressor is often one-half of two that makeup power surge protectors. Its main role is the taming/prevention of the big, potentially dangerous power surges. The other half is tasked with suppressing individual electronic devices and vulnerable appliances. Whole house surge protection is thus necessary, but if your power needs are more pressing, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is preferable since it has its inbuilt surge protection.
What size breaker do I use for a surge protector?
There are some fundamentals and steps to be followed in understanding surge protectors so that you can choose what type of circuit breaker to use for circuit protection. Following the surge protection manufacturer’s installation instructions, circuit breakers are sized according to the protector’s wire size and electrical panels rating. Considering a surge protector with 10AWG wires should be used with a breaker rated at 30A.
Benefits of Having a Surge Protection Breaker
Installation of whole house surge protection is a cost-saving alternative in ensuring that you safeguard your home and fragile electronics such as telephone lines, satellite systems, and air conditioners from power surges. Advantages of having a dedicated surge protection breaker include :
- The ability to remove the power that goes to the protector without interrupting other loads’ power supply.
- Prevent devices from getting damaged as a result of them receiving more electricity than is needed.
- Facilitate in protecting many appliances all at once.
How Much Does It Cost to Install a Surge Protection Breaker?
There is a wide range of factors to consider that may increase or reduce the cost of installing the whole house surge protection breaker; they include:
1. Whether you have a sub panel: Main electrical panel receives electrical power from the utility company and then distributes that power to all the circuits in your home. Subpanels subsequently receive power from the breaker box. Subpanels will need separate surge protectors to protect the circuits it serves. You will be required to install an additional surge protector on the load terminals, increasing the overall installation cost.
Reasons for having a subpanel include:
· Having circuits or appliances far from the service entrance of the load terminal. For example, workshops.
· If all the slots in your main panel are filled up.
2. Warranty offered with the surge protector: depending on the manufacturer, the warranty may be for a few years while others offer a limited lifetime warranty which means that for the surge protector’s lifespan, and under certain pre-described circumstances, it will cover the damages for any destroyed appliances.
3. The surge protector itself: the overall price of surge protectors depends on the brand, voltage protective rating, Maximum continuous operating voltage, and maximum surge current capacity.
Why Should I Have One Installed in My Home or Business?
Many house fires can be traced back to poorly installed electrical systems. It is illegal to hire a non-electrician to wire your property in Washington. Qualified electricians in Auburn must follow the national electrical code to protect you and your property from electrical hazards. Whole house surge protectors guard against dangerous power spikes from damaging your house or business appliances, saving you the cost of repairs or purchasing new appliances. Installation of whole house surge protectors instantly diverts excess voltage to the ground wire. As soon as voltage levels are back to normal, the flow of electricity is restored.
FAQ’s About Residential Surge Protectors
People have different concerns regarding residential surge protectors and have clear details on various issues concerning products they would like to install. They include:
- Will a surge protector help save money on my power bill? A surge protector is simply a gatekeeper, not an energy-saving device.
- What is the expense of full protection? Full protection is one of the most inexpensive insurance policies you can buy as the cost of system unavailability outweighs proper protection.
- Will, a surge protector, protect everything in my home in the panel box? the whole house surge protector will protect your entire home once the voltage increase reaches the electrical panel but will not be able to protect damage on circuits unless there is a comprehensive protection plan for secondary surge strips.
- We have never had problems with surges; why should we need surge protection? Modern electronic equipment is more susceptible to even the smallest surge spikes. These new problems require protection at all times.
- Is there a warranty on the surge protector? If so, are my devices covered by the surge protector
- warranty? Yes, the manufacturer offers a warranty, including a limited warranty for damage to connected equipment.
- How big is the surge protector, and where does it go? Size varies with the type of equipment it is serving and installed at your home’s main electrical panel or meter.
- What if I have more than one panel? Depending on how your panels are fed from the meter, you may or may not need two surge protectors.
Request for Professional Services During Installation of Whole House Surge Protectors
Every electrical installation is unique. Electricity can light up your property, keep the space warm, power your gadgets/business, or boost security within your premises. However, a poor installation can be costly. The frequent power outages, constant flickering, occasional sparkling, tripping, electrical shocks, or burning smell eventually become a major electrical fault that could damage your appliances or bring down the entire building. Trust us at Custom Electrical Services for safe, high-quality installations and repairs.
Handle Your Surge Protective Device With Care
Vigorous training of our electricians at custom electricals equips them with the right skills to offer exceptional services when handling your device, ensuring it is not exposed to maximum ambient applications. They also conduct inspections once the project is complete to ensure it adheres to the safety standards.
Install the Surge Protector to Your Main Panel
The main panel is the heart of your home’s electrical system. Surge suppressors are installed in the main panel and are designed to stop lightning or damaging surges at the panel before they enter the rest of your home.
Get Your Surge Protection Device From Us Today.
Custom Electrical Services are licensed and insured electrical contractors. We serve residential customers across the pacific northwest with the best surge protector devices according to your electrical needs. Our services range from troubleshooting repair to full home rewiring. We can help with just about anything related to electrical services, including portable surge protectors, plug-in surge protectors, and whole-house surge suppressors. Our customers are served on the same day to minimize disruption to your life. We work with business owners, general contractors, and homeowners.
The team at custom electrical services prides itself on punctuality, communication, and excellent workmanship. We provide free estimates and have the availability for same-day service calls. Call us today at (206) 558-0440.