It is a popular misconception that it is the power provider’s responsibility to protect its members’ appliances, electronics, and other equipment from lightning and power surges. Though members will see benefit from CoServ protecting our own equipment with lightning arrestors, it is not our responsibility to protect the home/business itself and its contents. It is impossible for CoServ to eliminate all risks simply because some surges are generated from inside the member’s own home.
What is a power surge?
A power surge is an electrical disturbance that results in an abnormal rise in voltage known as a spike. Power surges vary in magnitude and duration typically lasting for a few milliseconds and ranging from a few volts to several thousand volts. Any surge above an appliance’s or electronic device’s normal operating voltage generates an electrical arc inside the device causing excessive heat. The excessive heat will cause damage to the circuit boards inside the device, shortening the life span of the device.
Where do surges come from?
The most common and typically most destructive cause of power surges is lightning. Surges also come from normal utility grid fluctuation as well as from inside the member’s home when large appliances such as an HVAC unit turns on and off. With a lightning surge, a member will generally see some damage at the time of the surge but may also notice that other appliances or electronics malfunction months after the initial surge. This happens because the lightning strike may have only weakened some appliances’ circuitry while completely destroying others. The smaller surges most likely will occur without the customer ever knowing about them yet they are taking a toll on electronic circuit boards and reducing the life span of the device. Eventually, the device fails short of its expected life span, generating costly repairs or replacements that could have been prevented.
How do you protect from surges?
It is nearly impossible to eliminate every single type of surge situation, but there are ways that can greatly reduce the risk of equipment damage or failure. The multi-staging protection process has proven to be very successful in eliminating most harmful surges. This process requires several steps to be successful:
1. Protection at the point of electric entry.
2. Protecting the telephone and cable television entry.
3. Installing high quality, point-of-use surge protectors on sensitive equipment.
Based on the fact that every home is different, it may be best to have a reputable company come out and perform an assessment of the home to ensure all areas are protected properly.
What to look for in surge protection?
Indicator Lights (LED) ----- Ensure that each unit has a light informing you of valid protection. Surge protectors are designed to discharge surges which weaken them and will eventually offer no protection at all. An indicator will let you know when it is time to replace the surge protector.
UL 1449 Listed ---- Look for the UL 1449 listing on the device. Under UL 1449, surge protectors are required to pass three durability tests that determine the performance of the device. This will also help ensure that you get a quality surge protector.
Energy Specifications ---- Make sure that the maximum impulse level the surge protector can withstand is labeled on the device. The range should fall between 10-100 kilojoules - the higher the joule rating the better the protector.
Clamping Voltage ---- Look for the clamping voltage to be listed on the surge protector. The range will be from 330 volts up to 600 volts for a 120 volt nominal service. Four hundred volts will provide adequate protection.
For more information on electrical safety, visit our Safety section.