All electrical systems are powered through the main panel, a gray metal box, stashed away in either a utility room or a basement. The central panel is fed by enormous wires from the utility service providers. Another component in your main panel includes circuit breakers that control the power that runs through the wires of your home.
The objective of a circuit breaker is to shut down the power supply to the entire circuit if an issue is detected in the path of power. If the flow of power exceeds the limit of the circuit breaker, then automatically shuts down the circuit as a warning sign.
More often than not, this mechanism alone provides adequate protection. However, it is not enough to protect your electronics during power surges.
Power surges are a brief spike in power that lasts no longer than milliseconds. They can differ in magnitude based on variations, sometimes fluctuating up to several thousand volts! This is why you need surge protection.
Whole house surge protection is installed between your home and main power lines or between your breaker box and the meter. Its job is to protect against spikes and surges that can affect the circuits throughout your home.
When a home surge protector senses a spike in power, it redirects the excessive voltage to your home ground system. If you want to add together an extra layer of protection, then you can also consider installing power strips to the individual outlets that will keep the sensitive electronic items safe.
Surge Protection With Power Conditioning
While power strips may do the job, they are not as effective as surge protectors with a power conditioner. A reliable surge protector should also be able to secure your phone lines and cable. Surges and lightning can also find their way inside your home through low voltage equipment. Therefore, it is essential to protect them, as well.
Not only does a surge protector with power conditioning help your appliances, but it also provides correct voltage by filtering electrical current. At the same time, it is also effective in preventing minor disruptions in power supply that preserves the lifespan of your electronics.
A power conditioner is useful in providing filtered electrical current to your audio/video equipment every single time by removing noise from the AC electric. Since this noise affects the overall performance, a power conditioner actually helps in making it perform better.
By now, you probably understand that surge protection is not the same as power strips. Here are some of the reasons why you need to invest in surge protectors and power conditioning for your expensive appliances.
- Surge Protection Should Be Your First Line Of Defense
The whole house surge protector keeps your house protected against a sudden burst of voltage that can damage your equipment and appliances. By installing a surge protector and power conditioner, can not only protect your electronics from the dangers of spikes but also increase their lifespan.
- Surge Protectors And Power Conditioners Offer Dual Protection
As helpful as a surge protector is, it does not provide 100% protection against surges. This is why you need a backup plan called power conditioners. When installed at individual outlets in your home, these devices help divert excess voltage through the ground.
Additionally, they also provide an extra benefit of a noise filter. If you experience static or an annoying buzz on your TV when someone is using a blender, this could be due to the transmission of noise through the electric lines. This is where a power conditioner comes in.
Don’t be fooled by the low-cost power strips that your local retailer may try to pass off as a power conditioner. While the power-strips are definitely cheaper, they do not provide ample protection against significant surges.
A power conditioner, on the other hand, protects your appliances adequately. Moreover, it offers the following benefits too:
- They help in filtering incoming electrical current and clean it to send the correct voltage through the lines, allowing your equipment to operate safely
- Provides filtration between equipment plugged into the same power conditioner.
- Prevents minor disturbances in the power supply to your electronics and appliances that increase their efficiency, reduces energy bills, and extends their life.
If you are looking to install surge protection with power conditioning, be sure to use the services of an expert electrical professional to protect your home against spikes and surges.