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Hey guys, today in this article, we are going to talk about a guide on the causes of power surges in homes. So keep reading.
Electrical disasters are a common occurrence in any modern home. Our homes are heavily dependent on a large number of electronics and with an electrical system this complex, things are bound to go wrong sometimes.
One of the most commonly occurring, damaging electrical disasters is a power surge. A power surge refers to a sudden spike in your home’s voltage supply. As soon as it enters your home, it can damage any electronics connected at the time.
The reason why surges are so common is that they have multiple sources. The following are a few different ways through which a power surge can begin so that you can better understand the phenomenon and prepare for it in advance.
A Guide On The Causes Of Power Surges In Homes:
Lightning Strike
While many different scenarios can cause intense surges, lightning strikes may be the most disastrous. This type of surge is damaging enough to destroy your home due to its magnitude. At the very least, you are very likely to lose a lot of your small appliances if a lightning strike occurs.
For example, if it strikes a tree near your home and you have an underground electrical system, the excess voltage will easily be able to travel into your home and affect any appliances connected at that time. While it’s rare, this type of surge can result in serious injuries as well. The best way to avoid it is to disconnect your major appliances when a surge is expected or get whole-home surge protection to secure all the outlets in your home.
Faulty Wiring
Power surges in homes have both internal and external causes. This particular issue is internal, which means the source is within your home’s electrical system. Faulty wiring is not only a cause of great inconvenience, but it can also be extremely dangerous for both you and your home. Problems in your home’s wiring are quite difficult to detect since they aren’t in front of you. It’s usually in the walls, which means you won’t know there’s a problem until the matter has already progressed quite a bit.
Whether it’s damaged insulation or wires that are too old to function properly, the result can be a power surge that damages some important appliances in your home. It’s important to make sure this system in your home is inspected every few months to ensure that everything is running properly. You can also keep an eye out for physical signs of such a fault, for example, a buzzing sound coming from the outlets.
Overloading Power Strips
One common mistake a lot of homeowners tend to make is overloading outlets or extensions. This can be dangerous for a range of reasons; power surges are at the top of the list. Every outlet in your home is supposed to provide your appliances with a specific amount of voltage. When this voltage is surpassed, the results can be very harmful to your electronics.
If there’s limited space, make sure to only connect appliances that you need at the time. Appliances that aren’t in use should never be connected. It’s also important to note that the larger appliances in your home should each have their outlet for the most secure functioning. Several major appliances connected to a single source can be extremely dangerous and can very easily result in an intense power surge.
Obstructions
This is an external factor that is likely to result in a power surge. For example, if a bird flies into a power line, this can result in a malfunction after which the high voltage enters your home. A tree could also fall on a transformer during a heavy storm; which can also result in a voltage spike.
Any external object touching a power line usually results in a sudden increase in the current and can short out your appliances. While some surges are barely noticeable; this is one that you’ll definitely notice due to its magnitude. This type of surge is unpredictable so there’s no way to prepare for it in advance, but installing surge protectors in advance could help lessen their impact on your home.
A Safer Home: Causes Of Power Surges
As a homeowner, it is your duty to protect your home against all kinds of threats, both internal and external. Power surges are a common internal threat to every home, but there are ways to minimize; if not completely avoid the damages caused by them.
How much damage a power surge causes in your home can vary. Understanding the sources of a surge may help you determine how vulnerable your home is to that particular surge.
So that’s all from our side. I hope you liked this article on a guide on the causes of power surges in homes. If you like this article, then please share it with your friends and social media channels.
