What is a Surge?
That light flicker during a storm or electronics acting up after an outage often signals a power surge – a sudden spike in electrical voltage racing through your home’s electrical system. Power surges can occur from a nearby lightning strike, sudden increase in local grid demand or from an electrical overload within your own home.
While a surge happens instantly, the damage it causes to sensitive electronics, appliances – even your home backup generator or automatic transfer switch – is permanent. With severe weather on the rise and an aging, failing grid, the time to guard your home with a surge protection device is now.
What is a Surge Protection Device?
Much like a shield, a Surge Protection Device (SPD) redirects excess voltage away from your
home and safely into the ground. SPDs are rated by kilo amperage (kA) that indicate the maximum surge current a device can absorb before it wears out.
SPDs are designed to fail safely so your electronics and appliances don’t fail permanently. After a significant surge event – or multiple smaller ones over time – it’s normal to replace the device.
Types of SPDs
Type 1:
Installed closer to the utility connection (called “line side”) for maximum protection before power enters your home. This is your first line of defense.
Type 2:
Installed at your breaker panel (called “load side”) after main service breaker. Protects against surges from appliances cycling or excess voltage passing through a Type 1 SPD.
Type 3:
Point of use surge protection such as a wall outlet, plug-in adapter or power strip. While type 3 surge devices can be easily installed by homeowners, Type 1 and Type 2 devices provide the greatest surge protection and require certified professional installation.
