While many people know that a power surge in their home usually causes power outages, they don’t really know what a power surge is or what causes them. In all or various areas of your home, power surges can occur on a large or small scale and can trigger circuit breakers and shut off electrical systems.

What Is a Power Surge?

Most of our household appliances operate in a specific voltage range, typically from 0 to 169 volts of peak voltage. The voltage in your home exceeds the peak voltage of 169 volts during a power surge.

Power surges occur either through an unexpected interruption in the flow of electricity through the grid or when, instead of drawing it out, an appliance or device that is connected inputs power back into the system. A common cause of power surges may also be lightning strikes. Whether a surge occurs on a large or small scale, appliances and other electronic devices can still be potentially harmful.

What You Should Do After a Power Surge

1. Electronics reset: If a power surge has caused a circuit breaker to move, then before resetting your circuit breakers, you need to unplug any electrical appliances.
2. Damage assessment: Check all your electronic devices and appliances to ensure that no damage has been done and that they do not pose a fire risk. If lightning, flooding, or a downed power line have caused the power surge or outage, then use caution when inspecting your home for any problems or have a professional evaluate your home for possible damage and other electrical threats.
3. Reset your heating and cooling systems: If your HVAC system has been shut down by a triggered circuit breaker, follow your HVAC owner’s manual on how to reset the unit. If you’re unsure of your system’s safety, have it inspected and reset by a professional.

How to Protect Your Home Against Future Power Surges

The best way to avoid damage to electronic devices and appliance repairs is to be proactive and protect your home before a power surge occurs.

In order to protect against power surges, here are a few things you can do:

1. Install surge protection at the end of costly electronic devices and appliances
2. Unplug appliances and non-use devices
3. Install high-quality outlets with power

If a power surge has damaged your home or devices, then don’t hesitate to call us at SmartLiving and let one of our expert partnering service technicians evaluate the electrical system of your home for any signs of damage.

This article is paraphrased. Original source: atempheating.com