Introduction to Surge Protector

More than a few of the households within Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs neglect their electrical system until emergencies and damages occur.

Without proper defence from harmful transients and power surges, we are exposing our valuable electronics to severe threats.

Electrical transients are momentary bursts of extremely high voltages and currents caused by lightning strikes or power interruptions. Moreover, surge protectors are useful equipment designed to prevent such spikes from damaging electrical components.

What does a Surge Protector do?

Surge Protectors detect the influx of electricity flow, anticipating a run-off or a voltage spike. It works by regulating the voltage, channelling the excess current into the outlet’s grounding line. Afterwards, the device reduces the current back to normal before distributing it to your appliances.

Though electrical surges typically last for nanoseconds; they can certainly fry out circuits and damage your electronics beyond repair. Recurrent transient waves can also wear-down your devices and burn down internal wirings and processors.

Using surge protectors will help you have a safe and competent electrical system, whether it is for your household or even businesses.

Three Types of Surge Protectors

To further give you additional insights, here are the three different types of surge protectors:

1. Service Entry Surge Protector

When it comes to reliability, a service entry surge protector should be the first choice. This surge protector primarily fights against external electrical surges which are caused by lightning strikes or utility power disruption.

The electricity that passes from the mains will flow through the surge protector before it enters the main panel breaker. Thus, permitting the flow of safe current to your electronic devices. 

Also, most service entry surge protectors have warning systems that indicate its life cycle limit and time of replacement. Typically intended for outdoor usage, this surge protector can secure your home or business acting as the first line of electrical system defence.

2. Whole House Surge Protector

Mounted on your branch panel, type 2 surge protector prevents residual energy from flowing through your devices. But unlike the service entry surge protector, this is installed after the main breaker.

Furthermore, a whole house surge protector works by regulating destructive waves that originate within your electrical system. It can also safeguard your electronic devices from lightning-induced surges to avoid circuit damage and burnout. 

You can choose to set up this type of surge protector on your own provided that you strictly follow its user manual or you can opt to call a licensed electrician for a reliable build.

3. Point-of-Use Surge Protector

This type of surge protector can be a supplementary to whole house surge protector since it grants direct protection to your electronic devices. But you can also use this on-demand by connecting it to your device and plugging the protector to your standard power outlet.

Point-of-use surge protectors serve as a barrier that filters away excess current that runs between your household power outlet and electronic devices. Though sometimes used as a primary and lone defence, this protector is considered as the last choice when securing your household electronics. 

Choosing Your Surge Protector

Having multiple levels of protection on your electrical system gives you peace of mind. But before you decide to have or upgrade your surge protectors, you need to examine a few things first. 

Knowing the precise amount of voltage that prompts surge protector to divert excess power from the connected electronics is just one way of selecting an appropriate surge protector. The lesser this compressing energy, the better it is for your electrical system.

Moreover, the ideal surge protector should have a high power capacity to stand against stronger surges. Another important specification to look out for is the suppressed voltage rating (SVR), which indicates how fast a surge protector detects transients. Finally, you should only purchase protective devices with a product warranty, since defects can manifest unexpectedly.

Conclusion

We all know that a transient surge is unpredictable. Thus, it is a wise decision to establish a start-off plan of having your surge protectors if you don’t use any. You might as well choose to improve it if you already have one. Most importantly, if you are having any difficulties setting up your surge protector, you can always call a Level 2 electrician for help.

Sydney Eastern Suburbs Electrician have level 2 electricians who are skilled in installing all types of surge protectors and electrical components within the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. Furthermore, we know where to look for electrical flaws, as well as repair and replace damaged electrical parts.

Team up with our master electricians today and call us at (02) 8378 2827.