What are Power (Voltage) Surges?
Power surges are spikes in voltage. They are brief, usually lasting millionths of a second. Power surges can vary in duration and magnitude, vary from a few hundred volts to several thousand volts. In this blog we will discuss what every homeowner should know about power surges.
A power surge is one form of electrical power disturbance. There are four main types of power disturbances:
Voltage dips (also called “sags” or “brownouts”).
Electromagnetic interference.
Radio frequency interference.
Power surges (also referred to as “voltage surges” or transient voltages”) Power surges are generally considered to be the most destructive of the four types of electrical power disturbances. No matter where you live, your home will experience power surges.
How Do Power Surges Cause Damage?
In North America, most homes use electrical power in the form of 120Volt, 60Hz, single phase, alternating current. However, the voltage is not delivered at a constant 120Volts. With Alternating Current, the voltage rises and falls in a predetermined rhythm. In fact, the voltage oscillates from a 0 to a peak of 169Volts. Most appliances and electronics used in North America are designed to be powered by this form of generated electricity. During a power surge, the voltage exceeds the peak voltage of 169Volts.
A spike in voltage can be harmful to appliances and electrical devices in your home. Moreover, an increase in voltage above an appliance’s normal operating voltage can cause an arc of electrical current within the appliance. The heat generated in the arc causes damage to the electronic circuit boards and other electrical components.
Smaller, repeated power surges may slowly damage your electronic equipment. Your computer or sound systems may continue to function after small surges occur until the integrity of the electronic components finally erode and your kitchen and household appliances mysteriously stop working. Repeated, small power surges shorten the life of appliances and electronics.
Where Do Power Surges Come From?
There are several sources of power surges. They can originate from the electric utility company during power grid switching. A common cause of power surges, especially the most powerful ones, is lightning. Power surges also can originate inside a home when large appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators turn on and off. There are approximately 2.9 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes detected per year in Canada. In short, that works out to 7,900 per day averaged over the year.
Power surges can enter a home through several paths. In the case of lightning, it can take the path of the cable TV or satellite dish cable, through the incoming telephone lines, or also through the incoming electrical service line.
Knowing that power surges can take several paths and do not have to enter through the electrical panel indicates that a good surge protection system should include:
Protection of the incoming electrical service.
Some type of protection of phone lines and cable TV lines.
Point-of-use surge protection at sensitive and expensive appliances. In addition, each house and its contents should have an individual assessment to determine the type and the amount of required surge protection. An electrician knowledgeable about power surge protection systems and the history of problems in your area is a valuable resource.
We recommend that every homeowner should consider:
Main panel surge protection (installed at the main electrical panel).
Phone line protection (installed at inside demarcation point).
Cable line protection (installed at inside demarcation point).
Point of use protection – surge strips such as computers, TVs, sound systems, kitchen appliances, etc. (required for the connected equipment warranty). To learn more about installing surge protection in your home, get in touch with the team at Blue Crest Electric. We can be reached through our online contact form and will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our services.
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