Do your appliances give out after a few years? The reason for your short-lived appliances may be power surges. A power surge is a sudden rise in voltage, which can be caused by electrical overload, lightning strikes, faulty wiring or restoration of power after an outage. Although many of these factors are out of your control, you can shield your appliances with a surge protector.
Reduce Stress on Appliances
When the voltage to an appliance suddenly spikes, it puts excess stress on every component. If this happens infrequently, the appliance may be fine, but frequent power surges can take a bite out of your appliance’s lifespan over time. If you notice signs of power surges often, it’s time to consider having a whole-home surge protector installed.
Watch for the following indicators that your home is experiencing power surges:
- Flickering lights
- Malfunctioning appliances
- Power outages
- Inadequate power
- Burn marks on outlets
Protect Circuit Boards
The appliances of yesterday kept working for decades because they were relatively simple, but today’s modern appliances are filled with high-tech features that run on circuit boards. These circuit boards are particularly vulnerable to power surges and are difficult or impossible to repair once they short out. Power surges can cause your appliances to lose features like clocks, thermometers, connectivity and more.
Circuit board failures range from minor inconveniences to completely dead appliances. If you want to enjoy your appliances and all their convenient features for many years, protecting them from power surges is essential. Expensive, high-tech appliances with advanced automation and connectivity features should never be plugged in without adequate surge protection unless you want to risk losing your investment.
Lower the Risk of Fires and Shocks
Power surges can do more damage than wearing out your appliances. They can also cause your appliances to catch fire or deliver dangerous electrical shocks to users. A significant surge can overheat an appliance enough to spark a fire within its components or on surrounding flammable surfaces like furniture or walls. Surge protection stops these destructive electrical fires before they start by preventing voltage spikes that overheat your appliances.
While an appliance that has been destroyed by fire is obviously unusable, electrical shocks can also end the life of your appliance early. Even if the appliance still works, it may be too dangerous to use if a power surge has caused a short that delivers shocks whenever someone touches it. Protect both your appliances and your household’s safety by using a surge protector.
From preventing stress that wears out components and shorts out circuits to reducing the risk of fires and shocks, surge protectors are a small investment that can pay big dividends in the lifespan of your appliances. Contact Dilling Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical for quality whole-home surge protectors in Charlotte, NC.
