Power surges are a common household event, affecting many homes across the country every day. Flickering lights, a flashing alarm clock, or a television mysteriously shutting down may seem like harmless happenings. However, they can lead to costly and unexpected expenses. Whether power surges are triggered by a thunderstorm, an overloaded circuit, or an interruption with the utility company, these sudden spikes in voltage can damage or destroy electronics, appliances, and even damage your home’s wiring.
Although power surges are the most common electrical event homeowners experience, most understand little about them. In this educational guide, we will walk you through what power surges are, why they happen, the risks they pose, and most importantly, how to protect your home against them. With greater awareness of power surges, homeowners are better able to prevent or protect against them, eliminating equipment failures and avoiding costly repairs. First, we’ll begin by learning what exactly power surges are and what causes them.
What Is a Power Surge?
A sudden increase in the voltage surging through an electrical system is often referred to as a power surge. Also known as voltage spikes or transient voltage, power surges are short-term events that can cause long-term damage. The normal voltage for most homes in the United States is 120 volts. During a power spike, the voltage far exceeds the normal level of 120 volts and can last anywhere from a split second to several seconds. Power surges can cause minor or major damage; it depends on how long and how intense the surge is. Even if a power surge isn’t large enough to be noticed initially, it can damage sensitive electronics over time. Modern homes are especially vulnerable to electronic damage, relying on devices such as computers, wi-fi routers, smart home devices, and many other modern technologies. And homes in Massachusetts? They experience, on average, dozens to thousands of surges each year, making homeowner awareness key to limiting potential damage.
Why Do Power Surges Happen?
As we learned above, power surges happen when there is a sudden change or interruption in the flow of electricity through a home. These disruptions originate from an internal or external source. Let’s look at both.
External Source: External means from outside, so naturally, external power surges occur from events from outside the home. Often caused by utility lines or power infrastructure, the damage from an external power surge primarily occurs when power is restored. Weather events, such as lightning strikes or downed power lines due to heavy snow and ice, are also external sources known to cause power surges.
Internal Source: Internal sources of power surges include issues inside the home, such as overloaded circuits or faulty wiring. Internal sources are the primary cause of power surges in the home.
If you were to ask the average homeowner what the most common cause of power surges is, many of them would say lightning. While lightning no doubt can be a source, it is far less common than many found inside the home. Let’s take a closer look at the most common causes.
The Most Common Causes of Power Surges
While lightning is one of the first things that comes to mind when talking about power surges, statistics show that only 20 to 40% of surges are caused by external sources. This means the majority originate from inside the home. The most frequent causes of power surges, both internal and external, include:
Large Appliances: Refrigerators, air conditioners, washers and dryers, and heat pumps are examples of large appliances that can cause power surges in the home when they cycle on and off. Because they require significant amounts of electricity, large appliances create a surge when their motors and/or compressors start up or shut off, causing voltage fluctuations in the electrical system. With repeated occurrences, these power surges put stress on electronics connected to the same system.
Faulty Wiring: Commonly found in aging homes, damaged, loose, or deteriorated wiring not only causes power surges but also creates serious fire hazards. The warning signs of faulty or old wiring are:
- Frequently tripped breakers
- Flickering /dimming lights
- Burning odors
- Visible scorching on outlets
- Visible frayed wires
Overloaded Circuits: Modern homes rely on electrical devices for almost every activity inside, using more electricity than ever before. Plugging in too many devices on a single circuit, or running multiple large appliances on a single circuit, can create voltage fluctuations that cause power surges. The risk of overloaded circuits increases dramatically when power strips or extension cords are used.
External Power Outages: Interruptions in power from outside the home are a common cause of power surges in Massachusetts, especially during winter storms. Power outages, utility equipment failures, grid operations, and damaged power lines (from car accidents or weather) can all result in voltage spikes that propagate through electrical systems, affecting entire neighborhoods. Lightning, although less common, delivers one of the most destructive power surges originating from an external source.
So what’s the big deal? How much damage can a power surge cause?
What Are the Risks of Power Surges?
Power surges pose both immediate and long-term dangers to property and personal safety. Many assume that it is either immediate or not at all; in reality, the effects are often accumulative. These risks include:
Damage to Electronics and Appliances: Even a small voltage spike can damage sensitive electronics, such as computers, TVs, and gaming systems, and repeated surges over time can cause further damage. Modern appliances like refrigerators, HVAC systems, and washing machines have high-tech circuit boards that can be damaged during a surge, corrupting data and causing complete failure of the appliance.
Increased Costs: Although electronics and appliances can continue to function after a power surge, the resulting damage reduces their performance and reliability, eventually leading to expensive repair or replacement costs.
Fire Hazards: Repeated small surges or a single strong surge can overheat electrical wires and connections, increasing the risk of electrical fire.
With statistics linking more than 20,000 U.S. house fires each year to overheated or faulty wiring, the risks of power surges are not to be taken lightly. The big question now is, how do you protect your home from them?
How to Prevent and Protect Against Power Surges
To reduce the risk of power surges in a home, homeowners need to take a multi-layered approach. This means they must address both internal and external sources that cause changes in the flow of electricity. Below, we’ll offer tips to protect or prevent power surges from both external and internal sources.
Protection from External Sources: External sources are more difficult to control because homeowners cannot predict when such events will occur. However, there are steps homeowners can take to protect against them, such as:
- Consider installing a whole-home surge protector at the main electrical panel to divert excess voltage to ground before it can spread through the home.
- Unplug sensitive electronics when not in use and always during stormy weather.
- Have a professional ensure your electrical system is properly grounded so that, in the event of a power surge, there is a safe path for excess voltage.
- Add surge protection to the utility lines coming into the home.
- Install a whole-home generator with surge protection that not only prevents damage from power surges but also provides backup power when it’s needed.
Protection from Internal Sources: With most power surges originating inside the home, it’s important to address everyday habits and electrical maintenance to protect against them. Homeowners can:
- Avoid overloading home circuits by ensuring all high-powered appliances are distributed across different circuits.
- If your home experiences frequent electrical issues, a professional inspection will help to identify underlying problems and offer solutions. From updating wiring to upgrading the electrical panel, electrician companies have the expertise to identify and fix the problem.
- Homeowners can use plug-in surge protectors indoors to protect computers, TVs, and other vulnerable electronics. These devices are an important layer of protection, but they only protect the devices that are plugged into them.
Any time homeowners are concerned about their home’s electrical system or are considering an electrical upgrade, professional installation is critical. Reputable Northborough electrician companies can assess your home’s electrical system and recommend surge protection solutions tailored to your home and local conditions. Many electrical companies also offer whole-home surge protectors that provide the most comprehensive protection for homes anywhere.
Protecting Your Home in an Electrified World
Although power surges usually last only a fraction of a second, their effects can linger for years. And while they are a common occurrence in homes across the country, the impacts don’t have to be. Caused by an array of events, from large appliance usage to faulty wiring, severe weather to utility issues, these events have the potential to cause a lot of damage and even spark a fire. Knowing what they are, why they happen, and the proactive steps homeowners can take to protect against them, homeowners can greatly reduce the risks power surges pose. If you are worried about your home’s vulnerability or have been seeing signs of faulty wiring, contact a local electrical contractor to perform a thorough inspection. Don’t wait for the next “bump” in power to reveal a weakness or damage an appliance. Take action today and protect your home, your electronics, and most importantly, your family from the dangers of power surges.