Power surges and strikes are rather common if you haven’t realized it yet. That said, small power surges tend to go unnoticed most of the time, but they have the ability to damage your appliances and devices gradually by reducing their lifespan.
When electrical appliances and devices are exposed to sudden power surges, whether it’s an increase or decrease of voltage, appliances plugged in during this duration can start to malfunction, and may even cause fires in the most extreme cases.
This is why, it’s necessary for homeowners to have power surge protectors in place at their homes to protect their appliances, devices, and electrical fittings from experiencing the aftereffects of power surges.
However, if your area is known for frequent small and large power surges, a whole house surge protector may be a better option, considering that you will need to get more than just one power surge protector for the different outlets in your home.
Surge protectors are the best option to make sure your home’s electrical system and appliances remain safe during strong winds, storms, and other power surge events. Of course, there are individuals who believe that power strips guarantee the protectors of their devices, but this is just a misconception.
In order to have a better understanding of how a whole house surge protector protects your home appliance and devices, it’s pertinent to weigh their pros and cons.
Pros of Whole House Surge Protectors
There are a number of benefits of installing whole-house surge protectors. Here are the two main benefits of them.
Protection of Appliances
Let’s be real. Whole house surge protectors are ultimately the best choice for homeowners who want to protect each and every device in their homes from power surges and overloads. These devices protect all your power outlets and appliances that are left plugged into them during a storm, lightning strike, and more.
A power surge might not look that big of a deal, especially if it managed to leave your home unscathed or only causes inexpensive appliances to malfunction. However, when there’s a powerful electrical surge, your TV, computers, and other larges appliances may damage instantaneously.
Therefore, it’s important to take preventative measures such as installing a whole-house surge protector to make sure your appliances and devices are safe at all times.
Protection and Shielding of Your Whole House
A whole-home surge protector has the ability to more than just protect electrical appliances and devices such as your laptop, TV, and smartphone from power surges, but can further protect the electrical plug, outlets, interior wiring, and even light bulbs from strong surges.
Moreover, surge protectors can also ensure that your expensive electrical appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines remain unharmed when a surge is happening.
Apart from protecting your home’s electrical system and appliances, surge protectors also make sure your family remains safe. Without a sure protection system, an appliances or electrical outlet make produce sparks, or even cause a fire during a surge,
Cons of Whole House Surge Protectors
Everything comes with its own set of pros and cons, and whole house surge protectors are no different. Here are the two main cons of having them.
Cost of Buying Them
The most obvious drawback of installing surge protectors is the cost associated with purchasing them in the first place. You need to be prepared to spend some hundreds of dollars on them, and if it’s out of your budget, you can consider purchasing a single outlet surge protector.
A surge protector won’t give your appliances and devices the same amount of protection as a whole house surge protector but will protect those devices plugged into that particular outlet with a surge protector.
Cost of Installation
Apart from the costs associated with purchasing a whole house surge protection, it also costs money to have them installed. The installation usually requires a professional to do it. You have the choice to install it yourself, but it’s sensitive wiring work and there’s no point in risking your safety, hence you need to be prepared to spend on getting an electrician to install it for you.
Conclusion
In summary, both surge protectors and whole house surge protectors are the best possible ways to ensure the protection of your home electrical system and appliances from power surges. While they may be expensive, it’s worth it, especially if you want to make sure your electrical appliances live through their lifespan.
However, the choice is ultimately yours if you would rather purchase a single surge protector or a whole house surge protector, and it also depends on how frequent power surges are in your area, and the intensity of them.