Here at Mister Sparky by Wise Electrical Control Inc., we want to help you take the best possible care of your home and its electrical system. We are proud to offer superior electrical services that will resolve any issue you are having in a timely manner, but outside of this direct assistance we also believe in giving you all the information you need in order to make the right decisions for your power system. In this article, our team at Mister Sparky by Wise Electrical Control Inc. will be going over an important aspect of that power system known as surge protection, as well as how it works.
To understand surge protection, you first need to know what a surge is. Put simply, an electrical surge is a sudden increase in voltage, or how much electricity is flowing, that puts it above the voltage level that the system in question was designed for. In the U.S., the standard voltage for homes and offices is 120 volts, so anything above that is a surge. Sudden increases in voltage can have negative consequences for any devices connected to that system, such as frying your computer, because the additional energy causes the wires to heat up.
Surge protection refers to the devices and methods used to prevent these spikes in voltage from damaging your electronics. The most common component used in surge protection, called a metal oxide varistor (MOV), contains semiconductors that divert excess voltage into the ground wire in the event of a spike. This keeps your devices safe from the effects of the surge so you can continue to use them without worry. Our team here at Mister Sparky by Wise Electrical Control Inc. offers surge protection services for your whole house so that all of your appliances and personal electronics will be safe.