Voltage surges are annoying at the very least and, in a worst case scenario, can be downright dangerous. There are several things you can do to stop them though.
A voltage dip is a relatively minor Surge Arrester loss of power. It usually occurs when a larger appliance like a dishwasher or a washing machine or even a hairdryer is turned on and it "steals" too much power from the rest of the house.
A voltage surge on the other hand is rather more of a problem. It can be caused by by storms, by those greedy appliances again, or even by problems at the electricity board. Whatever the cause they can irreparably damage sensitive electrical devices like computers and televisions and on rarer occasions even damage the central wiring of your home.
There are several ways you can protect your home from these power problems. The easiest way is to buy a number of surge protectors - those long power strips you see in the stores, which can handle surges of up to 6,000 volts. Keeping your sensitive appliances plugged into one of these affords them a decent amount of protection from voltage surges.
Surge suppressors on the other hand are designed to handle those power ups and downs that occur when a hairdryer is plugged in or a dishwasher started. Many of us have experienced the annoyance of losing power in three of the adjoining rooms when a hairdryer is turned on so it is quite easy to see why they are so useful.
If you want to really control the problem though, the whole house surge arrester is the answer. Designed to protect switches, outlets, appliance motors, the circuit breaker box and, in fact, all the wiring in the home, surge arresters pick up where mere surge suppressors leave off.
A good quality surge arrester can cut voltage surges in the home to 330 volts while surge suppressors can usually only manage 600. So if your home has a lot of sensitive electrical equipment in it - and most do these days - they are the ultimate way to protect them all. It is a larger investment to make but when you consider how much it would cost to replace that computer, that big TV and/or those three gaming systems it is an expense well worth considering.
A whole house surge arrester can only be installed by a licensed electrician of course. Not only do they have all the necessary skills to alter the home's whole electric panel but they can also help you determine which type and size of surge arrester your home needs.
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