Surge Protection:
What is a power surge?
A surge is a spike in the electric voltage level being used in homes, businesses and industries.
What causes one?
It can be caused by a variety of sources inside and outside of your home or business. Some of the sources are lightning, short circuits and faulty or failing equipment. Surges are unpredictable in their nature and have varying characteristics and properties. The intensity, duration and source of the surge, are just a few things that need to be considered.
How do they enter my home?
Surges can enter your home through avenues other than the electric line. Phone and cable lines connected to your telephone, modem, television, satellite and other cords and cables are also prime surge targets.
What’s a homeowner to do?
Unfortunately, there’s no way to be totally protected. But, you can slant the odds in your favor with surge protection at your meter base and on individual appliances/electronics, phone and cable lines. Since surges can enter homes and businesses through electric, cable television and telephone lines, it is important to protect your investment at each of these points.
MLEC offers a more in depth look at surges with its surge protection brochure, which also details MLEC’s surge protection program. To receive a FREE copy of this brochure:
E-mail – power@mlec.net
Visit – An MLEC Office
You can also shop online for MLEC surge protection products!
What do I need to know about protection?
Nothing is 100 percent effective in protecting your property against a power surge because of all the variables involved. However, surge protection of any type is better than having none.
How does a surge get in the house?
The power line is just one of the many paths a surge can follow to enter your house. Other paths include telephone lines, cable television lines, and satellite receivers just to name a few.
What happens once it gets in?
Once the surge has entered your home, it can then get into your electrical system. This can cause damage to appliances and electronic equipment.
Why grounding is so important?
Grounding is probably one of the most overlooked aspects of surge protection. Without sufficient and proper grounding, the surge gets in your electrical system and has no where to go. The longer it stays in your system, the more damage it will do. No matter how good your surge protector is or how much it cost, it will not perform at full capability unless your home is properly and sufficiently grounded.