Today’s homes are full of electronics. It’s not just TVs and computers: furnaces, heat pumps, refrigerators, washers, and garage door openers all have circuit boards inside. A power surge can damage them instantly, or wear them down over time.
Most surges don’t come from lightning. Many start inside the house when large appliances cycle on and off, and others come from utility switching and storms. Plug-in surge strips help at the outlet, but they only protect what’s plugged into them. They do nothing for hardwired equipment like your HVAC system or water heater.
A whole-home surge protector is installed at your electrical panel and stops large surges before they reach your circuits. Pairing one with good surge strips at your TVs and computers gives you layered protection.
Newer editions of the National Electrical Code require whole-home surge protection on new and replaced services. The 2017 code enforced in our area doesn’t require it yet, but it’s one of the most affordable ways to protect thousands of dollars in appliances and electronics, especially if you’re already having panel work done.
