The value of a whole house surge protector is immeasurable.
These are all common sources of power surges in the home:
- Nearby lightning strikes
- Large equipment cycling on and off at nearby factories
- Downed power lines
- Constant powering up or down of the larger appliances in your own home
I had a whole house surge suppressor professionally installed in my home less than a year ago while the electrician was on-site preparing the wiring and breakers for my natural gas range to be installed.
I’m convinced it was a very good investment.
Here are a few reasons why…
Why I Installed A House House Surge Protector
Most of today’s modern appliances have microprocessors — and our house is certainly no exception.
Here are the following items I felt needed protection from surges and nearby lightning strikes in my home:
- computers
- monitors
- printer/fax
- televisions
- new gas range
- new washer
- new dryer
- new HVAC system
Now if you figure the cost of repair or, most likely, replacement of any one of those items — it will probably far exceed the $208 I spent to install a whole house surge protector that comes with a lifetime warranty backed by Mr. Electric.
The unit I had installed (the Surgeassure TE1C40) is known as a “main zone protector” or “load center protection” and is warranted to protect motor-driven appliances in residential and light commercial applications against electrical power surge damage — including lightning — from entering through the main electrical service panel.
It is also warranted to protect against surge for major household electrical and electronic equipment for 10 years when installed by a qualified electrician.
Here are the features and benefits from the makers of the surge arrester (Advanced Protection Technologies, Inc.) that I had installed in the circuit breaker panel box:
- UL listed surge protection
- Rated for single phase panels up to 400 amps
- Installation flexibility
- Audible alarm
- Internal diagnostics
- Ground status monitoring
- 10 year product warranty
- 10 year $100,000 connected equipment warranty
More About Whole House Surge Protectors
- How to Choose Surge Protection for Your Home – explains why it’s better to have a 2-tiered protection system.
- General Household Electrical Safety Guidelines – explains AFCI’s (arc fault circuit interrupters), GFCI’s (ground fault circuit interrupters), and more.
- 5 Things You Should Know About Surge Protection – explains that 80% of surges in a home we generate ourselves!
I started as a home-stalker… visiting brand new homes under construction in the neighborhoods near my house. That inspired me to write about home building and home renovation projects — chronicling homes during different phases of construction from a consumer's point-of-view. Basically, the tips you'll find in my articles are a collection of checklists for what I think should (and should not) go into building or remodeling a quality home.
