If you’ve ever owned an appliance that cost you nearly as much as a monthly mortgage payment, you realize the importance of protecting your appliances from damage. One of the most common ways that electrical appliances are damaged is by power surges or spikes. To prevent this from happening, many homeowners connect their important electrical appliances to a surge protector.
Surge protectors do what they do by detecting any increase in electrical voltage above a designated level, and within a matter of nanoseconds, diverts the excess voltage into the ground. This is important, because a sudden increase in voltage can cause serious damage to an appliance. Power surges and spikes can happen for a lot of different reasons, including lightning, faulty wiring, issues with utility company equipment, and downed power lines. After each power surge or spike, the surge protector’s capacity for keeping your appliances protected is reduced. So, it’s important to keep an eye on your surge protectors and replace them every couple of years.
