Basics of Home Surge Protection – Part 2

As discussed in Part 1, surge protection helps ensure that electronic devices function well, remain reliable, and have extended service lives. This has become more important as electronic components are increasingly more vulnerable to electrical surges inside the home. Part 2 will discuss three more basics of home surge protection.

Limitations

Today’s surge protectors typically divert excess energy from the hot line to the ground and neutral wires, allowing a decreased amount of electricity to proceed into connected equipment. The sole source of harmful external surges is the hot line because the ground and neutral wires are bound to each other and attached to an earth rod at each service entrance.

This 3-Mode Protection process is ineffective because high energy power line surges are diverted into fragile low-voltage data lines inside personal computers and the reference grounds of audiovisual equipment. This will result in the degradation of integrated circuits and their premature failure. In addition, the surge protector will gradually degrade and eventually fail, leaving attached electronics unprotected.

Advanced Series Mode

Advanced Series Mode (ASM) absorbs surges while not sacrificing its own components and without common mode or ground contamination. Electronic equipment is powered by standard line voltage all the time, preventing degrading and damaging surges. ASM protectors will not suffer degradation as time passes, eliminating maintenance and the need for replacement. Other great ASM features are minimization of noise, filtering of EMI/RFI, elimination of inrush current, and automatic shutdown when catastrophic over/under voltage occurs.

Protection Equals Savings

Electronics that become faulty because of power disturbances become hazardous and expensive. Protection of electronic equipment with effective surge protection prevents irreparable damage resulting from lightning. They will also be more reliable and last longer, saving time and money in the long run. Consult with a licensed electrician regarding the various choices available for surge protection and choose one that will be the right fit for your home and budget.

Electrical Peace of Mind

Providing professional electricians since 1988 in Maryland, Cook Electric is the company you can rely on for all your electrical service needs. For knowledgeable, fair, honest, reliable, and conscientious service, call Cook Electric today at (410) 266-9040. We will be very glad to help you.