Surge Protection Basics for Your Home – Part 2
As mentioned in Part 1, surge protection helps ensure that electronic devices function well, remain reliable, and have longer service lives. The need for surge protection is growing more important as electronic components are increasingly more vulnerable to electrical surges at home. Part 2 will discuss three more important home surge protection basics.
Surge Protector 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 Saves Money
Electronics becoming faulty because of power disturbances can be inconvenient, hazardous, and expensive. Protecting electronic equipment with effective surge protection will not only prevent irreparable damage resulting from lightning, it will make them more reliable and lengthen their service lives, saving time and money in the long run. Consult with a licensed electrician about the various surge protection choices available to find 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, including:
- Commercial & Residential Electrical Installations
- Marina & Residential Pier Wiring
- Electrical Service & Repair
- Specialty Electrical Services
For knowledgeable, fair, honest, reliable, and conscientious service, call Cook Electric today at (410) 266-9040. We will be very glad to help you.