If you have expensive appliances in your home (and who doesn’t?) you’d be smart to consider the real value of whole house surge protection. A power surge can happen in milliseconds — one-thousandth of the time it takes you to blink your eyes. You might not even notice the lights flicker or see any change at all, but your appliances will notice it.
That little spike might be in the same insurance category as damage from a lightning strike — they have caused over $1 billion in insured losses annually in recent years. The best and most and affordable way to avoid a loss is a whole-house surge protector. We sell and install them for only $375, and that is a bargain if they prevent surge damage to even one major appliance. Without this protection, it is not uncommon for a homeowner to spend $1,000 on the deductible to replace an appliance.
Whole-house surge protection
Protective devices are not required by building codes or insurance companies because they aren’t a fire hazard. However, many groups and organizations recommend them as wise home improvement, and they are readily available for everyone.
A whole-house device can protect up to about 200 times your normal incoming current (up to 40,000 amps.) When the device detects excess current coming in, it immediately channels the flow safely through the house grounding path.
Plug-in protection
You should also have additional protection for computers and home entertainment systems, so you can buy a point of the use surge protector and plug it directly into that appliance. A good quality device will cost about $25-50 and should include a warranty to replace damaged equipment if the device fails. You should confirm the device will begin diverting current when it reaches 400 volts or less, and a lower number is better. You also want an indicator light that tells you when the device is working properly.
The Bottom Line
There is no way to protect your home from a direct hit from lightning, but very few homes get a direct hit. The real value of a whole house surge protector is that you can be protected from most of the risk for years to come with one simple purchase today.
Whole house surge protection is an investment well worth the cost. Call us today and we’ll be glad to come in install one quickly!
For over 50 years, we’ve been a trusted Indianapolis business, and we guarantee all our work.