Many homeowners use surge protector strips to shield their TVs, computers, and other small electronics and appliances. While these strips provide some level of surge protection, they are not designed to handle larger power surges, particularly those caused by internal issues or external factors. They also do not cover major appliances such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, EV chargers, or other large devices not plugged into a strip, but a whole-house surge protector would.

Power surges can originate from within your home, often due to high-demand appliances like air conditioning units, refrigerators, or washing machines causing disruptions in the electrical system. For instance, if your refrigerator experiences frequent internal surges, it might suffer from compressor damage or fail to maintain consistent temperatures, leading to spoiled food and costly repairs. In fact, 60% to 80% of surges occur internally, and these frequent, smaller surges can gradually damage your electronics and major appliances, reducing their lifespan.

For comprehensive surge protection against both internal and external surges, installing a whole-house surge protector is highly recommended. Whole-house surge protection devices are installed at your breaker box or meter and offer robust protection against surges from the grid, nearby lightning strikes, and other external factors. They can handle surges of at least 40,000 amps and typically feature indicators that alert you if they’ve absorbed a significant surge.

Although whole-house surge protectors are highly effective, they do not guarantee 100% protection. It is still advisable to keep your plug-in surge protectors as an additional layer of defense. Additionally, whole-house surge protectors help ensure the safety of your family by mitigating the risk of dangerous electrical issues caused by large surges. Such as the surge may wipe out your GFI outlet in a way that the outlet will still provide power, but the GFI portion will not engage, therefore not protecting you from getting shocked.

For more information visit our whole-house surge protector Service page.

For expert installation of surge protection solutions, consult a licensed electrician like GB Electrical Services, which offers skilled service and flexible payment options for homeowners.