Electrical surges are unpredictable and can cause a havoc in your home and damage all your appliances in an instant. The entire episode can be quite frustrating and could cause you a lot of emotional and financial trouble.
If you want to avoid this, there are various things you can such as investing in Cheap Home Repair Services plans.
Unplug Devices and Reset Circuit Breaker
This is an essential step after you experience a power surge. You may want to consider unplugging all the electronic devices in your home and reset them. Once you do that, your circuit breaker. This is crucial and will prevent you from losing any more appliances than you already have lost.
Check All Your Electrical Appliances
The next step is to ensure which devices are working and which ones are not. You can check by taking care of one appliance at a time.
Inspect HVAC Unit
The HVAC unit is a key element of your home. It needs meticulous inspection after you experience a power surge. You may find faults in your HVAC unit after a power surge, which a professional can be fix there and then to prevent any further damage.
Prevention
Power surges can be devastating but realizing that you cannot do much to avoid one is even more stressful.
Keep a Check on Trees
You may be fond of gardening and plants and may have grown trees in your backyard. As important it is to have a passion for gardening, it is also important to realize the maintenance that comes with it. Trees can cause a power surge if they get entangled with powerlines near your home. So, make sure any trees around your home are properly trimmed and away from electricity lines. Not only will it help prevent an electric surge, but also keep your home neat and clean.
Classify Your Electrical Devices
You need to classify your electrical appliances based on sensitivity. You may have electrical appliances in your home that are more sensitive to an electrical surge than others, for example an air-conditioner or a refrigerator. Devices such as a toaster or a blender have an important role to play. To protect them, you can install a plug-in electrical surge protector. This will protect any high end devices you have in your home from power surges.
Keep Appliances Unplugged When Not In Use
While this may not be a very doable option for many devices, you can do this for some. Some appliances do not need to be plugged all the time such as an oil fryer, your laptop, or coffee machine. Just short list all such appliances and switch them off. This will also save electricity and protect them from damage.
Maintenance
It is important to understand that your home needs constant maintenance, which includes checking wiring for damage. Damaged wiring is a cause of electrical surges and can lead to disastrous destruction, which may also be traumatic for your family members. Ensure that the wiring system is up to date and not broken.
Causes
Understanding what causes an electrical surge can help you prevent them. Here are some common causes of electrical surges:
Lightning Strikes
If you are living in a place in the US where thunderstorms are common, then your home may be more susceptible to a power surge. However, this is unavoidable and the only thing you can do is to have a good home repair coverage plan, so you don’t have to bear the consequences alone.
Broken Wiring
Broken wiring s another reason for an unfortunate incident to occur. Make sure that the wiring in your home is not damaged. The older your home is, the more regularly you need to check for broken wiring.
Power Outages
While power outage may not directly cause a power surge, it may indirectly cause one as soon as the power is back. Frequent power outages put your home at a greater risk of an electric surge. They may lead you to lose precious equipment by jolting them with extremely high amounts of current as soon as the power is back on.
Overloading a Power Socket
If you are putting too much load on a power socket than it can bear, it may cause a power surge and break down your appliances. Ensure that you have balanced out appliances in the same power socket to minimize electrical load and prevent a power surge.
Final Thoughts
Power surges can be extremely detrimental, especially when you have set up a new home and invested in it by buying electrical appliances for it. It may also be traumatic for your family members and cause them unnecessary trouble. So, it is better to understand the reasons behind an electrical surge and prevent them and know what to do if you still become a victim.
