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Power surges have been the bane of electrical systems since their invention. A power surge can burn out a computer, or start a house fire depending on the voltage forced through the system. Most of the time, though, they’re actually quite harmless. A brief uptick in the level of electricity running through the home is usually either too low for you to even notice it, or it is absorbed by surge protectors and other appliances you’ve no doubt got scattered around. There are some times, though, when you can’t afford to just disregard a power surge. Let’s take a look at why frequent power surges are a problem, and what you should do about them.
Frequent Power Surges
There are two kinds of power surges that we should talk about before we dig into anything else. The first is internal power surges. These happen multiple times a day, and are usually too minor to notice. Sometimes, if you turn on a massive power hog that happens to be plugged into an already-overloaded circuit, you might trip the circuit breaker and have to reset. We recommend that you unplug the appliances already in the system one at a time, just so it’s easier to identify what is causing the problem and needs to be moved to a different circuit.
The other kind of power surge is the external surge. This is when something like lightning strikes your house. As far as the potential for catastrophic damage goes, you’re far more likely to have it as a result of an external surge than an internal one. What if the source of the surges appears to be inside the home, though? What if your circuit breaker is constantly tripping for no apparent reason? Well, in that case, you have a number of possible explanations.
Issues with Internal Surges
If you know you’re having frequent, strong internal power surges in your home then it’s possible that something is wrong with your circuit breaker. Either the breaker panel is tripping when it shouldn’t be, in which case you actually aren’t having a power surge problem and the issue is located in the panel, or the panel isn’t tripping when it should and constantly overloading. Either one of these is not a good sign, and regardless of the cause, you should definitely consult with a professional about resolving the problem as quickly as possible. The service panel is a key part of keeping your electrical system safe. If there is a problem with it, then you should make sure that it’s repaired as soon as you can. It’s also possible that there is some sort of appliance in your home that’s causing the power surges. If that’s the case, you may just need to have whatever the appliance is moved to a different circuit or unplugged entirely.
Anderson Electric Corp. provides a full range of electrical services. If you are in need of any kind of assistance with your electrical system, our Nutley, NJ electricians can help you out. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
