According to a recent WFAA TV news report (see link below), a power surge caused by the malfunction of an Oncor power line transformer in Dallas, Texas, led to thousands of dollars in damage to electrical appliances of local residents. While Oncor accepted blame for the incident, they did NOT accept liability, citing the Tariff for Electric Service approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. At least one resident’s insurance claim was denied, leaving the homeowners to foot the bill for the costly replacement of all the electronic appliances…
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So what are power (voltage) surges? Power surges are a type of electrical power disturbance, characterized by spikes in voltage. These voltage spikes are usually very brief (they last only a small fraction of a second), and can vary in intensity from a few hundred volts to a few thousand volts. ALL homes experience power surges of some sort — usually (thankfully) not of a strong enough magnitude to cause damage. However, incidents such as the one reported in Dallas DO happen, so it’s a good idea to take measures to protect against them.
Surge Protector Outlet
So, how can damage from power surges be avoided? As it turns out, rather simply. Think: Surge Suppressor (also known as Surge Protector). This is a small device designed to protect electrical appliances from voltage spikes. It does this by regulating the voltage supplied to the appliance by either blocking or shorting to ground voltages above a safe threshold. Surge suppressors come in all shapes and sizes (and, of course, price ranges…), so make sure to shop around to get just the right ones for your needs (and pocketbook).
Protect Your Electrical Appliances From Power Surges!
In many cases, a simple, single-outlet surge protector will suffice for individual small appliances, and will also be the most economic option. Alternatively, if you want to connect multiple small appliances, you can purchase a multi-plug power bar with built-in surge suppressor. If you go for the power bar, make sure that it’s not just a plain power bar and that it really does include a surge protector, as they do not by default, unless specifically indicated! It’s not enough that it has a switch that allows you to turn the power bar on and off: it should be clearly labeled on the bar that it includes a surge suppressor or surge protector.
For larger, more important (and costly) appliances (e.g. desktop computer), the extra expense of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) might be warranted. This is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source — typically the utility mains — fails. What differentiates an Uninterruptible Power Source from other auxiliary power systems is that it provides instantaneous protection from input power interruptions by means of batteries (hence the popularity of such devices for desktop computers — not only does it protect the computer from power surges, it also prevents what you’re working on from being lost if the power goes out).
Yes, you may have to fork out a little extra cash for these surge suppressors, in addition to the hard-earned money you’ve already spent on all your appliances, but knowing that incidents such as that reported in the story mentioned above really can and do occur, just think of it as a worthwhile investment in the future of those appliances…
WFAA TV news report: power surge caused by malfunction of Oncor power line transformer in Dallas.
Protect Your Electrical Appliances From Power Surges!
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