Surge & Lightning Protection

Cornelius Electrical Contractors can help keep your electricity running and your electronic equipment protected through power surges and lightning storms. A power “surge” is a sudden increase in electrical voltage that can enter a home through the building’s incoming electrical, cable, telephone, and satellite wiring, and it can exceed 1,000 volts. Power surges can damage electronic equipment and appliances; a surge protector helps shield electronics from voltage spikes and can help prevent damage to sensitive electronics. Many times, damage from a power surge is NOT covered in a product’s warranty. These events can occur multiple times daily, and homes may experience up to 100 surges per month. Some of the most common causes include lightning strikes, utility grid switching, tree limbs hitting power lines, faulty wiring, and problems with the utility company’s equipment, though most surges originate inside buildings from normal electrical activity like large appliances turning on. Surge protectors can absorb energy during a surge and divert excess voltage to the ground wire. Cornelius Electrical can provide both surge protection and lightning protection to meet your needs.

Surge Protection Devices

Surge protection, or a transient voltage surge suppressor system using surge protective devices and a surge protection device (SPD), utilizes an electro-mechanical device to redirect improper electrical surges that come through electric or phone lines. The three main types of SPDs are Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3. Type 1 units are installed at the service entrance, Type 2 units are installed at the main electrical panel to manage internal surges, and Type 3 units protect individual electronics at the point of use.

To provide adequate surge protection, it is important to understand what you are protecting, how a transient surge can affect that equipment, and that comprehensive protection usually means layered protection with a whole-house unit plus point-of-use surge protectors or power strips with built-in surge protection. Whole-house units block surges at the electrical panel, while point-of-use devices protect connected equipment and other plugged-in devices nearby.

Only then can TVSS equipment be specified for an application so that complete surge protection is achieved, with selection based on joule rating, clamping voltage, and the UL 1449 let-through rating that measures voltage after suppression; common let-through values are 330, 400, and 500 volts, and ratings over 1,000 joules generally offer better protection. A joule rating shows how much energy the unit can absorb, repeated surges wear components over time, and these devices can eventually wear out. Depending on design, some can handle surges up to 6,000 volts and 3,000 amperes. Key components include transient voltage suppression diodes for fast limiting, metal oxide varistors for diverting surge current, and series-mode surge suppressors that use inductors for control.

Lightning Protection from Lightning Strikes

Lightning protection is designed to give lightning strikes a safe path to the ground instead of through your building or structure, since lightning strikes can create significant power surges that damage electronic circuits. This will greatly reduce or eliminate any possible severe damage a lightning strike can cause. Keep in mind that TVSS and lightning protection are not 100% effective by themselves, and no surge protection setup can guarantee safety against a direct lightning strike. Whole-house surge protective devices help protect by preventing surges from entering homes and can prevent damage to home electronics, reducing the risk to sensitive equipment. These systems work together to reduce the potential for personal equipment and property damage associated with surges and lightning. Electrical surges can also happen when large appliances inside the home turn on, so whole-house protection matters beyond storms. Whether you want a system that protects specific delicate electronics or a larger system that protects all of your home’s major appliances, HVAC systems, smart appliances, and electronics, Cornelius Electrical Contractors can help.

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Surge protection