How Lightning And Power Surges Damage Your Home Electronics

Lightning storms and power surges can devastate your electrical appliances and devices. A massive burst of electricity can fry just about any kind of electrical circuit. In fact, according to 2016 data by the Insurance Information Institute, more than $825 million was paid to claims of over 100,000 as a result of power surges and lightning strikes. Basically, this highlights the dangers and possible implications of power surges and when a bolt of lightning hits your home. Also, such forces call for preemptive measures such as installing whole-house surge protection. Your local electrician can add surge protection wherever necessary.

Lighting and power surges – an alarming amount of damage

Lightning can damage electronics Just about any kind of electronic device that’s hooked up to an electrical outlet can be affected by power surges. But how is the damage dealt and when? It’s best to understand the principles of electricity and how power surges affect electrical devices. In a nutshell, a power surge happens when there’s a sudden burst of electricity. This can happen in two ways. One is when lightning hits your home and electricity enters the wiring inside your home. The other way is when a massive load of electricity from the mainline suddenly bursts into your home’s electrical system. Without any protective measures, a power surge can damage electronics and more. Power surges can kill off electrical systems If the power surge is too great, it could even destroy your home’s electrical system. Everything from the mains panel, the copper wiring, and everything that’s hooked up to your electrical outlets will all be fried. In such events, you should call an emergency electrician. This is to ensure that there will be no risks of electrical fires. Power surges are notorious for causing electrical fires. In fact, hundreds of thousands of house fires are caused by faulty electrical wiring and more. Large appliance are also affected If you think that large appliances are not so easily affected, think again. Bigger household appliances are equally in harm’s way when it comes to power surges. That’s why you should call a North Myrtle Beach electrician right away in the event lightning hits your home. An electrician can provide you with different options when it comes to surge protection technology. There are individual surge protectors that only provide protection to one or a handful of devices at one time. Some are more complex but can protect the entire household from power surges. Hiring an electrician If a bolt of lightning were to hit your home, don’t panic. Instead, call a professional like NMB Electrician Pros for immediate repairs. At the same time, you should also inform the fire department in case a fire breaks out. If your home is not yet protected by a whole-house surge protector, the damages could be great. On the other hand, having the protective measures in place will limit the damage power surges can inflict.

Are you in need of professional electrical services? If you are, you should call NMB Electrician Pros today! You may reach us at (843) 491-4489.

NMB Electrician Pros North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 (843) 491-4489 http://nmbelectricianpros.com info@northmyrtlebeachhomeservices.com

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Advantages Of Having Surge Protection At Home

It may not come very often but power surges can deal a lot of damage to your home. There are instances where the power from the mainline surges into your main panel and to your home appliances or whatever gadget is connected to an electrical outlet. This sudden burst of electricity will fry just about any kind of electrical circuit it comes across. It is important to have some form of surge protection at home that acts as a barrier against sudden electrical fluctuations. This article will be focusing on how surge protectors work and the benefits of installing them in your home.

Understanding how surge protectors work

SPDs or surge protection devices are used as a protective barrier that includes the electrical installation in your home like wiring and accessories or electrical appliances from power surges or transient over-voltages. There are three types of SPDs that are used in a household. They are listed below:

• Type 1 SPD – these are surge protection devices that are installed in the main electrical panel.
• Type 2 SPD – these are installed in sub-distribution panels.
• Type 3 SPD – these are only installed as supplemental components of Type 2 SPD

Surge protection devices are quite useful for devices that do not have a built-in surge protector. Some devices like power strips and voltage regulators also offer surge protection which may come in handy. An electrician North Myrtle Beach would recommend having whole-house surge protection installed for better results. Advantages of installing surge protection Device protection – all of your electrical devices will be protected from power surges. As long as SPDs are properly working, there is no need to worry about exploding electrical appliances or worse, an electrical fire. Power surges are notorious for frying electrical circuits in an instant. Having surge protection not only keeps all of your electrical devices safe, but it could also save your home from electrical fires. Hire an expert like NMB Electrician Pros to set up SPDs in your home. Great resale value – installing whole-house surge protection is in your best interest even in the event you sell your home. It is one of the key selling points of a house. Of course, it will only pay off if your whole-house SPD is installed by a reliable residential electrician. Be sure that all SPD installation in your home is done by a licensed and reliable electrician. This is to ensure that all components of the SPDs are working as intended. You’ll save money – having SPDs install all boils down to saving money and not having to deal with electrical repairs. When you come to think of it, power surges can damage all connected electrical appliances and gadgets at once. Preventing such a chaotic scenario saves the homeowner money in terms of electrical repair costs. Although you will need to spend a set amount of money for upfront costs, the benefits will be greater.

Do you want to protect your home from sudden electrical surges? Call NMB Electrician Pros today! You may reach us at (843) 491-4489.

NMB Electrician Pros North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 (843) 491-4489 http://nmbelectricianpros.com info@northmyrtlebeachhomeservices.com

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Home Electrical Safety - GFCI outlets

The modern man just can’t live without electricity. This incredible force is what keeps us comfortable and makes living at home more enjoyable. However, electricity can also be harmful to humans. Despite being harnessed for daily use, electricity remains a dangerous force. However, there are safety measures developed to keep people in harm’s way by means of electrocution or through electrical fires. GFCI outlets are one of the common safety features that is recommended for every home.

Common electrical safety tips for every household

1. Replace or repair damaged power cords – it’s often easy to overlook damaged power cords. It’s because they are durable enough to withstand a beating. However, they don’t last forever and they surely are not indestructible. When the insulating layer is torn off, power cords can be deadly. The chances of electrocution is rather high and we all know what that entails. Before usage, make sure that all power cords do not have any lacerations or peeled insulation. Also, make sure that the copper wires inside are not exposed. If damages are found, repair them immediately or have them replaced if needed.

1. Avoid outlet overloading – the wire that leads to all electrical outlets has a specific load limit. Drawing up too much electricity in one wall outlet at once may cause electrical fires. This is particularly a problem for older homes that haven’t upgraded their electrical system. Newer homes equipped with circuit breakers don’t have much of a problem.

1. Never use extension cords permanently – extension cords are primarily designed for light and non-permanent use. They also have certain limitations on how long you should use them. It’s perfectly fine to use extension cords for daily projects and other things. However, it is not recommended to use them in place of power cords. Although usable, extension cords are not designed for use 24/7. It’s also better to use extension cords with built-in surge protection for the added safety.

1. Never use electrical equipment near water – unless the electrical equipment you have is rated water-resistant, you should never use any near water or wet areas. As we all know, water can conduct electricity and when that happens, it is simple an accident waiting to happen.

1. Use GFCI outlets in North Myrtle Beach – the usage of GFCI outlets is a major steps towards electrical safety. Instead of feeling the wrath of electricity through normal outlets, one that is equipped with GFCI technology won’t give you much of a shock. Instead, you will only be feeling a slight pinch. There are three main benefits of installing GFCI outlets. Here they are:

• Preventing electrical shocks
• Promotes safety among appliance circuits
• Provides electricity flow monitoring

There are a lot of electrical safety measures that a homeowner could apply. However, the main takeaway from all of this is that you will be needing a reliable electrician to handle everything from installation to maintenance. It’s best to hire experts like NMB Electrician Pros for such tasks to achieve optimum electrical safety.

Call NMB Electrician Pros if you are looking for a reliable electrician in your area.

NMB Electrician Pros North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 (843) 491-4489 http://nmbelectricianpros.com info@northmyrtlebeachhomeservices.com

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Residential Electrician Tips – Why You Should Have Whole-House Surge Protection

Any modern home nowadays relies heavily on electricity. Without electricity, it would be impossible to get by day to day. It’s even worse when the electrical appliances we use at home get damaged due to a sudden burst of electricity or surge. Electrical surges are known to cause major issues in homes. It not only happens when the power goes out and suddenly comes back. Electrical surges could also happen during thunderstorms and lightning just so happens to reach your home. This amount of electricity is highly dangerous for both people and electrical equipment. That’s the reason why electricians normally suggest the installation of surge protection for the entire house.

Tip – call your local electrician for advice on surge protection

Before we proceed any further, let’s talk about the damage that could be caused by electrical surges. A thousand volts of electricity could easily fry your equipment. It could be damaging to humans as well when they get in contact with such power. In general, everyday electrical appliances like televisions, computers, entertainment systems, and more are affected. These appliances normally don’t have surge protection built-in. That’s one of the reasons why surge protection for the whole house is important. Your residential electrician would normally recommend them for various reasons and that also includes safety. How they work – in general, whole-house surge protection is built into the main electric panel. When a surge of electricity comes in from the mainline, the excess energy is then diverted into the ground wire which dissipates the electricity into the earth. Instead of leading the electricity to the equipment inside the house, the electricity is routed elsewhere which saves your precious electrical equipment. What surge protectors do – surge protectors are used to preventing the entry of excess energy into the home. Events such as blackouts, power outages, and lightning strikes are among the few instances where electricity can surge into the household. When the power goes back on after a blackout, the initial supplied energy is rather huge. This is where the surge protector kicks in. What surge protectors can’t do – of course, there are limitations to everything. Lightning strikes are the most damaging forms of electrical surges there are. Lightning strikes could carry huge loads of electricity which could cause the metal to melt on contact. While surge protectors can prevent the entry of excess energy, they can’t totally protect the home from the damaging effects of a lightning strike. The areas that are hit will have some damage. However, the internal electrical system of the home will be left untouched. Always have surge protection in your home. Call your local electrician in North Myrtle Beach for help regarding the matter. Better yet, call in the professionals like NMB Electrician Pros to have whole-house surge protection installed. Don’t hesitate to have this safety feature installed. If you live in an area that is frequented by lightning storms, it would be a really good idea to have surge protection installed in your home.

Call NMB Electrician Pros if you are looking for a reliable electrician in your area.

NMB Electrician Pros North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 (843) 491-4489 http://nmbelectricianpros.com info@northmyrtlebeachhomeservices.com

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Choosing, Buying, and Safely Using A Good Surge Protector

A lot of homeowners have more devices than the plugs on their walls, which is why they will most likely find a surge protector behind TVs and under their desks. However, surge protectors vary. There are some versions that may put your gadgets at great risk. Professional electricians have shared some tips to help you identify the good ones and how to use them safely. Power Strip Vs. Surge Protector The first thing you have to remember is that not all power strip is a surge protector. It might sound rudimentary but it is a critical piece of information that you need to know. Although a power strip will divide your outlet into several ports, a surge protector is made to protect your TV, computer, and other electronic devices from power surges as well as any noise or interference on your power line. Power surges might not be an everyday occurrence but they are common enough that they can cause damage to your electrical devices. Choose The Right Surge Protector When buying a surge protector, there are five major points that you have to consider. Purchase the right number of ports – do not simply assume that each surge protector have six or eight ports. There are some that have as many as 12 ports that are well spaced, allowing you to use every one of them. Purchasing the right number of ports can help ensure that you do not need to daisy chain the surge protector. Consider the gear to be plugged into the surge protector – carefully consider the things that you want to plug into the surge protector. You can pick the best one you can afford but you can save some money by purchasing a surge protector that is most suitable for the kind of equipment that will be plugged into it. For instance, you will need a more robust surge protector if what you want to plug into it are your TV and home entertainment. Check For UL seal – According to an expert electrician North Myrtle Beach, You also need to buy a surge protector that is certified by Underwriters’s Laboratories. It must at the very least meet the UL 1449 standards that is required for it to have the label transient voltage surge suppressor. This will help make sure that the surge protector you purchase and take home can really provide protection to all the equipment that will be plugged into it. Check The Absorption Rating and Clamping Voltage - The absorption rating is the amount of energy that your surge protector can absorb before it fails. You need to choose one that can handle at least 6-700 joules. The clamping voltage refers to the voltage that would trigger your surge protector or essentially whenever the surge protector begins to absorb energy. Choose one that is around 400 V or less. Check the warranty – there are some surge protectors that offer warranty the equipment plugged on it for certain damages in case a power surge won’t get through. Find out what is covered and what is not and how you can file a claim in case the surge protector fails.

Call NMB Electrician Pros for more information about surge protectors and more tips on how to keep your electrical system safe and fully function at all times.

NMB Electrician Pros North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 (843) 491-4489 http://nmbelectricianpros.com info@northmyrtlebeachhomeservices.com

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