Surge Protection
An electrical surge is a sudden hike in voltage through your electrical wiring. Electrical surges can happen unexpectedly for a number of reasons and if you aren’t protected they can cause serious damage to your property. Installing surge protection is a relatively straightforward process, but the benefits are long-lasting and significant.
How We Can Help
Expert Advice
If you are unsure whether your property is protected against electrical surges, speak to our team today. We’ll provide expert advice before you call out one of our engineers. They will assess your property for adequate protection against surges.
Professional Installation
Our engineers will install state-of-the-art surge protection, such as surge protective devices (SPD) and surge sockets. They will also repair any faulty wiring. We only use highly-qualified electricians so you’re guaranteed safe and professional installation.
Lasting Protection
Once installed, these devices will protect you against any future electrical surge. They can last up to 5 years, or longer if your home hasn’t experienced any significant surges. You can set an appointment reminder with us to replace them when needed.
What Are Power Surges?
A power surge is a sudden jump in the voltage of the electrical supply to a power grid or building. The technical term for this phenomenon is transient overvoltage. These surges usually last for a very short period (just a few microseconds) but can do a lot of damage in that short duration.
Standard electrical appliances and devices are only meant to receive certain voltages to work properly. Therefore, a high voltage spike can wreak havoc on electrical devices if they are not suitably protected.
Power surges occur for a number of reasons, both internal and external to the property:
Internal Power Surges
Power surges can arise due to a number of factors, but internal power surges are most common. Only very few transient overvoltage events are caused by lightning strikes and power grid failures.
Faulty wiring is a common cause of internal surges. Whether the wiring was poorly installed, has worn over time, or been chewed through by mice; exposed electrical wires can cause steady electrical currents to be disrupted. This causes a power surge through the building’s electrical system.
Another cause can be the activation of large appliances like fridges, air conditioners and washer-dryers. These large appliances draw more power than most other appliances and can therefore create electrical surges. This is particularly true if too many high-energy appliances are drawing from the same circuit. Surges from appliances are especially common in commercial buildings with advanced machinery like HVAC systems, elevators and power tools.
A common reason for internal surges are electrical overloads from having too many electrical devices connected to the same socket or extension cords. This causes excess voltage to be drawn from the outlet, resulting in an electrical overload and power surge.
External Power Surges
External power surges occur as a result of external events such as a lightning strike, a tree limb touching a power line, or sudden changes in the power grid.
Lightning striking utility equipment like power lines can cause a sudden power surge through the power grid. Transient voltage spikes can reach voltages upwards of 2000 volts from a direct strike.
Fallen trees or other debris can also cause power surges when they fall on power lines. Disruptions of this kind are especially common during large storms and high winds.
Surges are also common after a power outage, when power returns to the grid. As the power station begins to distribute power again, a power surge can travel through the grid. These external surges can cause knock-on surges within properties.
The Dangers of a Power Surge
Power surges can cause huge disruption and potential hazards within a property if mitigating steps are not taken. Here are some of the ways a power surge can be a threat:
Damage to Electrical Devices
A power surge can seriously damage plugged in devices when they strike. The excess power can result in instantaneous damage to electronic equipment causing them to malfunction or break entirely. Electronic components such as circuit boards can even melt from the heat generated during a power surge.
Power surges can also result in loss of valuable data as computer equipment have their hard drives wiped. Oftentimes, especially in commercial settings, this loss of data can be more damaging than loss of the device itself.
Damage to Electrical Systems
During a power surge, your building’s electrical equipment could be damaged in addition to electronic devices. This could cause circuits or other components in electrical outlets to malfunction or break. Moreover, you could lose functionality in critical equipment such as cookers or boilers, disrupting day-to-day activity.
Physical Hazards
In the worst cases, electrical overloads during power surges can result in circuits combusting. This combustion can cause dangerous electrical fires or severe electrical shocks. Thanks to improvements in modern circuitry, these events are less likely, but not impossible.
Faulty wiring can significantly increase the likelihood of hazards from combusting electrical circuits. That’s why regular maintenance of your electrical devices and systems is incredibly important.
Power Surges: What To Look Out For
There are a few tell-tale signs of power surges in your property, including:
- Flickering lights or screens, like on digital clocks
- A buzzing sound coming from electrical outlets or extensions
- A burning smell or visible burns from electrical outlets or extensions
- Equipment like air conditioners, power tools and hair dryers cause the power to trip
Why Surge and Lightning Protection is Important
- Expensive electronic devices can be damaged beyond repair
- Valuable data can be wiped from storage devices by a surge
- Devices can easily catch fire from an electrical surge
- Several fuses could be blown at once, needing replacement
- Filament lightbulbs can shatter, which is unsafe and messy
Book an Appointment Today!
If your Cardiff property isn't surge protected, call our team today to book an appointment with a qualified electrician. They will review and improve your surge devices.How We Can Help: Surge Protection Cardiff
Here at The Electrician Cardiff, we offer expert surge defence services to ensure that you mitigate any damage or hazards stemming from power surges.
Surge Protective Devices
Installing surge protectors – also known as surge suppressors or spike suppressors – can significantly reduce risks from power surges. A common surge device fitted is a metal oxide varistor (MOV).
A surge protector works by diverting excess voltage away from outlets and devices, towards the grounding wire. This can protect equipment by stopping excess electrical power from entering the circuit. Different surge protectors have a different joule rating; this measures the amount of energy the device can absorb before it fails.
A whole-house surge protector is often known as a surge arrestor and is installed on the property’s electrical panel. This acts as the first line of defence against power surges and are especially effective against high voltage from a lightning strike. We strongly recommend that every property has a surge arrestor, especially commercial buildings as they are now a legal requirement.
Surge Protector Sockets
Surge protectors can also come in the form of extension cords or special wall outlets equipped with circuit breakers. These reduce the risk of damage to smaller appliances from a power surge.
It is wise to have these kinds of surge protective devices installed in addition to your surge arrestor to provide two layers of defence for your valuable electronic devices. We especially recommend surge protected power strips where you have many devices plugged in, such as a computer setup.
Electrical Maintenance
Booking regular maintenance visits from one of our qualified electricians means we can look out for any potential weaknesses within your property. You won’t have to worry about faulty wiring and we’ll ensure that you have the surge protectors you need to protect your devices.
Our Process: Surge Protection Installation
When you call us to enquire about surge protectors for your home, this is our process to guarantee you maximum protection:
Inspect Current Protection
After a quick consultation over the phone to listen to your concerns, we’ll schedule an appointment with one of our engineers. They’ll visit your property and review your current level of protection against electrical surges; this includes looking at your electrical panel and wiring in more detail.
We’ll then make a list of recommendations to improve your protection against lightning strikes and surges.
Update or Install Surge Protectors
Once you’re happy with our recommendations, we’ll go ahead and install the surge protectors and any lightning protection systems you need, if you’re in a lightning-prone area.
Additionally, if we suspect faulty wiring, our engineer will address that to ensure your circuit is secure.
Test Surge Protectors
Once all the updates, fixes and installations have been carried out, the electrician will test all the equipment to make sure everything is working as intended.
Job Done
Now that your property is safeguarded against an electrical surge, our job is done! If you have any problems or concerns, contact our responsive team to speak with an expert. We recommend that you call us to review your electrics regularly to check on your surge devices and maintain your wiring.
Don't get caught out by an unexpected electrical surge!
Why Choose Us For Surge Protection Cardiff?
Professional Qualified Electricians
We source some of the most experienced electricians in the South Wales area to service your electrics. This means you receive high-quality work every time.
Quick Appointment
We always try to get a qualified electrician to you within a day of your call. Some of our electricians are available 24 hours and can respond to electrical emergencies any time.
Customer Satisfaction
Our electricians always carry out work, both domestic and commercial, to a very high standard. We guarantee our customers will be satisfied with their electrical services.