Surge Protection
Surge protection has been around for a while, but in recent years there has been much more emphasis on this type of protection.
There are different types of Surge protection with different applications.
You may have noticed an extension lead in your home has built in surge protection, this provides local surge protection to very sensitive electronics, like that found in your computer. This is type 3 surge protection.
When a Consumer unit is upgraded or new one installed, surge protection should be incorporated with this, either within the new Consumer unit, or in a separate stand alone enclosure next to the Consumer unit. These will typically be type 2 surge protection, or type 1 and 2 combined.
These will help protect the circuits and the electrically sensitive devices connected to these circuits from overvoltages on the national grid.
But what are Overvoltages?!
They are a condition caused by either a lightning strike on the national grid (usually on the overhead power lines) or can occur when the power comes back on following a power cut. These conditions can cause the voltage within your electrical system to rise significantly beyond its normal range, as your electrical equipment is designed to work within a normal range, anything substantially above this range can cause substantial permanent damage.
Do I need surge protection?
As with most things, it depends. It is more important in rural areas, but we still install it as standard in more built up urban areas. As power cuts are becoming more regular, the risk is there for all of us. If you would suffer substantial financial loss by all your electronic goods being destroyed in one case or a power surge, then the investment in surge protection would be a wise choice.
Talk to us about your Surge protection, we are more than happy to advise you.
