The term “power surge” describes a damaging variation in the electrical voltage delivered to an appliance; a “power spike” is simply a short surge.
Large surges, for instance those caused by a lightning strike, can destroy unprotected electronics such as computers, entertainment equipment and the circuitry controlling your HVAC system. Inside your home, simply turning on power-sucking appliances can cause small changes in the voltage supplied to all the other equipment in your home or business premises; unlike lightning strikes and other externally-caused surges, these interior surges can cause gradual and cumulative damage to your electronic equipment.
Like a hose bursting when subjected to too much water pressure, electrical wires and components can heat up like filaments in a light bulb if too much electrical “pressure” – voltage – is delivered. The wires and components effectively burst; they burn out. The extra electricity can also arc, jumping between separate components and melting them. This is where surge protectors enter the picture.
High-quality surge protectors are effective back-up devices, intended to stop a pulse of transient voltage delivered at above the standard level – 120 volts in the U.S. – from frying your HVAC equipment’s electronics. Properly installed units will shut down the system at the first hint of internal problems, often saving expensive repairs by alerting you before serious damage occurs.
The best surge protection strategy for your HVAC and other sensitive electronic equipment calls for whole-house surge protection, installed at the incoming power line, and point-of-use surge protection, installed at the actual locations of the equipment you want to protect. The former protects electronics from exterior surges while the latter protects them from interior surges, such as when power-sucking appliances turn on and off.
The skilled technicians at Climate Control Company understand surge protectors. Having been in business serving Western Colorado since 1959, we know how to protect you and your home. This is likely to be a relatively minor expense when compared to overall cost of your HVAC system. Contact us to schedule an on-site appointment to learn how a surge protector can be an effective back-up plan to protect your HVAC investment.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about surge protectors and other HVAC topics, please visit our website.
Climate Control Company services Aspen, Vail and the surrounding Western slope communities in Colorado.
