Do you have a whole-house surge protection system? If you don’t know the answer, chances are your home does not have effective protection against the frequent power surges that occur in the region.
Electronic components are very sensitive to voltage variations. Modern home appliances feature complex electronics: fridges, dishwashers, washing machines, even small appliances have electronic boards directly exposed to power surges. We can’t ignore this risk.
Selecting a System to Protect Your Home
As professional electricians in San Antonio, how do we improve the quality of the electricity coming to your home? The answer is surge protection devices (SPDs) that come in two categories:
- Whole-house surge protectors: These are installed at the electrical panel and provide a first, effective line of defense by blocking surges from entering your electrical system.
- Individual surge protectors: These are typically plug-in devices like power strips that offer local protection at the site of the connection.
Cost of a Whole-House Surge Protection System
The cost of installing a whole-house surge protection varies based on these factors:
- Which surge protection system you buy
- How old and complex your home electrical system is
- The electrician’s labor rate
A whole-house surge protection system obviously costs more than individual surge protectors. But in our professional opinion, a whole-house solution offers several compelling benefits that outweigh the cost difference:
- Higher surge capacity: Whole-house surge protectors offer much better protection against big power spikes (lightning strikes, major electrical grid disturbances).
- Convenience and aesthetics: In 30 years doing electrical repairs in homes in San Antonio, we have not met anyone who delights at the sight of a power strip! Not to mention those with children who love to put their fingers in every electrical plug they can find!
- Cost of replacing appliance electronics: Unless you have a comprehensive home warranty policy (and a very good one), if a power surge fries the electronic circuitry of your expensive dryer, the cost of fixing it is far from cheap. We like to think of a whole-house surge protection system as a kind of “insurance” against the risks created by power surges.
Installation Process
When we install whole-house surge protection systems, we typically take these steps:
- We perform an assessment of your electrical system to determine the appropriate surge protector model and the installation requirements.
- We turn off the main power supply to ensure safety during installation. This is for a short while, and we will tell you in advance so that it doesn’t unduly disrupt your regular routines.
- The surge protector goes near the electrical panel. After installing it, we connect it to the panel circuit breaker.
- We test to make sure the surge protector works correctly.
Choose All Star Electric for Home Surge Protection
A whole-house surge protection system is like an insurance policy. Contact us online to receive a quote for the installation of a reliable whole-house surge protection system.
