A home is vulnerable to multiple external threats. As a homeowner, it is your duty to protect it against these threats, and be prepared for them in case of any unforeseen circumstances. However, in order to do this, you must be aware of all the threats there are to your home. Out of all the categories of damage which your home may be exposed to, electrical disasters are among the most common.

An electrical disaster is anything which stems from the malfunction in any of your home’s electrical components. An outlet, an appliance, etc. Every modern home comprises of technology which is quite prone to such accidents, which means taking precautions against them beforehand is a must. While you can always get complete home surge protection, the following is a guide to help you better understand electric surges.

What Is an Electric Surge?

An electric surge refers to a spike in the voltage supply to a home. The wires running into your home begin to supply an excessive amount of voltage to your home’s electrical system, which then reaches your gadgets and can result in horrible accidents due to short circuits. An electric surge only lasts a few seconds, regardless of its cause.

Sources of a Surge

As a lot of homeowners may know, most electric surges are internal. This is because electrical disasters are much more likely to occur through sources within your home than they are from external ones. For examples, a lightning strike causing a surge can certainly not be as common as a power overload in one of your home’s frequently used outlets.

The following are some common sources of an electric surge to help you better understand their origin.

Lightning

The first and least common source of power surges is a lightning strike. While these aren’t as common, lightning strikes have the potential to result in some of the most intense power surges. When lightning strikes a power source near your home, it can directly provide it with enough excess current to short out your appliances almost immediately. This is something to watch out for during a thunderstorm.

Power Grid Switch

When a large building’s electricity is controlled, it often involves grid switches. A power grid switch at your local electric company means that the power source has been changed, which can result in a few moments of excess electrical flow. This is the second most popular cause of surges in this list, and can hopefully be avoided due to prior notifications.

When a big change like this is about to occur, the company will most likely notify you, so that you may prepare for it in advance. You will be told the timeframe during which this may happen, so you can take the necessary precautions beforehand.

Outlet Overload

The most common cause of electrical surges is the overloading of your home’s outlets. This happens very frequently in homes, especially since there are so many electronic appliances which need to function simultaneously. This is an internal source for an electric surge, and is much more likely to damage your home than external causes.

Plugging multiple appliances to an extension cord is always a bad idea; the best way to do this would be to use a surge protector, so that even if plugging in multiple appliances is inevitable, it can be carried out more safely.

The Damages It Can Cause

Knowing the sources of a power surge is not enough – you must also understand the damages it can cause to your home. The following are some consequences of surges which homeowners may want to be familiar with.

• It can destroy any appliance you have plugged in at the time of the surge.
• In extreme situations, the excess current can result in your appliance catching fire, which can then easily spread and cause further damage to your home and belongings.
• While smaller appliances are less prone to complete malfunction, larger appliances may need to be replaced entirely. This can be very expensive, and result in you having to spend an excessive amount of money on repair and maintenance.

How to Protect Your Home against Surges

Once you understand the damages a surge can cause, it is also important to know how they can be avoided. The following are some electric surge safety tips for homeowners to keep in mind.

• Disconnect all major appliances to keep them from being impacted by the surge.
• In case of an emergency, you may want to cut off the main power supply to your home.
• Keep an eye on updates, both in the form of news and the notifications on your phone, depending on the source of the electric surge.
• Make sure to always have a first-aid kit available at all times. A surge can result in you having to be isolated for a few hours, and being prepared with all necessities is a must.

Strengthening Internal Home Security

Home security is not just about defending your home against burglaries and such. It is a lot more complex, and requires you to equally focus on all parts of your home. Internal home security includes targeting areas of your home which can damage it from within. Electrical disasters are a big part of this, since they are capable of causing an astonishing amount of damage to both property, and life.

Learning how to deal with electric surges is one of the many important steps in understanding how to protect your home better, and for this, you must first understand what a surge is and how it impacts your home.