Tampa Bay is the unofficial lightning capital of the U.S., and it’s not because of our hockey team. The frequency of our electrical storms means we sustain more injuries and fatalities in this area than other place across the country. For homeowners that means more concerns about electrical issues like power surges.
But electrical storms are not the only cause of power surges. There are also overburdened electrical grids (We see this alot with heavy AC use and increasing multiple electronics in home. Flickers occur sporadically but can do quite a bit of damage.) Internal fluctuations in our usage of electronics, cycling on and off of major systems like a refrigerator or AC unit, can also cause surges.
What’s a Power Surge?
A power surge is a sudden fluctuation in the current entering your home. Even a small, quick change can be extraordinarily damaging to electronics of all kinds including your air conditioner.
What Can Surges Do?
That quick blast of current fries appliances, circuits, and anything else that is in its path and not protected. This leaves your electronics inoperable, which means costly replacement.
Outlet Protection
Most people’s biggest concern is their computers and their televisions so they go out and buy individual surge protectors. These items look like power strips and they protect only the devices plugged into that strip.
Unfortunately, a surge protector will most likely not protect your electronics from the severity of a direct lightning strike. Still, since lightning strikes aren’t the only cause for current fluctuation, having them in place is important. Look for a unit that has a 600 joules or higher rating for the best protection.
Remember your interior electronics and appliances shouldn’t be your only concern. Damage done by a surge can blow your AC unit, making AC repair impossible.
Whole House Surge Protection
The electric company offers a whole house surge protection, which handles the current flow as it comes into the house or you can have an electrician install a device at the meter to monitor all entering current levels. With surge protection like this, all electronics and appliances feeding off of your current are covered, including your A/C.
Why You Want To Use Both
Whole house protection works when the surge is coming from the service entrance but not if lightning strikes an outlet or area of the home directly or even nearby. Using a whole house system and individual surge protectors will ensure you are covered for all possible scenarios.
Planning ahead is the best course of action when trying to protect your A/C unit. Even the best AC repair & maintenance company can’t put a fried unit back together again. We run a 24 Hour emergency A/C repair service, but if we come out and see fried circuitry, we’ll be talking about a new unit. Think ahead and protect your home and its contents.
While you’re planning for the unexpected, call us at 813-COLDAIR to schedule your A/C maintenance and check up. Knowing your system is in good working order will give you peace of mind. Tampa Bay has been trusting us to service their units efficiently and affordably for over thirteen years.