| erm “transient surge” refers to a | | | | difficult for the self-trained electrician— and |
| sudden spike in electrical power that can surge through | | | | almost impossible for the novice— to correctly |
| wiring and short circuit any electrical device connected | | | | install. When homeowners work with a professional, |
| to the electrical service panel. The most common | | | | certified team of electrical contractors, they receive |
| source of transient surge is lighting. Lighting does not | | | | the best commercial grade whole house surge |
| have to strike the home itself. A strike on a nearby | | | | suppression technology delivered directly to their |
| transformer can spike the voltage throughout the | | | | residential service panel and home automation |
| neighborhood and destroy equipment in every home | | | | network. Electrical design consultants routinely perform |
| on the block. Because technology has so evolved that | | | | panel repair and upgrades, and can very quickly |
| virtually every electronic device in today’s | | | | assess the nature and size of any home’s |
| home contains a printed circuit board like the type | | | | electrical network and calculate the necessary level of |
| found in computers, professionally installed whole | | | | protection it requires. This data is then used to |
| house surge suppression is the only reliable safeguard | | | | determine the appropriate size of the whole house |
| against catastrophic equipment failure. Whole house | | | | surge suppressor. |
| surge suppressors also safeguard against fluctuations | | | | Please realize that when we say “size” |
| of power in rural areas known as “dirty | | | | of the service panel we are not really referring to the |
| power.” These fluctuations occur due to long | | | | physical dimensions of the panel itself. Rather, size in |
| distances between small communities and service | | | | this sense refers more to the ratio of power delivered |
| providers, and they will wreck havoc on systems, | | | | to the home versus the number of devices drawing |
| kitchen appliances, stereos, and of course, computers. | | | | power through the panel. The more devices, the higher |
| Many people are unaware of these hazards and rely | | | | the risk of catastrophic home power failure and |
| on retail power strips alone to protect the most | | | | thousands of dollars in equipment replacement costs. |
| sensitive electrical equipment. | | | | For example, most people in larger homes now have |
| This is a trust misplaced, because virtually every | | | | up to four televisions and one wall-sized plasma TV. |
| subsystem coming from service provider is therefore | | | | Electrical design teams routinely enter such dwellings |
| a potential threat that requires whole house surge | | | | and are amazed to find that the plasma TV is plugged |
| suppression to proactively guard against. | | | | directly into the wall—and therefore waiting to be |
| It is important to understand that as homes have | | | | the first device destroyed without effective whole |
| grown larger and more customized over the last 40 | | | | house surge suppression to protect it. |
| years that the wiring systems used to power them | | | | Other systems like alarms, satellite dishes, and |
| have also become more complex. Many homeowners | | | | telephones, although physically outside the house, are |
| are surprised when they learn that electrical panels | | | | equally vulnerable to transient surge and must also be |
| themselves now contain printed circuit boards just like | | | | factored into the equation when calculating the |
| computers. If the voltage spike of a transient power | | | | necessary level of surge suppression for the house as |
| surge reaches a panel, the power spike will short | | | | a whole. |
| circuit the panel and send the surge to every electrical | | | | Furthermore, it becomes not only necessary, but |
| component and system connected to its network. | | | | mission critical for any homeowner using home |
| To minimize the likelihood of such catastrophic | | | | automation or home theater equipment to invest in this |
| damage, it is wise to invest in a sophisticated whole | | | | form of protection. Automation systems are in actuality |
| house surge suppressor engineered to block lightning | | | | sophisticated electrical subsystems operating within the |
| induced transience and dirty power spikes. A standard | | | | home’s overall electrical system. Calculating the |
| size whole house surge suppressor has been proven | | | | precise level of whole house surge suppression |
| to consistently block spikes of up to 300,000A and is | | | | needed to ensure everything from equipment to home |
| only 50% the size of equivalent devices. | | | | automation programming requires expert electricians |
| While there are many whole house surge suppression | | | | with a proven track record in home automation |
| devices available on the open market, they are very | | | | installation, design, programming and equipment. |