Key takeaway:
- Without whole-home surge protection, you’re at risk of serious damage in case of a lightning strike or sudden surge from the grid.
- Adding a surge protector to your main panel is a simple upgrade that will make your home safer and bring it into code compliance.
- EVPlugz can help upgrade your home if you don’t have surge protection.
Is your home safe from power surges? If you don’t have a surge protection device, you could be vulnerable to lightning strikes and sudden voltage spikes from the grid.
Let’s take a closer look at surge protection, how to know if your home is properly protected, and what it takes to upgrade your electrical infrastructure with surge protection in Florida.
What’s a Power Surge?
A surge is a sudden rise in voltage. If it’s high enough, it can instantly fry appliances and electronics. It can also cause extreme heat in electrical wires, leading to severe damage or even a fire.
Surges can happen for different reasons.
Lightning Strikes
Lightning strikes are a common cause. In Florida, heat and humidity create perfect conditions for severe lightning storms in the summer, and a single lightning bolt can carry 300 million Volts or even more.
When lightning strikes your home or a nearby area, it can send a shockwave of electrical current throughout your infrastructure and cause a lot of damage if you don’t have surge protection.
Power Fluctuations
The electricity you get from the grid can vary in voltage. It’s common when the grid is close to peak capacity, especially during warm and humid summers when AC usage is high.
Voltage fluctuates as the grid becomes more unstable, and these spikes can damage your circuits and appliances. Smaller fluctuations can also occur within your infrastructure and are often caused by outdated or malfunctioning appliances.
How Does Whole Home Surge Protection Work?
You already have some degree of protection in your home if you use surge-protected power strips. These power strips safely redirect excess voltage to a ground wire, keeping electronics and small appliances safe. However, power strips aren’t sufficient in case of a major spike, and they only protect what you can plug into them.
This is where whole-home surge suppressors come in. An electrician like EVPlugz can install one of these devices near your main panel to regulate the electricity entering your home.
When your surge protection device detects a surge in voltage, it safely grounds the excess voltage. The surge is then dispersed into the ground and away from your appliances.
It’s a very simple upgrade that could save you thousands of dollars in damage to appliances and electrical circuits.
What Does Florida Say About Surge Protection?
Florida is currently using the 2020 version of the National Electric Code (with a plan to switch to the 2023 version in the near future).
The 2020 version of the NEC went into effect in Florida toward the end of 2023 and introduced new requirements for surge protection. This means that if your home was built before 2023, you might not have a whole-home surge protector installed.
The NEC states that your home should have type 1 or type 2 surge protection, with type 1 protecting your main panel and type 2 devices typically protecting subpanels.
If you’re not sure whether your home has surge protection, you can schedule an inspection with EVPlugz. We’ll determine whether your electric system is up to code and recommend upgrades that make sense for your current infrastructure.
Besides making your home safer, adding surge protection is a simple upgrade that is necessary if you plan to sell your home or need to pass an electrical inspection as part of broader electrical upgrades.
Schedule Your Whole-Home Surge Protection Upgrade With EVPlugz
Let’s make your home safer. If you don’t have a surge protection device, we can install one. It’s a simple, affordable upgrade that could save you thousands in the event of a lightning strike or a sudden grid surge.
Contact us today to learn more about bringing your home up to code with a surge protector.
FAQ
Why do I need whole-home surge protection?
Power surges can occur at any time due to lightning strikes or fluctuations in your utility power. Whole-home surge suppressors prevent these sudden voltage spikes from damaging your electrical system, appliances, and devices. In Florida, where lightning is frequent, this protection is especially important.
Are surge protectors different from power strips?
Power strips protect only what’s plugged into them, and only up to a certain limit. A whole-home surge protector connects to your main electrical panel and defends your entire home’s wiring and appliances, even the ones permanently wired or on separate circuits.
Does Florida require surge protection in homes?
Yes. Under the 2020 National Electric Code (NEC), which Florida currently follows, new homes must have type 1 or type 2 surge protection. Homes built before 2023 might not have it, so an inspection is the best way to know if you meet the current standard.
How can I tell if my home already has surge protection?
A licensed electrician can inspect your main electrical panel and confirm whether a surge protection device is installed. EVPlugz offers inspections to check system compliance and recommend upgrades if needed.
