How to Use a Surge Protector Correctly in Central Florida

In Lakeland, the afternoon thunderstorms that are as regular as clockwork can produce frequent and dangerous lightning.  If your home does not have a surge protector to protect your electronics, there is a good chance a direct or indirect lightning strike can damage them.

Using a surge protector can protect your electronics at home or your office from devastating lightning strikes and unforeseen power surges.  Here are some things you need to know in order to purchase the right surge protector for your home.

You need to know the difference between a power strip and a surge protector.

Not every power strip is a surge protector. A power strip plugs into an outlet and sends electricity to multiple ports. A surge protector is designed to protect your computer, TV, and other electronics against power surges and any interference or noise on your power line.  It can resemble a power strip so be sure that is what it is when shopping for one. Some surge protectors will also have coaxial cable ports to run cable connections through for additional protection.

You also need to consider what your surge protector will be protecting. 

If you are protecting a 4K TV, you want to be sure to protect the feed in and out of the television or cable box. As previously mentioned some surge protectors come with coaxial cable ports.  Running the cable feed through the surge protector will protect not only a surge from an outlet but a lightning strike on a cable line also. If you are protecting workstations at an office, you will want to be sure that each surge protector has an adequate amount of outlets to meet the needs of each.

If you have invested a significant amount of money in home electronics, perhaps your home is a smart home, then you want to protect that investment.  A whole home surge protector not only protects your electronics, it protects appliances as well. In fact, it protects every outlet.  Imagine what it would be like if your air conditioner fell victim to a lightning strike or power surge in August.  Since high voltage is being dealt with only a licensed electrician should install a whole home surge protector.

Let Dynamic R.I.C. Electric help you protect your home from power surges. Call 863-333-0762 or fill out our online contact form, one of our knowledgeable staff members will be happy to help you and get you scheduled.