Article Contributed on: 3/27/2008 11:06:21 AM
Is your home electrically fit?
We all use electricity every day. Most of us take it for granted - except when there's a power outage and all those electrical gadgets we depend on suddenly don't work.
With today's sophisticated appliances and electronics, protection against things like power surges and "dirty" electricity is more important than ever.
Here are a few tips for making sure your house is electrically fit, protected from power surges and "dirty" electricity.
Surge Protection
Circuit breakers and fuses protect against changes in current from within your home. But they don't protect against electrical surges from outside your home, including surges through phone or cable lines.
Power surges and spikes can happen any time. A couple dozen small surges a day isn't uncommon. They can be caused by shifting electrical loads on the power grid, lightning strikes, downed power lines - even your own household appliances. And major power surges are common after power outages.
Over time, even the smallest voltage changes can damage or ruin today's sophisticated electronics. Computers, TVs, stereos are all at risk. But so are your appliances, heating and cooling system or anything else that plugs into the wall and contains a microprocessor. If it has a digital timer or display, it has a microprocessor -- as do a lot of other devices.
If you have a computer or other high-end electronics equipment, you probably have one or more surge protectors in your house.
But what about a surge protector for your house? Providing surge protection for your house is a simple two-step process that can save you thousands of dollars.
Step 1: Hire a qualified electrical contractor to attach a heavy-duty filter (surge protector) at your electrical meter, where electricity enters your home. This device is designed to protect your major appliances and your heating and cooling systems and other electronic components in your home. It's capable of protecting your home from up to 20,000 surging volts of electricity. We give a 15-year guarantee with the ones we install.
Step 2: If you haven't already done so, install power strips with built-in surge protection to help protect your computers, phones, audio-visual equipment (TVs, stereos and video games), and so on. Buy good-quality power strips, available from most any hardware or electronics store.
Clean up "Dirty" Electricity
Sometimes surge protection isn't enough. A little known fact is that your home can have poor-quality electricity. "Power quality" describes a lot of things, but basically it refers to the quality of the voltage flowing through the wires in your home.
Chances are the power quality in your home is just fine. But if you've noticed recurring, unexplained problems with the functioning of your computers or other electronic equipment, consider adding a line conditioner - a device designed to improve the "quality" of the power delivered to your electrical equipment.
A qualified electrician can help you determine if you need a line conditioner.
Contact us at www.applewoodfixit.com or 720-249-5145 to learn more about making sure your home is electrically fit.
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(John Ward has owned and operated Applewood Plumbing, Heating & Electric for more than 30 years. He is a master plumber and recognized as an industry leader for his knowledge and ethical business practices. Applewood is the 2007 Golden Rotary Ethics in Business Award winner.)