Electrician Fort Mill | Rock Hill | Johnathon Brown Electric
Whole House Surge Protector Installation
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You’ve probably protected your computer, television sets and other electronics with plug in power strips for years. Now it is time to take the next step and protect all the electronics in your home with a whole house surge protector. After all, nearly everything you plug in today is electronic and you are probably overlooking surge suppression for some very valuable devices.
Do You Have Surge Protection:
- When you charge your smart phone?
- When you charge your tablet?
- For your appliances that contain electronic boards like washing machines, dryers and even refrigerators?
- For your LED light bulbs? (They have chips in them than can get fried)
- For your expensive wi-fi connected thermostats?
We have so many devices in our homes that are mini-computers and need to be protected from power surges of all types.
What A Whole House Surge Protector Does
A whole home surge protector installs at your breaker panel and controls the electricity that enters your home, as well as providing protection from internal surges. Using a whole house surge suppressor provides protection against spikes in voltage caused by a lightning strike down the street, power cycling on and off due to supply problems, and internal surges caused by air conditioners and other large appliances turning on and off.
Additional Surge Protection Options
For sensitive electronics, we suggest a layered approach to surge protection. Having a whole home surge protector installed is the first layer. Protecting individual outlets is the second layer. Don’t want bulking surge protection strips all over the home? We can help with special outlets that include surge protection. These are great for the outlet you use to charge your phone or tablet or where hiding a surge protector would be difficult.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whole house surge protector installation typically costs a few hundred dollars including the device and labor, with the final price depending on your panel setup and whether layered protection at individual outlets is added. Compared to replacing a fried HVAC system, refrigerator, or home full of electronics after a major storm, it’s a relatively small upfront investment for the protection it provides.
Plug-in power strips only protect whatever is plugged directly into them, like a TV or computer — they do nothing for your HVAC system, washer, dryer, water heater, or anything else hardwired into your home. A whole house surge protector installs at your breaker panel and protects every circuit in your home at once, which matters a lot during the frequent thunderstorms our area sees throughout spring and summer.
Not entirely. A whole house surge protector dramatically reduces the risk of damage from nearby lightning strikes, grid fluctuations, and the everyday internal surges caused by appliances cycling on and off, but a direct strike on your home can carry more voltage than any surge protector is built to absorb. For the strongest protection, we often recommend a layered approach: a whole house unit at the panel plus surge-protected outlets for your most sensitive electronics.
Most units last around 3 to 5 years, though a major surge event can wear one out sooner since each protector has a limited capacity to absorb voltage spikes before it stops working effectively. Many models include an indicator light that signals when the unit has been triggered or needs replacement, and we’re happy to check yours during any service visit to confirm it’s still doing its job.
Some insurance providers offer discounts for homes with whole house surge protection installed, since it lowers the risk of electrical damage claims. Coverage and discounts vary by provider, so it’s worth checking with your insurance company directly, but it’s a question we get often enough that it’s worth raising with your agent after installation.