Getting A Lot Of Power Surges? What Can Cause This

It is common to get electrical power surges in a home, and some are so small you will not even notice they happen. If you do notice, however, and you are getting a lot of power surges, this can be caused by many things. Below is more information about this so you can get the problem taken care of by a licensed electrician.

Circuit Overload in Your Home

The most common cause of an electrical power surge is a circuit overload inside your home. This may be an overload caused by your HVAC unit when it comes on or by one or more of your large appliances. It can even happen by using power tools, a hairdryer, or a space heater.

Some of these things cause only small power surges that will not cause damage. Large surges, however, can damage your electrical system. This can result in many repairs especially if a lot of damage is caused by the power surge. 

The electrician may want to update the circuit breakers in your home as well as all the wiring that is behind the circuit breaker panel. Doing this will also take care of other electrical problems you may have such as flickering lights or outlets that do not work.

Old Electrical System

If you have been in your home for many years or you just purchased an older home, the power surges may be due to your electrical system being outdated. You may have faulty wiring, which is a serious issue that can result in an electrical fire. Older homes generally have aluminum wiring and newer homes have copper wiring. If your home has older wiring, the electrician will likely want to replace it. Older wiring connections may loosen, resulting in a surge. 

Newer appliances and other electronics may require more power than older circuit breakers can handle. An electrician can check the amps that are needed and compare this with the circuit breaker that is powering the item. Updating the circuit breaker may fix the surge problem. The electrician may want to update all the circuit breakers because they are old.  

These power surges can damage something if it is plugged in during the surge. For example, your laptop or computer may be damaged or one of your appliances.

An electrician can give you much more information about power surges and other things that can cause this to happen.


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