Electricity experiences interruptions.
If these are expected, appropriate action can be taken to ensure the electrical installations and circuit accessories remain unharmed.
However, power surges are unexpected, putting electrical equipment at risk.
An Electrical Installation Condition Report is a crucial part of building maintenance and can even help your equipment survive a power surge or prevent the surge altogether.
Unexpected
You’ll notice a power surge when all your electrical equipment switches off without warning.
It occurs when there’s an unexpected interruption to the electricity’s flow through the wires.
Appliances sending electricity into the system instead of taking it away can also result in a power surge.
Switching on a high-powered appliance can trigger a surge.
Dangers
Power surges lead to damage of electrical installations and appliances.
They can lead to a quickened breakdown of equipment and even result in electrical fires, which can cause an injury and death as well as property damage.
If a circuit breaker or safety switch is triggered, a power surge has occurred.
The source of what triggered it needs to be tracked down and rectified right away.
If caused by an appliance, unplug the appliance before switching the electrics back on.
Causes
Some power surges are preventable.
You can’t put a stop to lightning from striking, but you can have a lightning rod installed.
This will attract the lightning and ground it safely.
Old wiring is another cause of power surges, particularly if you have a lot of modern appliances plugged in using extension cords.
If your building has experienced a blackout, don’t switch the electricity on right away.
Unplug and switch off all lights and appliances first.
Buildings have encroached on natural habitats, which means mice and rats have nowhere to live.
They come into our buildings and gnaw on wires, leading to power surges.
Look for signs of rodent infestation, such as droppings and have them treated as soon as possible.
Unplug all appliances when not in use.
This stops a faulty device from randomly switching on and causing a power surge.
Protection
Even with every precaution taken, power surges still occur.
Surge devices installed at the mains can help protect equipment by taking the damage caused by a power surge instead of leaving the extra electricity to run through the wires and hit every appliance on the way.
Individual sockets can also have surge devices installed to protect everything plugged in there.
Extension leads with surge protection can be purchased.
Ensuring your building has up-to-date wiring is one of the best protections.
New must-have appliances are continuously released.
Older wiring cannot keep up with the demand.
An Electrical Installation Condition Report can tell you what your building can cope with and ensure any repairs or updating occurs before power surges destroy your equipment.
Power surges are a fact of modern life in commercial buildings and private homes.
Making sure the electrical installations and circuit accessories are safe and up-to-date is one of the best ways to protect your equipment.