Count the things in your home with a circuit board: furnace, refrigerator, range, dishwasher, washer, garage door opener, thermostat, televisions, chargers. Every one of them can be damaged by a voltage surge.
Where surges come from
- Power being restored after an outage.
- Utility switching and faults on the grid.
- Lightning striking nearby lines.
- Large motors inside your own home starting and stopping.
Most surges are small and frequent. They do not destroy equipment in one hit. They wear it out early.
What a whole house protector does
It mounts at the electrical panel and diverts excess voltage to ground before it spreads through the house. Because it sits at the panel, it protects hardwired equipment that cannot be plugged into a strip, such as your furnace and well pump.
What it does not do
No device guarantees protection from a direct lightning strike. And point-of-use protectors still have a place for computers and home theater gear. Think of it as layers: one at the panel and one at the most sensitive equipment.
Is it worth it?
The device and installation cost a fraction of what a single appliance control board or furnace repair does, and installation takes about an hour. For homes with frequent outages, a generator or new appliances, we think it is one of the best-value upgrades available.
See whole house surge protection. It is often added during an electrical panel upgrade or generator installation.