Tamworth in summer is notorious for sun, but with the heat comes the storms (if we are lucky this year!). Storms are usually quite stealth and they generally creep up on us and we’re not always home to unplug our appliances when they hit. While we may not be able to stop the storm, there are certain steps you can take to ensure your home is storm safe.
No appliance is immune from the risk of lightning surge damage. Computers, printers, microwaves, TV’s, DVD players, medical equipment, modems, external hard drives and telephones are the most at risk appliances. The sunny season is a great time to take measures to make backups of all your important digital files in case the lightening lashes. Here are three ways you can protect your electrical equipment.
SURGE PROTECTED POWERBOARDS
Surge protected power boards plug directly into your power point and provide surge protection to the devices plugged directly into the board. Each powerboard generally provides a different level of protection, so check with us before you buy one as you may need a higher level of surge safety. If a surge has occurred, some powerboards may need to be replaced, so check before you buy.
SURGE PROTECTED POWER POINTS
Whilst you can buy a surge protected powerboard from an electrical retailer, you’ll need a licensed electrician to install surge protected power points. This process may be slightly more expensive than using regular power outlets but they do provide you with peace of mind. Surge protected outlets absorb voltage surges or spikes and reduce the chance of damage to your crucial electrical equipment. Talk to us about installing these in your kitchen, lounge room or home office.
SWITCH BOARD SURGE PROTECTION
Newer switchboards have built in surge protected modules which can be swapped out instead of having to disconnect the power to replace the damaged equipment. These modules generally have an indicator light which tells you when the board is overloaded. Playing with your switch board without a licensed electrician is incredibly dangerous so definitely don’t try this at home.