As electricians servicing the Adelaide metropolitan area for over two decades, one of the most underrated yet crucially important electrical components we always recommend is surge protection. While not as visibly obvious as circuit breakers or outlets, comprehensive surge suppression is vital for safeguarding your home or business’s electrical systems and connected equipment from damaging power spikes and surges.
Adelaide’s combination of high lightning activity, frequent heavy storms, bushfires, and an ageing electrical grid infrastructure makes surge events an ever-present risk. According to the Australian Industry Group, power surges cause an estimated $780 million annually in commercial/industrial equipment damage or downtime across the country. For homes, costly damage to appliances, electronics, HVAC systems and wiring are all too common when unprotected.
As electricians, we’ve witnessed firsthand the aftermath of surge damage – fried circuit boards, burnt wiring, shorted outlets, ruined televisions and more. In worst cases, these power spikes can also lead to electrical fires and serious safety hazards. Don’t think it can’t happen to you – the National Electrical and Communications Association states that up to 25% of homes will experience a power surge each year. The good news is that proper surge protection can prevent an estimated 50-85% of surge damage when installed correctly.
Types of surge protection devices
There are several main categories of surge protective devices (SPDs) that provide escalating levels of protection:
- Plug-in protectors – The most basic level, these are power strips or plug-in devices for individual equipment. They suppress surges up to a certain voltage, but don’t protect against larger events.
- Service entrance SPDs – These are hardwired to your electrical service to stop surges from reaching electrical panels and branch circuits. An essential layer of defence.
- Localised SPDs – Installed at key equipment like HVAC units, servers or automation systems, these reinforce protection at susceptible device locations.
Professional whole-home/facility protection
For optimum whole-property defence against surges, we recommend a cascading multilayer approach utilising:
- A high-voltage service entrance SPD installed at the main electrical panel/metre
- Additional SPDs hardwired at major subpanels
- Point-of-use SPDs for sensitive electronics/equipment
- Lightning protection system for large homes/buildings
This segmented configuration of surge suppression components provides redundancy so no single point of failure allows a surge through. It makes the entire electrical system resilient by removing destructive overvoltages at each ingress point.
Key features to look for:
- UL/IEC certified with failure and safety disconnect modes
- High energy dissipation capacity of 200-400kA or more
- Covers both electrical line-to-ground and line-to-line surges
- Warrantied components from trusted manufacturers
- LED indicators for monitoring suppression status
Adelaide electrician installation best practices
While some plug-in surge protectors can be DIY installed, we strongly recommend hiring a licensed electrician for comprehensive surge protection, especially whole-home/building setups. Proper installation following local codes, grounding requirements and electrical safety standards is crucial. Some key considerations we follow:
- Protection at all incoming electrical services, including communications/data lines
- Sizing and cascading SPD components for sufficient current handling
- Coordinating suppression ratings across electrical panels and devices
- Complying with equipment certifications and instructions
- Providing dedicated SPD overcurrent and disconnect means
- Regular inspection/replacement scheduling
Don’t neglect your surge protection
Too often we encounter properties with insufficient or outdated surge protection, leaving them vulnerable to catastrophic damage from power spikes. We’ve seen $20,000+ repair bills due to a single surge event destroying appliances, electronics, HVAC equipment and even requiring full electrical panel replacements.
As electricians, we urge all our customers to make surge suppression a priority to protect their valuable investments and electrical infrastructure. When professionally installed by an expert, multilayer surge protection pays for itself many times over in prevention of costly repair bills or replacement down the road after a serious surge event.
Don’t wait until it’s too late – have your home or commercial building’s surge protection assessed and upgraded by a qualified Adelaide electrician. It’s an essential yet often overlooked electrical safeguard that provides peace of mind protection against potentially devastating power surges.
