Power surges can appear with little warning, and an energy spike of a second or two is sufficient to severely damage electronic components. You probably already take steps to protect your high-tech devices, such as a prized high-definition television or laptop, with a surge suppressor or protector. Do you need the same level of surge protection for air conditioners? Without any doubt.
What Does a Power Surge Do to Your Home?
A power surge is a spike of voltage that runs through your electrical wiring. It can harm all kinds of expensive and useful appliances, from air conditioners to computers. They cause a lot of damage, but are they really common enough that buying a power surge protector is worthwhile?
It’s true that large power surges aren’t very common, but smaller power surges happen regularly. They are frequently caused by large appliances turning on and off. The average home experiences these surges on a regular basis. They slowly cause damage to your appliances, including your air conditioner, over time. You may need to replace appliances early die to damage from power surges. Power surges are momentary and may not seem to cause any damage from the outside, so you likely won’t notice them. If you’ve ever had an appliance or computer stop turning on out of nowhere, power surges may have been the cause. It’s wise to protect your appliances from power surges.
Why Is It Important To Have a Surge Protector for Your Air Conditioner?
Modern air-conditioning systems contain numerous electronic parts. These intelligent components control high-tech features such as precise temperature control, variable-speed operation, smart thermostat compatibility, and noise reduction. Like other electronic devices, air conditioner hardware is extremely vulnerable to power surges.
Cost is another reason it makes sense to invest in surge protection for your HVAC system. Circuit boards are both expensive to replace and difficult to locate. Model-specific air conditioner electronic components need to be ordered individually. In the meantime, your family has to deal with life without your beloved AC. Power surge protectors will take the excess voltage generated by these events and direct it into the ground, where it can’t hurt your appliance. However, extreme power surges can still overwhelm your protector. So, if you’re investing in one, be sure it rated for a high voltage.
How Do HVAC Surge Protectors Work?
When there’s excess electricity flowing into your home’s electrical system, the surge protector reroutes the current away from the HVAC unit and into the grounding wire. The grounding wire directs the electricity into the ground, where it can discharge without any risk of causing fires or electrical shocks.
The surge protector ensures that the HVAC unit only receives the correct voltage needed to continue operating without a hitch. But in case of extreme power surges like those caused by lightning storms, the surge protector can’t divert that much extra electricity. The protector will cut off its connection to the HVAC unit so that it gets the full brunt of the surge instead of the unit. Though this will overload the protector and destroy it, the outcome costs far less than a ruined HVAC system.
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