Power surges is one of the most destructive of electrical power disturbances. Power surges are sudden spikes in voltage. They are usually brief, lasting only millionth of a second. Electricity used in homes across the US  is in the form of single phase 120 volt, 60 hertz alternating current. The voltage oscillates from 0 to a peak of 169 volts, and most household appliances are designed to operate under this condition.

Power Surge

A power surge is a spike that goes above 169 volts. Power surges cause internal spikes in voltage in your appliances. Heat generated in the electrical arc can cause damage to the appliance. Overtime, the cumulative effects of these damages will cause the appliance to malfunction.

Power surges can come in different sources, the most common ones are from the utility companies during switching  from power grids, from household appliances like air conditioner, refrigerators going on and off, and also from lightning.  It is estimated that 20 million lightnings strikes  the 48 contiguous US states each year. Surges can vary in duration and intensity ranging from several hundred  to thousands of volts.

Most of us are aware of the need to protect electronic equipments from power surges using point of use surge protectors like power strips and uninterruptible power supplies. The installation of a power factor correction device like the Power Save 1200 power factor conditioning unit aside from providing power factor correction, has the added benefit of acting as a whole house surge protector, providing 2000 joules of surges protection.