Power Surge Damage Circuit Breaker

Circuit breakers are constructed to wit stand a very high voltage but sometimes a lightening strike may be too much for the internal circuit.

Power surge damage circuit breaker.

Lightning strikes are another common cause of power surges. Start with surge protectors both large and small. The same nuisance tripping may occur with cafci breakers which sense for l n l g and series arcs. So here s what you can do to recognise the dangers and protect your home from electrical damage.

A lightning strike power surge is what most people think of causing a power surge. During a power surge damage to hvac systems appliances and electronics can occur. Whole house surge protectors are installed at the main electrical service panel where the circuit breakers or fuses are located. The suppressor will channel the extra electricity during the power surge and prevent it from getting into your main system.

Homes use 120 volt power with voltage ranging from 169 volts low to 169 volts high. All of these smart circuit breakers are equipped with electronics which makes them more prone to surge damage. Most households experience power surges at some point. Power surges you probably know they can trigger a circuit breaker and shut off electricals but do you know what causes them or how they can potentially damage equipment around the home.

Tripped circuit breakers and short circuits in your wiring system can also lead to power spikes. A back flow of electricity can also damage the internal works if lightening hits an outdoor fixture and the electricity from the lightening bolt attempts to travel back to the circuit breaker box. This creates a surge in electricity and the circuit breaker will trip. Smaller repeated power surges may slowly damage your electronic equipment.

When electrical power comes back after an outage it goes through a surge condition. A power surge spikes the voltage above 170 volts. Therefore surge protection is a good idea on panels with these types of breakers employed. Electrical appliances will of course stop working if the power goes out.

How to avoid damage to electrical devices caused by power surges or voltage spikes as described in this question even though there is a 30 amp 240 volt circuit for the trailer power there may be a great deal of the electrical loads at the trailer that are placed on one 120 volt lines that are creating an unbalanced load. Your computer or stereo may continue to function after small surges occur until the integrity of the electronic components finally erode and your satellite. If surges are caused by a problem in the wiring of your home you should talk to an electrician to see if you need to rewire the house or replace the circuit breaker. This is inconvenient but not necessarily harmful.