How Refrigerators and Appliances Are Affected by Voltage Spikes

The good news is that electrical engineers have created devices called surge protectors to defend your valuable equipment from these dangerous power fluctuations. These devices work by absorbing excess electricity before it causes damage.

Mr. Electric is proud to provide professional surge protection installation services. Our certified electricians also offer electrical repair service to fix appliances damaged by power surges. Contact Mr. Electric today to protect your home with comprehensive surge protection.

What Voltage Spikes Actually Are

Normal household electricity flows at a steady 120 volts for most outlets and 240 volts for large appliances. Voltage spikes are sudden increases above these normal levels. Some spikes jump to thousands or even millions of volts for brief moments; others involve smaller-yet-frequent increases of just 10 or 20 volts.

Lightning strikes create the most dramatic voltage spikes. When lightning hits even power lines near your home, massive amounts of electricity surge through wires into your house. These enormous spikes can reach millions of volts.

Utility company maintenance causes frequent voltage spikes too. When power companies switch circuits, repair lines, or adjust equipment, temporary voltage fluctuations travel through power lines to homes. These spikes are smaller than lightning but still harmful.

Appliances turning on and off inside your own home create tiny voltage spikes constantly. When your refrigerator’s compressor kicks on or your air conditioner starts, for instance, small voltage fluctuations ripple through your electrical system. These mini-spikes seem harmless, but they accumulate damage over time.

How Refrigerators Suffer from Voltage Spikes

Refrigerators, like almost all modern appliances, contain sensitive electronic control boards that manage temperature, defrost cycles, and other functions. These circuit boards include delicate components that voltage spikes damage easily.

Large voltage spikes from lightning or utility problems can instantly destroy refrigerator control boards, and even smaller repeated voltage spikes cause gradual deterioration of refrigerator electronics. After months or years of accumulated damage, parts fail prematurely.

The Cumulative Effect of Small Voltage Spikes

While dramatic lightning strikes grab attention, the more common threat to appliances comes from the countless small voltage spikes happening daily.

Every time your air conditioner kicks on, a small spike travels through the circuit. When construction equipment operates nearby, voltage irregularities affect surrounding properties.

These individual spikes seem too small to matter, but appliances experience dozens or hundreds of these tiny surges weekly. Like dripping water eventually wearing away stone, persistent small voltage spikes steadily damage electronic components.

This gradual damage explains why appliances fail mysteriously without obvious causes. Homeowners wonder why their five-year-old refrigerator needs a new control board when it should last fifteen years. The culprit is often years of built-up voltage spike damage.

How Surge Protectors Defend Your Appliances

A surge protection installation sits between your electrical system and your appliances; it’s constantly monitoring voltage levels in the electrical circuits.

When voltage spikes happen, surge protectors instantly redirect excess electricity to ground before it reaches your appliances. The harmful surge dissipates harmlessly while your refrigerator, water heater, and other appliances receive only normal and safe voltage.

While point-of-use surge protectors are helpful, they only protect what plugs directly into them. A whole-house surge protection installation provides superior coverage by protecting everything in your property simultaneously.

Proper installation is key, though. It is always advisable to hire a certified electrician to install the surge protector at the electrical panel.

Mr. Electric is Ready to Help

Whether you want to get ahead of the curve with a surge protector installation or address the damage that has been done with urgent electrical repair service, the uniformed team at Mr. Electric is ready to help.

Call or message Mr. Electric to hire a local, certified electrician today. Our live representatives and dedicated electricians are on standby to take your call or message.