Causes of Power Surge

Power surges are mostly caused by in-house problems within the facility hosting the electrical equipment. External events could also upset the internal electrical system through telephone lines, power cords, and cable, satellite or antenna lines. Events that lead to power surges can be grouped into three major categories:

Lightning: One of the rarer causes of surges, lightning accounts for barely two percent of damages from power surge. When lightning strikes exposed cables that feed electric equipment, directly, it can lead to a devastating power surge. Even without direct contact, the electromagnetic fields created by lightning can induce power surges that affect transmission lines (power, radio or telecommunication), which in turn affects electric or electronic equipment in a facility.

Local Power System: Issues emanating from the local power company account for the bulk of externally generated power surges. Faulty wiring, breakdown of equipment, grid shifting, capacitor switching, and faulty power lines are all probable causes of surges from the local electric company. Power lines shared by those who use heavy electrical equipment (which is frequently turned on and off) could also cause a surge affecting everyone on the power line.

In-house Events: Frequently switching on and off high-powered electrical equipment commonly leads to in-house generated power surges. Constant tripping of fuses and circuit breakers produce similar effects. Internally generated power surges are usually small, degrading electrical equipment over time rather than destroying it.

Protecting Against Surges

Almost every business today relies on the use of electrical or electronic equipment – computers and office equipment, manufacturing plant and equipment, security alarm systems, communication systems, etc. This places almost every business owner at risk of a power surge.

The wiring and grounding within a facility critically determines its susceptibility to surge. Telephone, satellite and cable wires must be bonded at the same grounding point; grounding should keep to the National Electric Code.

Power surges cannot be eliminated, but they can be managed. The installation of surge suppression devices can help limit the effect of a power surge on your electrical equipment. Surge protection can be installed at the point where external power is supplied to the commercial facility, at distribution panels within the facility, and directly to highly sensitive individual equipment.

Note that there are a variety of surge suppression devices designed for varying circumstances. You would want to consider the performance criteria of a surge suppression device as well as your own needs before making a selection. An expert electrician could help you select the best surge suppression device for your commercial facility.