Surge protection

Whole-home and commercial surge protection in Edmonton: panel-mounted surge protective devices, point-of-use advice and grounding checks by licensed electricians.

What a surge is

A surge is a very short spike in voltage, lasting millionths of a second. Big ones come from lightning striking near power lines or utility switching. Smaller ones happen many times a day inside a building, when motors in furnaces, compressors, elevators and appliances switch on and off.

Modern homes and businesses are full of electronics that are sensitive to these spikes: furnace and heat pump control boards, appliances with circuit boards, EV chargers, computers, TVs and network gear. A large surge can destroy them instantly; repeated small ones can shorten their life.

How whole-building surge protection works

A surge protective device, or SPD, is installed at or near the panel. When voltage spikes, it diverts the excess energy to ground before it can travel through your circuits. Because it sits at the panel, it protects everything on those circuits, including hardwired equipment like furnaces and heat pumps that cannot be plugged into a power bar.

No SPD can guarantee protection against a direct lightning strike, but a properly installed device greatly reduces the risk from the surges that happen far more often.

Summer thunderstorms around Edmonton can be intense, and rural properties on long overhead lines tend to see more surges than homes in the city core.

Grounding matters

An SPD needs a good path to ground to work. In older homes, the grounding and bonding may not meet current standards, or may have been disturbed by renovations or plumbing changes. We check the grounding system as part of installing an SPD and recommend upgrades if needed.

SPD installation involves work inside the panel and must be done by a licensed electrician. It pairs well with a panel replacement or service upgrade, since the panel is already open.

Homes and businesses

For homes, a panel SPD is a modest addition that helps protect heat pumps, furnaces, appliances and EV chargers. For businesses and plants, surge protection may be installed at the main switchgear, at distribution panels and at sensitive equipment such as controls, drives and IT. We can work with your engineer on coordinated protection for larger facilities.

Cost depends on the type and rating of the device, the panel or switchgear it goes into, any grounding upgrades and whether it is part of a larger job. Point-of-use power bars with surge protection are a good companion; look for certified products with a clear rating.

What is worth protecting

In a typical Edmonton home, the equipment most at risk from surges is also some of the most expensive to replace:

• Furnace and boiler control boards, which are critical in a -30 C cold snap.
• Heat pumps and air conditioners with variable-speed electronics.
• EV chargers and the vehicles connected to them.
• Appliances with electronic controls, such as fridges, washers and ranges.
• Home office equipment, network gear and entertainment systems.

For businesses, add point-of-sale systems, refrigeration controls, building automation, security systems and drives. A single failed control board can mean a service call, a wait for parts and, in winter, a cold building.

Questions we hear