As an important as technology in the average American’s home and to the average American business, the truth is that it is also at risk.

Surveys by ESFI indicate that voltage surges occur monthly and cause significant damage. Sometimes that frequency occurs more often than once a month and healthcare centers (69%), industrial facilities (76%) and IT centers (80%) are among the most affected. In a home or a business, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association estimates that somewhere between 60-80% of surges originate from internal sources.

So what can be done to protect against surges? Electrical design services can help you and there are many things you can do on your own to protect equipment, whether you’re at work or at home:

At work

Surge protectors: One of the best tools a business can have at its disposal is plenty of surge protectors. These must-haves exist to protect computers, chargers and all manner of electrical devices from surges that start at a primary power source.

It’s important to note that the standard voltage in US homes and businesses is 120 volts. Anything that’s well beyond that is considered a surge. When a surge happens, any devices plugged into an unprotected outlet get that surge of power, which can greatly damage equipment. With a surge protector, any excess (or extra) voltage is transferred to the protector’s grounding wire, which stops that extra voltage from reaching any electrical devices.

During electrical storms, you can do yourself a great service by unplugging for electrical office equipment and waiting for the storm to end.

Uninterruptable power supplies: Another thing electrical design services may suggest is uninterruptable power supplies. These machines keep electronic devices going for a set amount of time when power to a building is cut off without warning. Power is essentially stored in a battery and then distributed to keep devices going.

At home

From your laptop or tablet to your TV to all your kitchen appliances, your home has a lot of electronic stuff in it and because it has so many electronics, you need to do all you can to protect them.

So what can you do? You can seek out electrical design services or you can follow these easy DIY steps:

Protect your entire house: It doesn’t take long for surges to cause a significant amount of damage if your electronic devices aren’t protected. To help with that, most companies offering electrical design services suggest investing in a whole-home surge suppressor. A suppressor acts as a sort of gateway for electricity as it enters a house’s service panel. When that happens, a suppressor shuts off power and redirects it.
• Protect sensitive areas: A suppressor works great for protecting against surges, but you’re definitely still going to need extra protection for sensitive areas. That means you’ll need to get some power strips or a UPS, which will help give extra protection to areas like your home office or TV area.
• Be smart: When it comes to plugging in electronics at home, you want to make sure you’re extra careful. That means you don’t want to plug an air conditioner into the same power strip as your computer or your printer. Appliances that require large amounts of electricity to run need to be plugged in by themselves and not share outlets with other big-energy items.
• Be mindful of electricity When it comes to your home’s electrical system, you need to be sure the electricity actually has somewhere to go. You need to make sure there’s a pathway that will lead electricity away from your house. Residential electrical services, commercial lighting services, electrical engineering services and companies offering electrical design services can advise you on how best to create an electrical pathway.

There are many things you can do to protect your workplace and your home from surges. By using the methods described above you’ll be able to keep your electronic devices safer and significantly reduce your risk of damage from electrical surges.