Key takeaways
- A whole house surge protector installs at your panel and limits surges before they reach your circuits.
- It protects hardwired equipment that power bars cannot, like furnaces, heat pumps and appliances.
- For best results, pair it with good quality surge-protecting power bars at sensitive electronics.
Homes today are full of electronics: furnace and heat pump control boards, smart thermostats, appliances, EV chargers, TVs and computers. A single voltage surge can damage several of them at once. A whole house surge protector is one of the simplest ways to reduce that risk.
What causes surges?
- Lightning strikes on or near power lines
- Switching and faults on the utility grid, including when power comes back after an outage
- Large motors in your own home turning on and off, such as air conditioners and pumps
Most surges are small and frequent. Over time they can still shorten the life of electronics.
How a whole house surge protector works
The device is installed at your electrical panel. When voltage spikes, it diverts the excess energy to ground before it travels through your circuits. Because it sits at the panel, it protects everything in the house, including hardwired equipment you cannot plug into a power bar.
Whole house protection versus power bars
Surge-protecting power bars protect what is plugged into them. A whole house surge protector protects the whole system, starting at the panel. The best approach uses both: whole house protection at the panel and good power bars at computers, TVs and home office equipment.
Is it worth it?
For most homes, yes. The device is a small cost compared with replacing a furnace control board, an appliance or an EV charger. It makes particular sense if you have:
- A heat pump, central air or a newer high-efficiency furnace
- An EV charger or solar equipment
- A home office with expensive equipment
- A property on the lakeshore or in a rural area with frequent storms
Installation
A surge protector must be installed by a licensed electrician at the panel, and it is often added during a panel upgrade or EV charger installation. FM Electric installs whole house surge protection across the Niagara Region. Call (905) 931-4522.
Frequently asked questions
Does a whole house surge protector protect against lightning?
It helps with surges from nearby strikes and grid switching, but nothing fully protects against a direct lightning strike. It significantly reduces risk from the far more common smaller surges.
Do I still need power bars?
Yes. Use surge-protecting power bars at sensitive electronics in addition to whole house protection at the panel.
