Surge Protection FAQs | CoHarbor Electric

Surge Protection FAQs

You ever notice the lights blink for a second during a storm? Or maybe the TV shuts off, then kicks right back on like nothing happened? Most folks don’t think twice about it. But those tiny flickers—that’s your house taking a hit from a power surge.

We’ve seen what those little jolts can do. Burnt control boards, dead Wi-Fi routers, garage door openers that just quit. All from a quick spike that lasted less than a second. And that’s exactly why surge protection matters more than people realize.

At Coharbor Electric, we’ve been installing these systems for years, and we’ve heard just about every question there is. So, let’s run through some of the most common ones in plain talk—no tech speak, no fluff.

“What exactly is a power surge?”

A power surge is a sudden jump in voltage traveling through your home’s wiring. Your house runs on about 120 volts. A surge can bump that to 1,000 volts or more for a split second.

That doesn’t sound like much until you realize how sensitive modern electronics are. Everything these days—your fridge, A/C, even your washer—runs on circuit boards. They’re like the brains of the equipment. One big jolt, or enough small ones over time, and poof—something stops working.

“Where do power surges come from?”

The obvious answer is lightning, right? Sure, lightning’s a big one. But truth is, most surges start inside your home.

Here’s what we see all the time:

• Big appliances like A/C units or dryers turning on and off.

• Utility switching or when power comes back after an outage.

• Faulty or loose wiring inside older panels.

• Generators wired wrong or without a transfer switch.

Even small surges do damage little by little. You might not notice it today, but over time, your electronics wear out faster.

“So what’s the difference between a surge and a brownout?”

Good question. A surge is too much power all at once. A brownout is when the voltage drops too low.

Both can hurt your equipment. Brownouts make motors strain—your fridge, your A/C fan, anything with a compressor. And when the voltage bounces back up? That snap can send a surge through the house. That’s usually when something blows.

“How does a surge protector even work?”

Think of it like a safety valve.

When a surge comes through, the device senses the extra voltage and instantly dumps it to the ground. That’s it. Simple idea, but the timing has to be perfect—it reacts in less than a millisecond.

Whole-home surge protectors sit right at your electrical panel. So instead of every appliance taking that hit, the surge gets stopped at the gate.

“Don’t my power strips already do that?”

They help a little, but not enough.

Those cheap surge strips can stop small spikes, but when the surge comes through the utility line or a lightning strike nearby, it’ll blow right past that strip.

The best setup is layered protection—a whole-home surge protector at your panel and a few plug-in protectors for your sensitive electronics. The big one catches the heavy surge; the small ones clean up what’s left.

“Will a surge protector stop lightning?”

No. If lightning hits your house directly, nothing’s stopping that.

But here’s the thing—it almost never hits houses directly. It usually strikes nearby power poles or transformers. That energy travels through the lines and straight into your home. That’s the kind of surge a whole-home protector can handle.

So while it won’t save you from a direct strike, it’ll stop 99% of the voltage surges that come from lightning in your area.

“How long do these protectors last?”

It depends on how often they take a hit. Most good ones last somewhere around five to ten years.

Every time they catch a surge, it uses up a bit of their capacity. They have a little indicator light—green means good, red or off means time for a replacement. We always check them during service calls because people forget to look until it’s too late.

“Can I install one myself?”

I’ll be honest—you could, but you shouldn’t.

These units wire straight into your main panel. Even when the main breaker’s off, there are still live parts inside that can shock or burn you bad. We’ve seen plenty of DIY installs wired wrong, and in most cases, the thing wasn’t even working.

A licensed electrician can install it safely, test it, and make sure it’s grounded properly. Takes about an hour, maybe less.

“How much does it cost?”

Usually between $300 and $600, depending on your setup and the brand. That includes the parts and labor.

It’s one of those upgrades that feels optional until you lose an appliance. The control board in a modern air conditioner can cost that much by itself.

“What happens if I don’t have surge protection?”

Without it, every surge that comes through hits your appliances directly. It might not blow them instantly, but it shortens their life—kind of like rust on metal.

Over time, things start failing one by one. You might notice flickering lights, a tripped breaker, or your fridge “acting funny.” All small signs of damage stacking up from unprotected surges.

“How do I know if I already have one?”

Take a look at your electrical panel. If you see a small box or module labeled “Surge Protection Device” (or “SPD”), you’re covered. It’ll usually have a couple of indicator lights.

If you don’t see anything like that, you probably don’t have one—or it might’ve failed long ago. Easy fix either way.

“Do they need maintenance?”

Not much. Just check the indicator lights every few months, and definitely after a big storm. If the light’s out, it’s done its job and needs to be replaced.

Other than that, they’re pretty much hands-off. We check them during regular maintenance visits, but it’s not something that needs constant attention.

“Are there different types of surge protectors?”

Yeah, three main ones:

• Type 1: Installed before your electrical panel—between the meter and the main.

• Type 2: Installed at the panel. That’s what we put in most homes.

• Type 3: Plug-in protectors (like power strips).

Type 2 gives you the best all-around protection. The others play supporting roles depending on the setup.

“Do they help during brownouts?”

Not directly. They’re built to stop surges, not dips.

But here’s the catch—when power drops, then suddenly comes back, that rebound can send a surge right through your wiring. That’s where the protector steps in and saves your equipment.

So no, it won’t keep your lights from dimming—but it’ll stop the jolt that follows.

“How long does installation take?”

About an hour. Maybe less if your panel’s in good shape.

We mount the unit, wire it in, test the voltage, and make sure it’s properly bonded to ground. You’ll have protection before we even leave the driveway.

Final Thoughts

Surge protection isn’t one of those flashy upgrades—it’s not something you show off. It’s the kind of thing that quietly does its job every day, saving you from problems you’ll never see.

The truth is, you only notice it when you don’t have it.

At Coharbor Electric, we’ve seen the damage from unprotected homes—fried A/C boards, dead appliances, even panel damage from one bad surge. A whole-home surge protector keeps all of that from happening.

⚡ Call Coharbor Electric today to schedule a surge protection inspection or installation. We’ll make sure your system’s protected from the inside out—so the next time the lights flicker, you can relax knowing your home’s safe.