The Importance of Surge Protection to Your Outdoor Landscape

As a homeowner, your property and valued belongings are always at some type of risk, whether from an intense hurricane or a thief. But when it comes to all of your carefully placed outdoor lighting, a power surge is the most destructive enemy. It’s all too easy to assume that your lights and electronics will always function perfectly, but it only takes one power spike to lose everything and gain a quick reminder of the virtue of precaution.

Why Do Power Surges Occur?

The electrical sockets around your home are designed to provide a steady flow of electricity. This means that when you plug in a lamp or a cellphone charger, the voltage won’t increase dramatically and cause problems. However, it’s not a perfect system, and lightning strikes, power outages, and general power grid malfunctions all have the potential to create a spike in electrical output. If this surge lasts more than a few seconds, it can significantly damage any electronics drawing power at the time. If the surge is drastic enough, anything plugged in at the time might be permanently ruined.

The Importance of Surge Protection

Although electrical sockets are meant to maintain a steady flow of electric currents, they are not equipped with any extra protection against surges and spikes. The only way to provide that extra protection is to purchase individual surge protectors. They can identify when energy has surpassed the threshold for safety and then divert all of the extra electricity so that it doesn’t pass through your devices.

But remember, power strips aren’t always surge protectors! Cheap power strips from the dollar store don’t provide surge protection. Unless the strip specifically states “surge protector”, your money won’t be getting you any extra support. Talk to your lighting company to find out how to obtain surge protectors that will keep your outdoor lighting far from harm’s way.