Dallas Electrician | Surge Protection | FAQ

Q: Does Milestone Electric recommend surge protection?

A: YES!

Types of Surge Protection...

Almost all surge suppressors are made up of single or multiple metal oxide varistors (MOV's). They function similar to a capacitor. When an MOV receives a charge that exceeds the normal energy level, it drains it, or bleeds it back to the ground. Most surge suppressors are one-time units, meaning once they have performed their surge suppressing task, they need to be replaced. For a home, surge suppressors cost around $300. Some three phase applications can require surge suppressors that will run up to $900. Several units that are available use parallel technologies allowing multiple uses and higher life expectancy, however these units usually do not offer any insurance for your electronics or appliances. The worst part is they usually cost $2900 and up! Our surge suppressors have a limited warranty, and cover up to $50,000.00 of damage to your electronics (depending on the model). Having coverage...good coverage is extremely valuable, especially in Texas, because most home owner insurance policies have a 1% deductible. Say your home is values at $200,000.00 and you have a surge that destroys your plasma TV, and sound system. Your deductible - $2000.00! With our surge suppressors, that is picked up by the surge suppressor manufacturer!

Recommended Surge Protection Levels...

Level I: Whole house protection - This unit installs on the main breaker box. It provides protection from incoming surges occurring from the utility company.

Level II: Independent surge protection at point of use - Wherever you have sensitive electronics, plasma TV's, sound systems, or computers, you should have additional surge protectors. These will provide another level of protection; protection from inside surges. That's right, you homes own electronics, motors, even your refrigerator can induce surges on the circuits that can damage or even destroy other electronics in your home. A whole house surge protector will not protect against this type of transient or surge. We can supply and install these levels of surge protection at your convenience.

Good Surge Protectors Come With Insurance

All surge protectors that we use come with insurance. Any surge protector manufacturer should be confident enough in their product to back it up. We figure that if they cannot back up their product, we don't want to sell it!