ALBANY — November 13, 2026 -- Your refrigerator, air conditioner and washer each send a small voltage spike through your wiring every time they switch on or off. Zachary Bobersky, an electrician at Ungerman Electric in Albany, N.Y., says in a HelloNation article that these everyday spikes, not lightning, cause most home surges.
His concern is accumulation. According to Bobersky, repeated minor surges strain televisions, computers and smart appliances and can shorten their lifespan. The damage can show up months later as flickering screens or overheating devices.
Bobersky recommends one protector at the panel and another at the outlet
A whole-home protector is installed by a licensed electrician in the main electrical panel. It is meant to block large spikes coming from the utility grid. Outlet protectors then cover specific equipment such as computers, entertainment systems and gaming consoles.
Protectors wear out. Bobersky says homes with frequent storms or unstable power may need replacements every 3 to 5 years. That works out to roughly two to three replacements per decade (10 ÷ 5 = 2; 10 ÷ 3 ≈ 3.3). Some units have indicator lights that show when protective capacity is used up. After that, the unit still supplies power to connected devices but no longer shields them.
The article says the National Electrical Code requires whole-home surge protection in all new or renovated homes. It also says many insurers offer policy discounts for homes with whole-home systems. It gives no installation price or discount amount.
Bobersky also advises having a home's grounding tested and updated as needed. He says older homes built before modern codes often benefit most, because weak grounding limits how well any protector works.