Why is my house electricity surging?

Electricity is something that most people take for granted until something goes wrong with it.  In fact, there are still nearly a billion people in the world without electricity.

Electrical surges can happen for many reasons but they can be disastrous when they occur. A surge can last less than a second but in that time fry the electrical circuits in many sensitive modern gadgets; leaving you or your insurance company with a big repair/replacement bill.

It is worth noting that the mains voltage in Australia is 230V, 50HZ, this is similar to Europe, Asia, and Africa but not the same as the USA, or Japan.

Surging is likely to mean you have a problem with your electrical supply. It is advisable to get a professional electrician in Sydney to help you locate and deal with the issue.

However, it is also useful to know the most common reasons for electrical surges:

Power Grid Switching

The electrical company has to maintain power to millions of homes, in order to do this it will, at times switch between power grids. This can cause a small surge in electricity which could be noticed in your home.

If you experience a power surge at roughly the same time every day then this could be the cause; the best solution in this instance is to have a surge protector fitted. You’ll need to decide between a single point surge protector or one for the whole house. Your decision will probably be based on the number of sensitive items you have and how often you experience this type of surge.

Lightning

Lightning is unpredictable and your supply will obviously only be hit during a storm. However, this can cause a serious spike in your electricity which can damage many appliances in one go; it is best to unplug anything you’re not using during a storm.

Bad Wiring

The third most common cause of surging is bad wiring. This is when the metal has become exposed and the power is shorting across circuits, causing it to surge and even for the supply to trip. This can be serious as the wires can overheat and cause a fire; not something you want.

Wiring issues should always be dealt with quickly and, whenever possible, you should shut off the power to the circuit while waiting for it to be repaired.

Overloads

Overloading a circuit can actually cause a surge. If you have multiple items plugged in and one is witching on and off, it will create a small surge across the other appliances. For example, a refrigerator will turn on and off to maintain the right temperature inside it.

If your circuit is already overloaded this will cause power to be drawn from other appliances reducing their supply, the opposite is true once the refrigerator has switched off temporarily. The result is a power surge that briefly causes your electrical device to respond incorrectly.

Not only is it annoying, but it can also be dangerous and is likely to damage your device.