Winter Electrical Guide · Updated November 2026
Most damaging surges don't come from lightning. They come from the grid switching back on after an outage and from large motors inside your own home. Winter storms in Montgomery County mean more outages and more restoration surges, which slowly damage electronics, furnace control boards and appliances.
Call (610) 897-0560A surge protective device (SPD) mounts at your main panel and diverts voltage spikes to ground before they reach your circuits. It protects hardwired equipment that plug-in strips can't, like furnace and boiler controls, heat pumps, well pumps, garage door openers and smart thermostats.
Use quality plug-in surge protectors for TVs, computers and networking gear. Together, panel and plug-in protection form a layered defense.
Recent editions of the National Electrical Code require surge protection when a service is installed or replaced, so new panel upgrades usually include it. For existing homes it can be added in about an hour.
Surge protectors wear out as they absorb surges. Most have an indicator light; if it's out, replace the device. After a major storm or nearby lightning strike, check it.
For most homes, yes. It's inexpensive compared with replacing a furnace control board, appliance electronics or a heat pump board.
No device can guarantee that, but it greatly reduces damage from the much more common grid and storm surges.
Usually yes, if there's space for a breaker or a nearby mounting location. An electrician will check your panel.
Call now for a fast quote. Open 24/7 for emergencies.
Call (610) 897-0560