Electricity is the lifeblood of your home. It powers your lights, appliances, outlets, HVAC system, and just about every screen in your life. But as much as we rely on that power, it doesn’t always behave.

When electrical power spikes suddenly and without warning, that’s called a power surge—and it can be devastating to your home’s systems and devices.

Surges can be triggered by several sources, both external and internal:

1. Lightning Strikes
This is the most dramatic and dangerous source of a surge. A lightning strike near a utility pole or your home can send a bolt of electricity through power lines, overwhelming your system with tens of thousands of volts. Even if it doesn’t strike your house directly, the current can travel through electrical or cable lines and enter your home.

2. Utility Grid Switching
When utility companies switch grids or restore power after an outage, it can cause sudden voltage fluctuations. These surges often happen without warning and affect entire neighborhoods at once.

3. Downed Power Lines
When a power line falls, whether due to a storm, accident, or maintenance issue, it can result in unstable voltage levels that hit your home unexpectedly.

4. High-Powered Appliances 
Your own home can generate small, frequent surges. Large appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators, or space heaters require a lot of energy when they cycle on. This rapid demand for power can disrupt the flow of electricity and create internal surges that chip away at your devices over time.