Businesses of all types can benefit from the use of surge protectors, especially those that have significant power needs. Whole-facility surge protectors as well as single-outlet surge protectors can be used to protect your electrical systems from becoming overloaded and your equipment and devices from becoming fried or damaged by power surges.
By protecting your electrical system and your equipment, you save a significant amount of money in the long run on potential repairs or replacement. All it takes is an initial investment in surge protection, and you can trust that the investment will pay for itself in the long run.
When purchasing a surge protector for your business, make sure you find one with a sufficient surge protection rating, a high energy-absorption rating, sufficient clamping voltage and one that has enough outlets for the equipment you’ll be running (while considering max capacity).
Here are the main types of surge protectors you can choose from for your business:
- Level 1 surge protectors: The Level 1 surge protector (also referred to as a service entrance surge protector) is both the strongest and largest type of surge protector you’ll find on the market—and one that makes a very effective initial line of defense against potential power surges. These surge protectors get installed close to utility poles, right where the electricity comes into your main breaker panel. This type of exterior surge protector is designed to keep your equipment safe from surges that might come from lightning. They’ll usually feature alarm systems that inform you when they need to be replaced or repaired.
- Level 2 surge protectors: A Level 2 surge protector is designed to protect some of the electronic equipment you have that might be particularly sensitive to power surges. Typically, these surge protectors are located inside a building’s main breaker panel. They’re capable of offering protection against both small and large power surges and can be used in commercial, industrial or residential settings.
- Level 3 surge protectors: A Level 3 surge protector is one that’s most likely to be used at the outlet level and in residential or office settings. This type of surge protector is a power strip that plugs into an outlet to block lower-level power surges from reaching devices such as appliances, computers, TVs, power tools and other such equipment. They’re generally best used alongside other forms of surge protection to provide better overall protection to the electrical system.
- Level 4 surge protectors: A Level 4 surge protector can provide wired-in surge protection for industrial and commercial equipment. They’re often used for protecting devices such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), motor drives and servos. They come in wall-mounted and DIN-mounted layouts depending on your needs.
These are just a few examples of the types of surge protectors you can find on the market today. If you’re interested in learning more about the importance of surge protection and why you should use a surge protector in your building, we encourage you to contact our team at Ham’s Electric, Inc. with your questions.