Power Quality Management

Where do these transient voltages occur?

Transient voltages split between the utility side and the consumer side.

  1. The utility side can comprise up to 20% of all transient voltages. The 20% is broken into two categories: lightning with 15% and miscellaneous with 5%. Miscellaneous is defined as tree limbs touching power lines, vehicle/pole accidents, animals such as squirrels, raccoons, or birds becoming part of the circuit, and/or a system grid switching.
  2. The consumer side can comprise 80% of transient voltage generation. A motor that cycles on and off automatically such as refrigerators, furnaces, air conditioners, washing machines, and dryers generate disruptions. Motors that you turn on and off such as garbage disposals or vacuum cleaners can generate these interruptions. The home-shop attached to the residential service panel that makes use of drills, saws, lathes, welders, and other shop equipment can create additional fluctuations on the residential electric circuits.
What can I do about transient voltages?

Power quality management products address all your connected electronic equipment.

The first line of defense begins with a meter base surge device. This protects the house electrical entrance and provides "Whole House" protection for connected white appliances. White appliances are defined as:

  • Washers
  • Dryers
  • Furnaces
  • Air conditioners
  • Electric water heaters
  • Garbage disposals
  • Ranges
  • Ovens
  • Cooktops
  • Refrigerators
  • Freezers
  • Built-in dishwashers
  • Built-in microwaves

Peripheral equipment, which are covered with plug-in modules and power strips, is defined as:

  • TVs
  • VCRs
  • DSS satellite dishes
  • Stereos
  • Computers
  • Printers
  • Faxes
  • Cordless phones
  • Answering machines
  • Portable microwaves
  • Portable dishwashers
  • Garage door openers
  • Programmable coffee pots
  • Programmable sewing machines