Whole-Home Surge Protection in Middle Tennessee
- Licensed and insured plumbing, HVAC and electrical techs
Power surges come from lightning, from the utility switching its lines, and from inside the house when big motors like the AC or a well pump cycle on and off. Many are small and wear electronics down a little at a time. A big one can ruin them at once.
A whole-home surge protector mounts at the panel and limits surges coming in on the power lines before they reach your circuits. Plug-in protectors at the TV and computer handle what's left. Electrical work is done by licensed and insured techs. One call covers the whole house.
Signs you need surge protection help
- Electronics, chargers or appliance control boards fail for no clear reason
- You lost equipment in a storm, or a neighbor did
- Your home has a lot of electronics: TVs, computers, networking gear and smart appliances
- You're adding equipment with circuit boards, like a heat pump, a tankless water heater or an EV charger
- You're replacing the panel or upgrading the service, when surge protection is often required
- Your plug-in surge strips are old, and their protection light is out or missing
- You're building or renovating and want protection in place from the start
What we do
Panel-mounted surge protection
A surge protective device (SPD) installed at or beside the main panel on its own breaker, where it limits surges coming in on the service.
Protection with a panel or service upgrade
Adding the surge protector when the panel is replaced or the service is upgraded, which recent editions of the electrical code call for.
Grounding and bonding check
A surge protector only works as well as the home's grounding. Checking the ground connections and the bonding of water and gas piping is part of the job.
Plug-in protection advice
Guidance on plug-in surge protectors for TVs, computers and networking gear, which handle the smaller surges a panel device lets through.
New construction and renovations
Surge protection included at the panel during a build or remodel, coordinated with the electrical rough-in and trim-out.
Repair or replace?
Surge protectors wear out. Each surge they absorb uses up some of their capacity, so they're replaced, not repaired.
Many panel units have an indicator light that shows whether they're still protecting. If yours is dark, or the house took a close lightning strike, it's time to have it checked. The same goes for plug-in strips: if the protection light is off, the strip still passes power but no longer protects anything.
What it costs, and how we price it
What drives the price
- The type and rating of the surge protector
- Room in the panel for its breaker, and how close to the panel it can mount
- Whether grounding or bonding needs work to meet current code
- Whether it goes in on its own or during a panel or service upgrade
- Permits and inspections the local jurisdiction requires
- The diagnostic visit
- Free. We come look, find the cause and explain it.
- Your price
- Firm price given before any work starts.
- How we price
- Priced per job. Each job is priced on its own.
- Why prices stay down
- Low overhead, and the work done right the first time with current methods, equipment and quality materials, so you are not paying for callbacks.
How a visit works
Call or text
Call or text (615) 426-9344 and tell us what's going on. A photo helps. We work Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A free diagnostic visit
We come look, find the cause and explain it in plain words. The visit is free.
A firm price before any work starts
You get the price for the job before we begin, so you can decide with real numbers.
The work, done right the first time
Current methods, good equipment and quality materials. We keep overhead low and skip the callbacks, which keeps prices down.
Follow-up
If anything we worked on gives you trouble, call or text the same number.
Does a whole-home surge protector stop lightning?
Not completely, and no device can promise that. A direct lightning strike carries more energy than any surge protector can stop.
What a whole-home unit does well is limit the far more common surges that come in on the power lines, including those from strikes nearby. Paired with plug-in protectors and good grounding, it's the layered setup most homes rely on.
Why have both a whole-home unit and plug-in protectors?
Each one handles a different part of the job. The panel device takes the big surges where power enters the house. Plug-in protectors catch the smaller ones that get past it, and the ones made inside the house by motors and appliances. Sensitive electronics do well with both.
Is surge protection required by code?
Recent editions of the National Electrical Code require surge protection on a home's electrical service when the service is installed or replaced. Which edition applies depends on where you live. We'll tell you whether your job calls for it when we give you the price.
Common questions
What does a whole-home surge protector protect?
It limits surges coming into the house on the power lines before they reach your circuits. That helps protect everything plugged in and hardwired, including the control boards in appliances, HVAC equipment and water heaters.
Do I still need surge strips?
Yes, for TVs, computers and networking gear. A whole-home unit takes the big surges. Plug-in protectors handle smaller ones and surges that start inside the house.
How long does a surge protector last?
It depends on how many surges it absorbs. Many units have a light that shows whether they're still working. Check it now and then, and after a close lightning strike.
Can surge protection be added to my existing panel?
Usually, yes, as long as there's room for its breaker. If the panel is full or in poor shape, we'll tell you, and a panel upgrade may be the better time to add it.
Do cable and internet lines need protection too?
Yes, they can carry surges too. Surges come in on cable, satellite and phone lines as well as power lines, and plug-in protectors with those connections cover them at the TV or the router.
Is the diagnostic visit free?
Yes. We'll look at your panel and grounding for free and give you a firm price before any work starts.
Who does the electrical work?
Licensed and insured techs do the electrical work. Root House gives you the firm price, and one call covers the whole house.
Related
- Electrical Panel and Meter Base Upgrades
- Whole-Home Generators
- Electrical Repair and Troubleshooting
- EV Charger Installation
- Heat Pump Repair and Installation
Electrical
Is my electrical panel outdated?
Your panel is likely outdated if it uses fuses, has no open spaces for new circuits, or is decades old and never updated. Many older homes have 100-amp service or less, which gets tight with an EV charger or heat pump. Heat or a burning smell at the panel is a fire risk: get everyone out and call 911.
Work that holds.
Call or text for surge protection anywhere we serve in Middle Tennessee.