Why isn't surge protection built into the house wiring?
Question:If electricians already know there is a chance for power surges, why don't they put in some standard type of surge protector right at the circuit breaker box, so all the electricity coming into the house is the same?? Wouldn't this make more sense than having to buy multiple surge protectors for every outlet and/or device in the house?
Answers:
Odds are, you don't need a surge protector on every outlet or device in your house, only on sensitive equipment like computers, maybe stereos or TVs, etc. Unless you get a major surge, I would guess that your average microwave, toaster, fridge, etc can handle a normal surge without a problem. Otherwise, you'd hear about people losing these appliances all the time.
You can get breakers with ground fault interrupts to put into your breaker panel. They're more expensive than the regular ones, and most cities don't require them in their electrical code. Most builders build to meet code, and most people feel that this is enough to be safe.
Contact your electrical company. Here in Florida, we can rent one for $9.95 per month that fits between the meter and the house that protects the entire house. It also includes an insurance policy to protect the contents.
You can buy a whole house surge protector that goes in the electric box. Not every one has that problem
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