Nearly all of us have home insurance that covers the loss or damage associated with a power surge. The term usually found in the policy is “fusion”. In Brisbane, this type of event normally occurs during one of our spectacular Spring or Summer electrical storms. Whilst it is great to have insurance to cover you for the financial loss incurred by such events, money does nothing to reduce the inconvenience and disruption of being without the utility of potentially ALL your electronic devices for an extended period until your claim can be processed and new appliances obtained. For less than $400 we can install a surge protector (also known as a surge diverter or surge arrester) on your switchboard. This device diverts any over-voltage spikes safely to the ground (through your earth stake) rather than through your appliances which is what causes the catastrophic damage to the electronic circuitry. Your surge protector does wear out though and must be checked periodically. It can normally take 2 to 3 normal “surges” before it has to be replaced. In most types there is an indicator window that is green, this turns to yellow when it is depleting, and then red when it is no longer effective. Before the next storm season kicks in give us a call to install a surge protector that is right for your property.