Spikes, surges and sags
Lightning strikes, storms, motor vehicle accidents and falling tree limbs are responsible
for up to 20 percent of residential power quality problems. However, the majority
of power quality problems are caused by equipment in or near your residence. Regardless
of the origin of your electrical problem, the results can be costly. The three most
common types of power quality problems are spikes, surges and sags.
Spikes are sudden increases of power that enter electronic equipment with the ability
to damage – or completely destroy – components. Typically caused by lightning, spikes
can also occur if power lines touch each other, or are shorted by falling tree limbs.
Surges are short-term increases in voltage that can cause failure in electronic
devices. Surges last longer than spikes. Surges commonly occur when electrical equipment
with motors – such as air conditioners and refrigerators – switch on and off.
Sags are short-term decreases in voltage levels that can starve a machine of the
power it needs to function, causing frozen computer keyboards, crashes or the loss
or corruption of data. Sags – the most common power problem – are typically caused
by the power demands of many home and business devices including motors, shop tools,
compressors and elevators.
