Damaged Residential Equipment

One of the most costly problems for a homeowner is damaged electrical equipment. By looking at what was damaged and when the damage occurred, you can develop a trail to its cause and select an appropriate solution.

Electronic equipment and motors are two of the most common items damaged in a home. The electronic equipment in your home is very sensitive. Items like VCRs, computers, TVs, microwaves and stereos can easily be damaged or permanently destroyed by short bursts of high voltage commonly known as surges. Even if the device is not immediately affected, damage may have occurred that could cause the unit to malfunction and even fail at some point in the future. This is commonly known as electronic rust.

Motors driving pieces of equipment such as well pumps, air conditioner compressors and sump pumps can be damaged by one of two things: high-voltage surges or long periods of very low voltage. A high-voltage surge can cause the motor to suddenly stop working with no apparent outward cause. Low voltage will cause the motor to slowly burn up. How will you know? You'll smell the burnt insulation and wiring.

Damaged equipment comes from two sources, external and internal. Both can lead to damaged equipment if steps are not taken to prevent them.