Power outages are almost a norm in Kenya, and this can cause a lot of damage despite having fewer outages compared to other years as shown in the below table in a report published by The World Bank.
Even with this improvement, we still have days and incidences of power outage occurring every now and then. These outages can cause a lot of damage due to the irregular flow of current and consequently damage your electrical appliances. As Amotech Africa, we want to share some tips on how you can protect your home and appliances from electrical damage. Here are five tips we would like to share with you:
1.Installation of Surge Arresters
A surge arrester is a protective device for limiting voltage on equipment by discharging or bypassing surge current. It prevents continued flow to follow current to ground. An arrester does not absorb lightning or stop lightning. It diverts the lightning, limits the voltage, and protects the equipment installed in parallel. These devices are used to protect equipment preferably in large scale. They have low impulse ratio which ensures surge incident on the surge arrester may be bypassed to the ground and not through the apparatus.
2.Use of devises that have inbuilt Surge Protectors
Unlike surge arresters, surge protectors are used in protection of equipment preferably in small scale. These include devices such as power strips that have inbuilt surge protector devices and fridge guards that effectively protect refrigerators from electrical damage during power outage.Indelec have a range of surge protectors that can be helpful to this effect.
3.Lightning Protection Devices
They consist of lightning rods that are places on the roofs of buildings to mitigate potential damages. Our partner Indelec is one company that have specialized in lightning protection equipment.
4.Wiring Inspection
Cleaning the area around the equipment and the wiring will save one a lot. Dust impairs the functioning of equipment hence regular maintenance and cleaning. Wiring inspection is crucial especially in large firms to check whether there are cut wires or water around the wires.
5.Unplug Everything
When an equipment is not being used it is advisable to switch it off and unplug to avoid electrical damages and conserve energy.