Whole-Home Surge Protection in Broward County

Why surge protection matters in South Florida

Florida is one of the most lightning-prone places in the country, and a strike doesn't have to hit your house to cause damage — a nearby strike on a power line or in the ground can push a surge into your wiring. Surges also come from the utility grid during storms and outages, and from inside your home every time large motors like AC compressors and pool pumps start and stop. Small, repeated surges slowly wear out electronics; a large one can destroy them in an instant.

What a whole-home surge protector protects

• Air conditioning systems — control boards and compressors are expensive to replace.
• Pool and spa equipment — variable-speed pumps, heaters and automation controls.
• Kitchen and laundry appliances with electronic controls.
• Hardwired equipment such as garage door openers, smoke detectors, EV chargers and generators' transfer switches.
• Everything plugged into an outlet — as a first line of defense for TVs, computers and networking gear.

How it works: layered protection

1. At the service or panel: a Type 1 or Type 2 surge protective device diverts large surges to ground before they spread through the house.
2. At the device: quality point-of-use surge protectors add a second layer for sensitive electronics.
3. Good grounding and bonding: surge protection only works as well as the grounding system behind it, so we check it during installation.

Cable, internet and phone lines can also carry surges into your home, so we'll point out where additional protection makes sense.

Surge protection and the electrical code

Under the edition of the National Electrical Code currently adopted in Florida, a surge protective device is required when a home's electrical service is installed or replaced. If you're planning a panel upgrade, surge protection is part of the job — and if your panel is older, it's one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can add.

What installation involves

1. Evaluation: we check your panel, available spaces, breaker type and grounding.
2. Written estimate: you get the exact device and price before work begins.
3. Installation: the device is mounted at the panel and connected to a dedicated breaker — usually in a few hours.
4. Testing: we verify the indicator shows active protection and explain how to check it after storms.

Want the deeper background? Read our guide to lightning and surge protection in Florida and our hurricane electrical checklist.