What causes surges and spikes?
Surges and spikes are increases in “normal’ electrical line voltage, often caused by a change in demand for electricity, such as when a large appliance in switched on. A surge typically measures less than 500 volts and lasts less than two seconds. A spike is much shorter in duration – less than one-thousandth of a second- but can measure into the thousands of volts. Either type of disturbance can damage electronic equipment beyond repair. Other causes of surges and spikes include turbulent weather and electric company maintenance.
