Whole-House Surge Protection in Altadena, CA
A surge protective device at your panel that protects every circuit, including appliances, electronics, HVAC and EV chargers, from grid and lightning surges.
How Whole-House Surge Protection Works
A whole-house surge protective device (SPD) mounts at or next to your electrical panel. When voltage spikes, it diverts the excess energy to ground before it reaches the circuits in your home.
Type 1
Installed on the line side of the main breaker, typically at the meter or service equipment.
Type 2
Installed at the panel on the load side. This is the most common choice for homes.
Type 3
Point-of-use surge strips at sensitive electronics, used in addition to whole-house protection, not instead of it.
Compare products in our guide to the best whole-home surge protectors.
Why It Matters in Altadena
Foothill neighborhoods see wind-related outages and planned shutoffs, and surges often happen when power is restored. Modern appliances, HVAC controls, EV chargers and solar inverters all contain sensitive electronics. Surge protection at the panel protects all of them.
Under the electrical code California currently uses, a surge protective device is required whenever a home’s service is installed or replaced. If you’re doing a panel upgrade or rebuilding after the Eaton Fire, it’s part of the job.
Installation
- Check the panel and groundingAn SPD only works if the grounding and bonding are correct. We check and fix them first.
- Choose the deviceSized for your panel and service, with a status indicator so you can see it’s working.
- InstallUsually a few hours, with a short power interruption.
For Altadena addresses, permits come from LA County Public Works Building & Safety (Altadena is unincorporated, so not the City of Pasadena or LADBS). Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino and La Cañada Flintridge each have their own building departments. We pull the permit and meet the inspector.
Related
Standby generators · Panel upgrades · EV chargers
We serve Altadena and nearby: Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, La Cañada Flintridge, Sierra Madre, Arcadia and Eagle Rock. See all areas we serve.
What Customers Say on Google
“This team was contracted for work on our new 400 amp 3 phase service panel installation and the installation of high efficiency LED high bay lighting in our warehouse in preparation for the large scale expansion. From city permitting to final safety inspections, they did it all and we received an extremely clean well-labeled system, which significantly enhanced our facility’s energy efficiency.”
— Google review
“Our local electrician was amazing! He fixed our flickering lights and installed a new outlet with zero hassle. On time, reasonably priced, and very respectful of our home. You can tell he cares about doing quality work. Highly recommend him for any home electrical needs!”
— Google review
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need surge strips?
Whole-house protection handles large surges from outside. Point-of-use strips add a second layer for sensitive electronics and protect against surges generated inside the home.
Is surge protection required by code?
When a dwelling’s electrical service is installed or replaced, the code California currently follows requires a surge protective device. It isn’t required retroactively for existing services.
How long does a surge protector last?
SPDs wear with use. Most have an indicator light; if it shows the device is no longer protecting, it should be replaced.
Will it protect against a lightning strike?
It greatly reduces damage from nearby strikes and grid surges. No device protects against a direct strike to the house.