The call came in at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. Half the school's power was down, multiple floors were in darkness, and something was very wrong in the server room.

Walking in, the first thing you notice is the red warning light. Then you see what used to be a surge protection unit — now a completely melted piece of plastic and metal. The device is destroyed, but it's done exactly what it was designed to do. Every single computer, server, and piece of expensive IT equipment in that room is still working perfectly.

Friday night's thunderstorm had been particularly vicious across Auckland, and this little melted hero had taken the full brunt of nature's electrical fury, so nothing else had to.

The expensive lesson next door

Not everyone gets so lucky. At a Mount Eden apartment complex, residents discovered what happens when protection isn't quite good enough. A routine power company changeover sent a spike through the building that instantly destroyed $10,000 worth of electronics — televisions, computers, sound systems, the lot. One surge, one second, gone.

The building now has comprehensive surge protection installed throughout. Better late than never, but that's an expensive way to learn.

Your home is more vulnerable than you think

Look around your house right now. Count up the electronics. The big-screen TV, computers, gaming systems, that fancy coffee machine, your heat pump, even your washing machine — they all have delicate electronic components that don't play well with electrical surges.

And it's not just lightning strikes you need to worry about. Power grid fluctuations happen regularly. Electrical faults occur. Even everyday surges from large appliances switching on and off can gradually wear down your electronics, shortening their lifespan without you even realising it.

Protection that won't break the bank

Protecting your home doesn't cost a fortune. A whole-house surge protection system installed in your switchboard runs about $500. Think of it as an insurance policy that prevents the claim rather than just paying out after the damage is done.

These systems work like electrical bodyguards — they detect incoming surges and divert all that excess energy safely away from your home's wiring. The surge hits the protector instead of your equipment.

For targeted protection, you can grab multi-outlet surge protectors from Bunnings or The Warehouse for $30-40. Perfect for protecting your entertainment setup or home office cluster.

Quality matters enormously. We've seen bargain-basement surge protectors fail spectacularly on installation, sometimes with an actual bang. When it comes to protecting thousands of dollars' worth of equipment, spending a bit more on reliable protection is the smart move.

The technical bit (simplified)

Most homes need what's called Type 2 surge protection with at least 5kA capacity. If you're protecting equipment more than 10 meters away from your main protection, add another unit closer to the gear because distance weakens protection.

The devices can fail when they're constantly stressed or when they face a surge bigger than they can handle. That's why proper installation with the right circuit breakers is essential.

Don’t wait for the storm

Back at that school, the electrician spent weeks returning as lights gradually failed — delayed damage from the surge that took time to manifest. Even with protection, some effects lingered.

Without it? The entire server room would have been expensive scrap metal.

Your home contains thousands of dollars of electronics that can be wiped out in a fraction of a second. The question isn't whether you'll eventually face a surge — it's whether you'll be protected when you do.

When (not if!) you're considering surge protection, do it now. Installing comprehensive protection now means avoiding the frustration of discovering that your all your electrics are fried. Get in touch with us to book a chat.