Circuit Breakers vs. Surge Protectors

Circuit Breakers vs. Surge Protectors
Circuit breakers are designed to protect your electrical system from overloads and short circuits. They trip and cut off the electrical flow when the current exceeds a safe limit. However, they aren't designed to handle the rapid voltage spikes caused by power surges.

Surge protectors, on the other hand, are specifically designed to protect your devices from these voltage spikes. They absorb or redirect the excess voltage away from your electronics, preventing potential damage.

Why Don't Outlets Have Built-In Surge Protection?
There are a few reasons for this:
1. Cost: Adding surge protection to every outlet would significantly increase the cost of electrical installations.
2. Maintenance: Surge protection components, like Metal Oxide Varistors (MOV), degrade over time and need to be replaced. It would be impractical to replace outlets frequently.
3. Complexity: Integrating surge protection into outlets would complicate their design and installation.

Recommendation
To protect your devices, it's best to use surge protectors for sensitive electronics like computers, TVs, and gaming consoles. For whole-house protection, you can install whole-house surge protectors at your main electrical panel.