Can I protect my whole house?

Installing a surge protector at your electrical service panel gives all your equipment a good degree of protection. Generally, whole-house surge protection is adequate for hardwired appliances like your wash machine, refrigerator or water heater. It may not protect sensitive electrical equipment (use a surge protector strip) and will need to be installed by a licensed electrician. A combination of the two will give close to 100 percent protection from most power disturbances.