Surge protection and subpanels in Dearborn, MI.

A whole-home surge protector installed at the panel typically costs $450 to $850 in the Dearborn area. The device mounts on or in the panel and uses a double-pole breaker or a dedicated connection. Price depends on the panel brand and whether there are open spaces.

Whole-home surge protective devices come in Type 1, which can go on the line side ahead of the main breaker, and Type 2, which connects on the load side in the panel. Most residential installs use a Type 2 unit on a 2-pole breaker, mounted as close to the panel as possible with short leads, because long leads reduce how well it works. Newer NEC editions require a surge protective device when a dwelling service is installed or replaced (NEC 230.67), so it is often added during a panel upgrade. On its own, it is usually a short visit.

Yes, for computers, TVs and other sensitive electronics. A whole-home device stops large surges coming in from outside; plug-in strips handle the smaller surges made inside the house by motors, compressors and appliances cycling on and off. The two work together.

Most surges that damage electronics are not lightning strikes. They come from inside the house, when a furnace blower, air conditioner compressor, sump pump or refrigerator switches on and off. A whole-home device takes the big hits from utility switching and nearby lightning, and point-of-use strips take care of the rest. Both depend on a good ground, which is one more reason to fix ungrounded circuits in older Dearborn homes. A surge strip plugged into a two-prong adapter does very little.

When the main panel is full, or when a garage, basement or addition needs several circuits far from the main panel. A subpanel takes one large feeder from the main panel and splits it into new circuits where they are needed. It does not add capacity to the service itself.

The common Dearborn cases: a detached garage on the alley that needs lights, outlets and maybe an EV charger; a basement being finished into a family room, bedroom or office; and an addition or a second-floor dormer. A subpanel in the garage avoids running several long circuits from the house. One limit to understand: a subpanel spreads out the power the service already has. If the load calculation shows the service is near its limit, the answer is a service upgrade, not a subpanel.

A subpanel typically runs $850 to $1,800 in the Dearborn area, permit included. The feeder is most of the cost: a subpanel right next to the main panel is cheap, while one in a detached garage needs a trench or overhead run, a ground rod and more wire.

Feeder size depends on what the subpanel will power. A 60-amp feeder covers lights, outlets and a heater in a garage, and a 100-amp feeder gives room for an EV charger or a workshop. A subpanel in a separate building needs its own grounding electrode, and the neutrals and grounds have to be kept separate in every subpanel; mixing them is one of the most common mistakes inspectors find in DIY garage panels. The City of Dearborn permit covers the feeder, the panel and the new circuits.

No. A subpanel fed from an old fuse box or a small 60-amp service only spreads out a service that is already too small. If the main panel is a fuse box or 60 amps, upgrade the service first, then add a subpanel if the layout still calls for one.

It is common in older Dearborn homes to find a breaker subpanel added decades ago next to the original fuse box, with the house's circuits split between them. That setup works until something fails, and the fuse box is still the weak link. When an electrician quotes a panel upgrade, the old fuse box and any undersized subpanels are usually replaced together, and every circuit gets moved to the new panel with a clear directory.

Yes. A subpanel and its feeder need an electrical permit from the City of Dearborn, and the electrician pulls it. The city inspects the feeder, the panel, the grounding and the new circuits. Garage subpanels also need the right wiring method for the trench or the overhead run.

Unpermitted subpanels show up during home sales and insurance claims, and fixing one after the fact usually costs more than doing it right the first time. For underground feeds to a garage, Michigan requires a MISS DIG 811 call before digging. Overhead feeds need enough height over the driveway and the yard, and some homeowners choose underground just to keep the alley clear of wires.

No device stops a direct lightning strike on the house. A whole-home surge protector handles surges from nearby strikes and utility switching, which are far more common. It works best with a solid grounding system, short leads, and plug-in protectors at sensitive electronics.

Michigan summer storms bring plenty of lightning, and most of the damage to electronics comes from surges that travel in on power, cable, phone or internet lines after a strike nearby. A whole-home device covers the power side. Cable and internet lines should also be grounded where they enter the house, which is often missed. Many surge devices have an indicator light that shows when the protection has been used up, so check it after a big storm and replace the unit when it says so. Some come with equipment coverage from the manufacturer; read the terms and keep the receipt if you want to use it.