Your appliances do not need a direct lightning strike to die. Just a strike somewhere in the neighbourhood on a power line. The voltage spike travels down the grid, through your switchboard, along your wiring, and into whatever is plugged in. Milliseconds.
The repair bill? Not milliseconds.
South-east Queensland storm season is October through March. Intense storms. Lightning. Hail. Damaging winds. The kind of power events appliance techs in Brisbane know well. National Appliance Repairs sees a spike in fridge, washing machine, and oven repair calls after every major storm. Most of it could have been prevented.
What a Power Surge Actually Does
Appliances are built for stable voltage. In Australia, 230 volts, plus or minus 10%. A surge is a sudden spike above that. Sometimes thousands of volts for a fraction of a second.
That spike can fry modern appliances. The three most vulnerable parts: the control board, the compressor (fridges and ACs), and the motor drive electronics (washing machines and dishwashers). Control boards are the weakest link. They run on very low voltage. A spike that a motor ignores will kill a control board dead.
Two storm-related events cause most surge damage:
- Lightning nearby: A strike on power infrastructure sends a massive voltage surge down the grid, which can kill multiple appliances at once.
- Power comes back after an outage: Energex re-energises a section of the grid to restore service. However, for a very brief moment after the switch is flipped, the returning current can hit higher than normal before it settles. Appliances left plugged in and switched on take the full brunt of that surge. That is why post-blackout faults are so common -- the damage does not show up until the power is restored.
Which Appliances Are Most at Risk
Not all appliances are equally vulnerable. The more electronics an appliance contains, the more exposed it is.
High risk:
- Refrigerators and freezers -- control boards manage compressor cycling, defrost timers, and temperature sensors; all are surge-sensitive
- Washing machines and dishwashers -- modern units have sophisticated control boards managing motor drives, water levels, and cycle timing
- Combination microwave ovens -- dense electronics in a compact unit
Moderate risk:
- Electric ovens with digital control panels
- Dryers with electronic moisture sensors
- Air conditioners
Lower risk:
- Older appliances with purely mechanical or analogue controls (no circuit board)
- Simple resistive-load appliances (a basic toaster element, for example)
The clear pattern: the newer and more digitally controlled an appliance is, the more it stands to lose from a surge.
Understanding Surge Protection
Standard power boards? They do nothing.
This is the thing people get wrong all the time. A standard power board--even a nice one with a switch and six outlets--is just a multi-socket adapter. That is it. It has no protection. A surge comes in, it goes straight through to every appliance you have plugged in.
A real surge protector has MOVs inside. Metal oxide varistors. Fancy name, simple job. They absorb excess voltage and divert it safely to earth. You will see them rated in joules. That number is the total energy the device can absorb over its lifetime. More joules means more protection.
Here is what you should look for:
- Basic stuff such as lamps and phone chargers: 500 to 1,000 joules is fine.
- Computers, TVs, home office gear: Go 1,000 to 2,000 joules.
- Fridges, washing machines, dishwashers: This is different. Standard strip protectors may not handle the big current surge when a motor kicks on. Look for purpose-designed appliance surge protectors.
Now, here is the catch. MOVs wear out. Every surge they absorb degrades them a little. A surge protector that took a significant hit might look brand new but offer zero protection on the next storm. Better quality units have an indicator light to tell you the protection is still working. But honestly, replace them every three to five years. Or after any major storm event. Cheap insurance.
Whole-house surge protection
The gold standard is a whole-house surge protection device. A licensed electrician installs it at your main switchboard. It catches surges at the point of entry before they can spread to your internal circuits. Then you still use point-of-use protectors for your really sensitive stuff. If you have multiple valuable appliances in your home, it is worth the investment.
Australia has a standard for this--AS/NZS 1768. It covers lightning and surge protection. But here is the thing. Surge protection is not mandatory. It is up to you to decide your risk and install what makes sense. If you live in a storm-prone part of south-east Queensland, the risk is real.
Protecting Appliances Before the Storm
| Action | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Install point-of-use surge protectors on fridge, washing machine, dishwasher | Absorbs voltage spikes at the appliance level |
| Install whole-house surge protector at switchboard | First-line defence before surges reach internal circuits |
| Unplug sensitive appliances during severe storms | Eliminates surge risk entirely while unplugged |
| Check surge protector indicator lights are still active | Confirms protection circuitry hasn't been depleted |
| Replace surge protectors every 3--5 years | Prevents false confidence from depleted MOVs |
Unplugging appliances during a severe storm warning is the most reliable protection available. It is inconvenient, but it is the only way to guarantee a surge cannot reach the appliance. For a fridge or freezer, brief unplugging during a storm is far less disruptive than a damaged compressor.
If you're leaving home during storm season, consider unplugging non-essential appliances before you go.
Signs of Surge Damage After a Storm
After power is restored following a Brisbane storm, inspect appliances before assuming all is well. Surge damage can manifest immediately or appear over days as stressed components begin to fail.
Here are a few signs to watch for:
- An appliance that was working before the outage now doesn't start
- A fridge or freezer that runs (compressor sounds normal) but doesn't cool
- Washing machine or dishwasher that powers on but won't begin a cycle, or shows error codes it didn't show before
- A burning or plastic smell from the rear of any appliance
- A digital display that is scrambled, unresponsive, or showing unusual readings
- An oven that won't reach temperature, or whose timer/clock has reset and won't respond
If multiple appliances were affected simultaneously, a significant surge event is very likely the cause. A technician's report documenting the nature of the fault will support any insurance claim for surge damage.
Insurance and Surge Damage
Surge damage caused by a lightning strike or storm event is generally covered under home and contents insurance policies as a listed peril. However, the policy wording matters -- some policies distinguish between direct lightning strikes and indirect grid surges, and coverage may vary accordingly. Check your Product Disclosure Statement.
Document everything: photograph affected appliances, note when the storm occurred and when symptoms appeared, and arrange a technician's assessment promptly. An itemised report stating the likely cause of the fault strengthens any claim considerably.
FAQ
Do I need a surge protector if my home has a modern switchboard?
Short answer: yes. A modern switchboard with circuit breakers and RCDs is great. It protects you from overloads and earth faults. But it does absolutely nothing for voltage spikes. Circuit breakers interrupt current flow. They do not absorb fast transient surges. You need point-of-use surge protectors as an extra layer. They work alongside your switchboard, not instead of it.
Can a fridge survive a power surge if I switch it off at the power point?
Yes. If you switch it off at the wall socket, no current can flow. The surge cannot get to the internal electronics. Switching off at the wall--not just pressing the appliance's own power button--is really effective protection during a severe storm. Takes two seconds.
My appliance seemed fine after the storm but stopped working two weeks later. Can that still be surge damage?
Absolutely. Surge damage can show up two ways. One, immediate failure. The appliance dies right then. Two, partial damage. Something gets weakened but keeps working for a while. Then it fails progressively over days or weeks. If your appliance failed in the weeks after a major storm and there is no other obvious cause, surge damage should be on the list of suspects.
Does a surge protector work for a fridge or washing machine, or only for smaller devices?
Standard power board surge protectors are designed for lower-wattage stuff. Phones, computers, TVs. They may not handle the inrush current of a fridge or washing machine motor kicking on. You can buy purpose-designed surge protectors for large appliances at electrical and hardware stores. Just check the wattage rating before you plug your fridge into one.
Does unplugging the fridge during a storm risk damaging it when I plug it back in?
No, you are fine. Modern fridges have built-in time-delay protection on the compressor. Briefly unplugging and replugging is not harmful. Just give it three to five minutes after you plug it back in before the compressor tries to restart. That lets the refrigerant pressure equalise. Reduces stress on the system. The fridge will handle the rest itself.
Conclusion
Brisbane's storm season is a predictable annual event, not an occasional surprise. Treating surge protection the same way you'd treat smoke detector testing -- a routine part of home maintenance done before summer arrives -- keeps your appliances safe through the worst the season brings.
If an appliance has already been damaged by a surge, we at National Appliance Repairs can assess and repair across Brisbane and south-east Queensland. Call 1300 434 380 for same-day service where available.
