If the telephone or cable portion of the device fails, the telephone line or cable service would be interrupted and appear to be "dead." In many cases your service can be re-established by connecting the cable or phone line directly into the wall. Call the manufacturer, EFI Electronics, at 1-800-877-1174, x407 for directions to return your suppressor for replacement.

Under normal operation, the devices will operate indefinitely. The devices have been engineered by EFI Electronics, an industry leading manufacturer. Their world class, ISO 9001 approved facility assures maximum design efficiencies, quality, and dependability. EFI Electronics backs these products with a 15-year product replacement warranty and connected equipment warranty for the meter-based device, and a lifetime product replacement warranty and connected equipment warranty on the plug-in products.

HomeGuard Surge Protection service is a dual-stage approach to protection against harmful surges. We recommend both stages in order to adequately protect your house from the danger of surges. The first stage is the meter-based device that is installed at the service point entry, the electric meter. This protects most of your major appliances.

The second stage is the plug-in surge suppressor kit. The kit consists of five plug-in devices to protect your smaller appliances (such as microwaves, garage door openers, window air conditioners) and sensitive electronic equipment (such as computers, televisions and DVD players). As long as you have both stages you are getting the best protection available.

In order for the warranty on electronics and smaller appliances to be in effect, the meter-based device must be installed and the equipment must be plugged into an EFI-manufactured plug-in device.

There is a green light on the meter-based device which indicates the product is working. If the light is out, call CL&P at 1-888-562-0067 to have the product replaced. In addition, each of your plug-in surge suppressor devices is equipped with an indicator light which is lit when the device is working.

If the light on a plug-in device goes out, contact the manufacturer, EFI Electronics, for replacement at 1-800-877-1174, x407.

Yes. When the strips arrive at your home, there will be an order form for additional devices in the package. Prices for the additional devices are noted on the form.

In order for the warranty to be in effect, electronic equipment must be plugged into one of the plug-in devices offered through the HomeGuard service. Use of other plug-in surge protection devices purchased from a different manufacturer, and not in conjunction with this program, invalidates the warranty for that specific piece of electronic equipment.

CL&P owns and maintains the meter-based unit. The customer leases the unit from CL&P for a monthly fee of $4.95. After one year, the customer owns the plug-in products. If the service is cancelled for any reason before the service has been in effect and billed for one year, the customer must either return the plug-in devices to CL&P or can choose to buy them at a pro-rated price.

If we have access to the electric meter you do not need to be home. We will need to make arrangements if the electric meter is not accessible by us.

Yes. Our trained installers will need to disconnect your service for approximately 15 minutes while they install the whole house surge protector at the electric meter.

In the unlikely event that your appliance or electronic equipment is damaged while protected by the HomeGuard program, call the manufacturer, EFI Electronics, at 1-800-877-1174, x407 for warranty and claim instructions. If a plug-in product has been damaged, do not throw it out. The manufacturer may require the device to perform diagnostic tests as part of the claims procedure.

All devices provided by the manufacturer through our service carry a limited manufacturer’s warranty from EFI Electronics Corporation. The meter-based surge protection device is covered by a 15-year product replacement warranty and connected equipment warranty. The point of use, plug-in surge protection devices are covered by a lifetime product replacement warranty on the devices themselves, and a connected equipment warranty covering items such as televisions and computers. Please, read the warranty.

An over voltage or under voltage is a brief (sometimes one second or less) swell or sag in electrical voltage (strength). A transient is a brief (sometimes several microseconds or less) spike in electrical voltage and electrical flow. HomeGuard protects your appliances and electronics from damage caused by these occurrences.

Power surges and power spikes can occur at any time, not just when the power is restored after an outage. Surges and spikes can also result from lightning strikes, downed power lines, and even your household appliances. Though surges may last only for an instant, these power irregularities can damage or destroy the sensitive electronic circuitries found in most appliances and electronics.

The device installed at your electric meter is the first stage, heavy-duty filter for power line disturbances. It will help protect household items such as refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, dishwashers, trash compactors, central HVAC equipment, garbage disposals, and electric stoves.

It does not cover well pumps, swimming pool pumps or other devices that are located outdoors. Medical and life-support equipment is also excluded.

The device installed at your electric meter is the first stage, heavy-duty filter for power line disturbances. It will help protect household items such as refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, dishwashers, trash compactors, central HVAC equipment, garbage disposals, and electric stoves.

No. Any microprocessor device is vulnerable to damage or disruption and should be protected. You will also want to be sure to protect all phones, as a person can be seriously injured while talking on a phone during a storm.

Electronics are becoming increasingly sophisticated and utilize the latest technology. Items including televisions, stereos, modems, microwaves, home computers, VCRs, and telephone systems are damaged by even small voltage changes. Part of the danger is that the damage from small surges can add up over time and may eventually shorten the life of your equipment or even destroy it.

No. Fuses and circuit breakers (both thermal and magnetic) respond to heat and currents caused by faults within the home. They do not protect your household appliances and electronic equipment from fast-acting surges and spikes that come from outside the home or through the phone or cable lines.

It is a small computer processor contained on a single integrated circuit chip. Microprocessors are the heart of any computer and most other electronic devices that require more than simple ON/OFF control. Computer processors are capable of processing input data and responding with programmed decisions to control a device, such as an electronic coffee maker programmed to turn off when brewing is completed. Microprocessors can do three basic things:

* Perform mathematical functions

* Move data

* Make decisions and move to a new set of instructions based on data