Modern appliances are full of electronics, and a control board is one of the more expensive things in your kitchen to replace.
Twenty years ago a fridge was a compressor and a mechanical thermostat. Today it has a control board, inverter electronics and often a display — and all of that is vulnerable to voltage events in a way the old mechanical parts never were.
Where surges come from
Lightning gets the blame, but most damaging events are closer to home: utility switching after an outage, a large motor cycling on the same circuit, and the voltage spike that follows when power is restored after a storm. Brownouts matter too — sustained low voltage makes motors draw more current and run hot.
What actually helps
- A whole-home surge protective device at the panel, installed by a licensed electrician — the single most effective measure.
- Point-of-use protection for the appliances with the most electronics.
- Unplugging sensitive appliances during a major storm, if it is practical.
- After an outage, waiting a few minutes before switching everything back on.
“A surge device at the panel costs less than one control board on a modern refrigerator.”
Signs a board took a hit
Displays that flicker or show nonsense, a machine that ignores its buttons, cycles that start and stop on their own, or an appliance that is completely dead with a good outlet. If several appliances misbehave after the same storm, mention that to your technician — it changes what we test first.