Do surges typically include longer duration temporary overvoltages?

The answer is that surges do not typically include longer duration temporary overvoltages. Surges are characterized by their short duration and rapid increase in voltage above the normal level, commonly caused by events like lightning strikes or switching actions in electrical systems. They tend to last only milliseconds to a few seconds.

In contrast, longer duration temporary overvoltages can result from different phenomena, such as power system faults or changes in supply configurations, and these events last significantly longer than surges. Understanding the distinction between these two types of voltage events is crucial for proper surge protection design, as protective devices need to be specifically chosen based on the expected duration and characteristics of the overvoltages they are meant to mitigate.