[westom]

Originally Posted by k2at

But, the whole house surge protector was still on and had not tripped during the storm. Go figure that!

Any protector that 'tripped' was grossly undersized. A scam. Protection means you do not even know a surge existed. Protector must earth direct lightning strikes and remain functional.

No protector does protection. Not one. Nada. Too many always want to think of solutions in terms of a magic box. No box does surge protection. Either a 'whole house' protector connects as short as possible (ie 'less than 10 feet') to single point earth ground. Or it is just as useless as a cube protector.

Protection means no surge energy inside a house. Damage means that energy was inside hunting destructively for earth via appliances. Energy inside means a defective or compromised earth ground. Either it did not exist. Wires were more than single digit feet from the protector. Or some wire entered the building without first connecting to the only thing that does protection - single point earth ground.

Watering systems are easy to damage. A direct lighting strike one half mile down the street might enter a house. Hunting for earth ground. What is a best path to earth? Incoming on AC mains. Outgoing via the irrigation controller and buried connections. Damage because that energy was all but invited inside.

Protection is always and only defined by where even direct lightning strikes connect to earth. Either harmlessly outside via an earth ground that both meets and exceeds code. Or energy is hunting destructively inside.

If any wire inside any cable does not connect to earth (ie if the 'whole house' protector is not properly earthed), then damage can result. Damage means the investigation starts by inspecting the only item that does protection - single point earth ground.