Quote:
Originally Posted by EnglishJW
That (surge protectors) would have been my next question, with or without lightning rods. Thanks.
|
We do not have lightning rods.
Twice we have experienced interior equipment damage from the surge of nearby lightning strikes.
First time: A ground strike that appeared to be about 15 yards away from the house tripped a couple of circuit breakers, one of which was to the refrigerator. When the circuit breakers were reset we noticed that the refrigerator was no longer providing cooling. A visit by a repairman disclosed that the refrigerator system is controlled by a circuit board, and he showed us a burned out component on the board. We have upgraded the insurance on our appliances to include this part of the refrigerator.
Second time: A ground strike that appeared to be about 10 yards away caused a surge that did more damage.
I was using my netbook computer, plugged into an AC outlet, and I felt a slight electrical charge on a finger that was touching the netbook. The transformer between the wall outlet and the netbook was burned out and had to be replaced. The netbook was undamaged.
Two of our three cable boxes were disabled due to the transformers between the wall outlet and the boxes being burned out. The transformer to one of our three television sets was burned out.
We have four electric powered reclining chairs. The transformers to two of them were burned out.
Our largest HD flat screen TV still works, but the HDMI input, where the cable box was plugged in, is burned out. The other video inputs still work.
Our Wii game was burned out, both the transformer and the game box.
Since that time we have had the power company install their "whole house surge protection" and have plugged some of our electronic equipment into the two AC outlet surge protectors that came with the offer.
We have not yet experienced another "near miss" lightning ground strike nearby, so don't know how well protected we may be.
===================
It should be noted that lightning surges are not limited to entering the house through electrical lines; they can also enter through strikes to cable systems and telephone lines in areas where those services involve hard wire installation.
===================
We live in the most active lighting strike area of the United States. Maybe that should have been mentioned when the discussion was about bugs, heat, humidity and alligators prior to moving here.