[R&A Industries, Inc.]

Thank you for your questions and concerns regarding surge protection for your home. First we would like to say that when it comes to surge protection in your home there is no such thing as too much protection. As many of you know, lighting strikes are unpredictable and can do a lot of damage in your home, not only to the electrical components but also through other channels such as cable, satellite, irrigation and telephone lines. Therefore we would still recommend individual surge protectors for any appliance or electronics that are not connected through the electrical panel or that may have duel connection for example a desktop type computer tower which may be plugged in but also have a cable line attached.
Our surge protectors are comparable to the ones provided by your power company. The only difference is that the power company installs theirs at the meter and the electrical contractor installs in the panel box. Because the power company installs at the meter, they would be the only ones allowed to replace their own. The protectors installed in the panel can be replaced by the electrical contractor of your choice should they take a direct hit or have a failure due to defect.
The 1 yr. warranty from R&A and the 5 yr. manufacturer will only cover defects. Surge protectors that no longer function due to a direct hit have done their job and would need to be replaced which is not part of the warranty. It is our understanding that the power company replaces at no charge the one's that are charged to the homeowner on a monthly basis, the ones that were installed by them for a flat fee may not fall under the same category.
We hope this clears up the majority of your questions and concerns. We appreciate your consideration and hope you will consider R & A for your electrical projects and needs in the future.