Lightning protection

[Skip2MySue]

Based on the article below I think it behooves us all to look into lightning protection for one of our most valuable assets. I realize the number of lighting strikes is small I would certainly sleep better at night knowing I did everything I could to protect my home and all the toys inside it. Can anyone share their story on contractors and systems.
Thanks Skip

http://www.oldhousejournal.com/how-to-prevent-lightning-damage/magazine/1685

[Fanman]

We used A-1 Lightning Protection 1-866-465-0620. Jeff the owner gave a 1 hour demonstration of everything he was going to do and why it had to be done that way. He pays great attention to details. His installation crew was courteous and did an awesome job.

[Skip2MySue]

We used A-1 Lightning Protection 1-866-465-0620. Jeff the owner gave a 1 hour demonstration of everything he was going to do and why it had to be done that way. He pays great attention to details. His installation crew was courteous and did an awesome job.

Thanks for your quick response. I'm hoping we get others to respond with their experience to further our learning curve.
Skip 2

[johnfarr]

We had 3 bids and took the highest, A-1. The other two firms were unable to answer the simplest questions, or gave illogical answers.

A-1 has all the certifications and they know what they are doing. The copper cables are nicely concealed around the house and we could not be happier with the installation, which was about a year ago, just after the house fire across from Lopez CC.

PM me and i'll be glad to show you their work. I'm in the Village of Bonnybrook.

[Fourpar]

Yet another satisfied customer who used A-1. Very professional, and explained everything they did, and why. You can pay less, but I would still go with A-1 again...

[Skip2MySue]

Yet another satisfied customer who used A-1. Very professional, and explained everything they did, and why. You can pay less, but I would still go with A-1 again...

Great input gang!!!!!! Hopefully this info will help other's as well as myself. Thanks Skip 2

[Cedwards38]

Based on the article below I think it behooves us all to look into lightning protection for one of our most valuable assets. I realize the number of lighting strikes is small I would certainly sleep better at night knowing I did everything I could to protect my home and all the toys inside it. Can anyone share their story on contractors and systems.
Thanks Skip

How To Prevent Lightning Damage, by Jefferson Kolle - Old-House Journal (http://www.oldhousejournal.com/how-to-prevent-lightning-damage/magazine/1685)

What a great thing it would be if either the POA or the VHA would negotiate a volume based price reduction from some reputable company for the installation of lightning rods on homes!:BigApplause:

[Skip2MySue]

What a great thing it would be if either the POA or the VHA would negotiate a volume based price reduction from some reputable company for the installation of lightning rods on homes!:BigApplause:

That would be an excellent idea and certainly a win, win for the consumer and the installer based on numbers. With 50,000 homes available I would think even 1% of us contracting for the service would be pretty exciting to a reputable installer.
Skip 2

[2BNTV]

POA ad on page 19 lists, Triangle Lightning, 483-7020.

Went to the meeting on Tuesday, 6/17/14, at Laurel Manor and listening to a presentation.

1. Lightning is unpredictable.
2. When you hear the thunder roar, go indoors.

There are two kind of hits:
1. A direct hit that will start a fire. Especially those who have gas lines, in their attics.
2. An indirect hit that will possibly, blow out appliances. They suggested having your appliances plugged into a surge protector.

Chances on a direct hit is 1 out of 775,000. Indirect hits are more likely. I know I would sleep better at night, feeling protected, for whatever, the cost maybe.

[Vic&Judy]

It seems the greatest threat is from indirect hits, and surge protectors are no guarantee of safety for equipment. It seems that unplugging everything is the only way to be sure, but given the frequency of storms at this time of year in TV, that seems pretty cumbersome.

[2BNTV]

It seems the greatest threat is from indirect hits, and surge protectors are no guarantee of safety for equipment. It seems that unplugging everything is the only way to be sure, but given the frequency of storms at this time of year in TV, that seems pretty cumbersome.


True. It's true indirect hits will occur may more times than a direct hit!!!

You can always provide another layer of protection with a power strip, (surge protector), especially the fridge.

I would feel safer knowing I did all I could, not to get zapped!!

Just sayin........

[123Cookie]

True. It's true indirect hits will occur may more times than a direct hit!!!

You can always provide another layer of protection with a power strip, (surge protector), especially the fridge.

I would feel safer knowing I did all I could, not to get zapped!!

Just sayin........

Also check with SECO or power company to get a PRIMARY surge protector that goes between your meter and breaker box - you can buy them for around $350 or rent them for $5.95 a month. - also I just installed whole house lightning protection from Triangle Lightning Protection, Inc. - great price and very knowledgeable folks. takes about 3 to 4 hrs to install on a designer home. - there website is Triangle Lightning Protection - Contact Us (http://tlpfl.com/index.php/contact-us.html)

[Bosoxfan]

What is the ballpark cost of one of these systems ?

[Philip Winkler]

Before you invest in lightening protection I suggest you stop by at one of the fire stations and speak to one of the firefighters.

[e-flyer]

Before you invest in lightening protection I suggest you stop by at one of the fire stations and speak to one of the firefighters.

Enlighten us, why?

[Stdole]

I am a retired Fire Fighter of 30 yrs. I can tell you two things.. 1. If you
ask 100 firefighters you will get 100 opinions .... in the form of yes or no for LIGHTNING RODS. 2. Remember they are firemen; not lightning experts.

Research the expert sites and form an opinion from those sources and interviews.

[Lightning]

I am a retired Fire Fighter of 30 yrs. I can tell you two things.. 1. If you
ask 100 firefighters you will get 100 opinions .... in the form of yes or no for LIGHTNING RODS. 2. Remember they are firemen; not lightning experts.

Research the expert sites and form an opinion from those sources and interviews.

Well said! If you want to research lightning protection systems see Dr. Martin Uman's book, The Art and Science of Lightning Protection that can be found in The Villages library. Lightning protection systems have sielently been doing their job for 262 years.

[justjim]

I remain skeptical of the cost benefit of lightning rods. But-----everybody has a right to their opinion. I believe that a firefighter will have more real experience seeing the results of having and not having lightning rods here in Florida.

A person selling them will of, of course, give you the "needs" sales pitch.

[Lightning]

I remain skeptical of the cost benefit of lightning rods. But-----everybody has a right to their opinion. I believe that a firefighter will have more real experience seeing the results of having and not having lightning rods here in Florida.

A person selling them will of, of course, give you the "needs" sales pitch.

I have the highest regard for fire fighters and what they do to save lives and property. But when it comes to lightning protection I highly recommend Dr. Uman's book (referenced in yesterday's post) and read the first paragraph of the Preface. Do not overlook the fact that when lightning rods safely shut a potentially destructive lightning strike to ground no fire fighters are necessary. Nor does it make the front page of The Daily Sun. These systems are a victim of their own success.

[TNLAKEPANDA]

I am not sure a lightening rod would help much form a direct hit. Maybe? Have to weigh the cost which I believe is quite high against the risk. Kind of like sinkhole danger. Hope you can post some costs after you get the work done.

[tommy steam]

What is the ballpark cost of one of these systems ?

I saw an ad in the Sun for a system and I'm thinking it was around 1200.

[Mikeod]

I am not sure a lightening rod would help much form a direct hit. Maybe? Have to weigh the cost which I believe is quite high against the risk. Kind of like sinkhole danger. Hope you can post some costs after you get the work done.

I think a direct hit is what the lightning rods will divert to ground. It's the indirect ones the rods will not help.

[Cedwards38]

What is the ballpark cost of one of these systems ?

A-1 is coming to my house to give me an estimate. He ballparked it at $1500 to $2000. It depends on the house and what all they have to do.

[zcaveman]

I have the highest regard for fire fighters and what they do to save lives and property. But when it comes to lightning protection I highly recommend Dr. Uman's book (referenced in yesterday's post) and read the first paragraph of the Preface. Do not overlook the fact that when lightning rods safely shut a potentially destructive lightning strike to ground no fire fighters are necessary. Nor does it make the front page of The Daily Sun. These systems are a victim of their own success.

It is too bad that these lightning rod systems do not have an indicator or something to tell the people that have them that they worked. At least a blinking light. Then they could report it to someone that keeps track of successful redirects to lightning strikes.

Z

[raynan]

A neighbor said they paid $2700 for whole house protection with rods. Don't know what company they used and didn't ask because I'm not interested in getting them.

[Lightning]

I am not sure a lightening rod would help much form a direct hit. Maybe? Have to weigh the cost which I believe is quite high against the risk. Kind of like sinkhole danger. Hope you can post some costs after you get the work done.
Lightning rods are for direct strikes. See the research conducted by the University of Florida.
Should you consider installing lightning rods? Only you can answer that question. Do you have a high or low tolerance for risk? For example, if you have a high tolerance for risk you do nothing, the odds are with you (nine homes destroyed in last 10 years), the money stays in your pocket and if the worst does happen you have transferred the monetary risk via insurance.

But what if you have a low tolerance for risk? Then you may wish to trade your hard earned money for peace of mind by installing lightning rods that could cost in the range of $1,000 to over $3,000 that is dependant on the roof /lanai/pool cage area to be protected. This is to avoid the loss of your home, possessions, irreplaceable family photographs and memorabilia collections, and living in temporary quarters six to 12 months while your home is rebuilt. But not to be overlooked is putting your Villagers lifestyle on hold and going through the emotional stress of the entire ordeal.

[Skip2MySue]

So I started this post with good intentions because you just never know what's gonna happen. And then Friday night the storm moved in and decided to rock me out of my chair with a large boom and the sky lit up. Figuring it was about time to shut everything down and head for bed I didn't give it further thought. Then Sat. morning arrived and lots of clocks were blinking and I noticed the coffee pot didn't come on. Now that's major early in the morning but I found that was just gonna be the beginning of a fun day.:undecided: I then began the chore of checking various outlets and then out to the panel box to reset a bunch of breakers. Hoping that would be the extent of the damage I continued on with the inventory and found the garage door opener not working, the irrigation controller blank, no cable, no internet, no landline phones and the search continued. My first call was to SECO who had a repair truck out the house in 1 hour. I did have surge protection on the meter and that was blown out. They'll be back during the week to replace the surge protector and a settlement on our losses will be forthcoming. How much will be covered is an unknown as of now. But what a great company they are. Next on the list was to call an electrician to check out the damage and advise repairs. He came out and assured me the house wasn't going to topple over and that most of the power was available. He would be back on Monday to replace 3 GFI outlets in the kitchen and 1 circuit breaker to the tune of $285. Then it was off to contact the other contractor's to repair A) Garage door opener $380 which was completed on Monday, B) replace irrigation controller $175 on Tuesday, C) repair ethernet connection on computer and clean up cookies and download new virus protection on Thurs $120. The problems with the phones and computer couldn't be resolved until the Cable Company arrived. The real fun was trying to get our beloved cable provider Comcast to come out to restore the 3 services that I pay them for. I called the first thing Sat. morning to arrange for a repair person ASAP. I was told someone would be there on Thursday. I explained to them that that was 6 days from now and that was unacceptable. They told me they'd see what they could do. I called again Monday and they had now moved me up to a Wednesday repair appointment. I explained to them that I had no cable, phone or internet and I felt that they should certainly be able to provide me with repair service sooner. They told me they'd move it thru upper management to secure a better date. I then called Tuesday because of course they hadn't called me back again. They confirmed I was scheduled for the Thursday appointment. To say that I wanted to jump thru the phone would be an understatement but I realized that all the different people I had been talking to where only small spokes in the massive cog. Finally I got to a supervisor who then moved my repair appointment up to Wednesday with a time period of 8 AM until 7 PM. So the wait on Wed. began and of course you're all expecting another horror story regarding this appointment.:a040: Nope, not to be. Repairman showed up around 2 PM and 2 1/2 hours later I had cable. My phone system was shorted out so that went in the garbage and the computer needed outside help. To say Comcast was the least helpful of any people or companies I dealt with would be putting it very politely. So now back to the original message of this post......Based on I didn't suffer any damage to 2 large screen TV's, refrigerator or the AC system.........Lightning Rods or not :D
Skip 2

[bike42]

It is too bad that these lightning rod systems do not have an indicator or something to tell the people that have them that they worked. At least a blinking light. Then they could report it to someone that keeps track of successful redirects to lightning strikes.

Z

I was told that if our lightning rods take a direct hit, the soil around the grounding wire will show some disruption. I don't know if this is true.

[pooh]

So I started this post with good intentions because you just never know what's gonna happen. And then Friday night the storm moved in and decided to rock me out of my chair with a large boom and the sky lit up. Figuring it was about time to shut everything down and head for bed I didn't give it further thought. Then Sat. morning arrived and lots of clocks were blinking and I noticed the coffee pot didn't come on. Now that's major early in the morning but I found that was just gonna be the beginning of a fun day.:undecided: I then began the chore of checking various outlets and then out to the panel box to reset a bunch of breakers. Hoping that would be the extent of the damage I continued on with the inventory and found the garage door opener not working, the irrigation controller blank, no cable, no internet, no landline phones and the search continued. My first call was to SECO who had a repair truck out the house in 1 hour. I did have surge protection on the meter and that was blown out. They'll be back during the week to replace the surge protector and a settlement on our losses will be forthcoming. How much will be covered is an unknown as of now. But what a great company they are. Next on the list was to call an electrician to check out the damage and advise repairs. He came out and assured me the house wasn't going to topple over and that most of the power was available. He would be back on Monday to replace 3 GFI outlets in the kitchen and 1 circuit breaker to the tune of $285. Then it was off to contact the other contractor's to repair A) Garage door opener $380 which was completed on Monday, B) replace irrigation controller $175 on Tuesday, C) repair ethernet connection on computer and clean up cookies and download new virus protection on Thurs $120. The problems with the phones and computer couldn't be resolved until the Cable Company arrived. The real fun was trying to get our beloved cable provider Comcast to come out to restore the 3 services that I pay them for. I called the first thing Sat. morning to arrange for a repair person ASAP. I was told someone would be there on Thursday. I explained to them that that was 6 days from now and that was unacceptable. They told me they'd see what they could do. I called again Monday and they had now moved me up to a Wednesday repair appointment. I explained to them that I had no cable, phone or internet and I felt that they should certainly be able to provide me with repair service sooner. They told me they'd move it thru upper management to secure a better date. I then called Tuesday because of course they hadn't called me back again. They confirmed I was scheduled for the Thursday appointment. To say that I wanted to jump thru the phone would be an understatement but I realized that all the different people I had been talking to where only small spokes in the massive cog. Finally I got to a supervisor who then moved my repair appointment up to Wednesday with a time period of 8 AM until 7 PM. So the wait on Wed. began and of course you're all expecting another horror story regarding this appointment.:a040: Nope, not to be. Repairman showed up around 2 PM and 2 1/2 hours later I had cable. My phone system was shorted out so that went in the garbage and the computer needed outside help. To say Comcast was the least helpful of any people or companies I dealt with would be putting it very politely. So now back to the original message of this post......Based on I didn't suffer any damage to 2 large screen TV's, refrigerator or the AC system.........Lightning Rods or not :D
Skip 2

Goodness! Glad you and yours are okay! Things can be repaired, people not always so easily repaired...;)

[tommy steam]

I had a neighbor where I used to live have a strike on her front lawn. It hit the buried underground elect cable that was feeding her home. I saw her front yard smoking as I looked out the window when I heard it hit. Every appliance in her home was ruined and anything plugged into the outlets was also gone. So what I am thinking ,it can also cause damage if it hits the ground. On the news last night it stated that lighting does not always hit the highest point in an area.

[buggyone]

I would think that homeowners insurance would take care of lightning damage, minus the deductible, of course.

[rdhdleo]

I had a neighbor where I used to live have a strike on her front lawn. It hit the buried underground elect cable that was feeding her home. I saw her front yard smoking as I looked out the window when I heard it hit. Every appliance in her home was ruined and anything plugged into the outlets was also gone. So what I am thinking ,it can also cause damage if it hits the ground. On the news last night it stated that lighting does not always hit the highest point in an area.

Very True, lightning is very unpredictable and there's no way of telling what it will hit. Homeowners Ins. does cover lightning strikes, at least mine does however mine has a $1K deductible so we will be lucky to recoup maybe half of what we lost the rest will come out of our wallet :(

Like I said before we have a house and were ok so things always can be worse.

[Skip2MySue]

I did have the surge protection provided by SECO and that was destroyed when they checked the meter. The very helpful rep told me that reimbursement from the surge protection company is minimal. You must have all your appliances plugged into individual surge protection outlets. He cited the refrigerator as a very iffy covered item because they can say that the surge came in thru the water line hooked up for the icemaker. He is processing a claim for my garage door operator that fried the PCB and both sensors. He warned that these might not be covered because they can claim lightning came in thru the sensors. So I keep all my receipts and will turn them into my homeowner's insurance.
Skip 2

[Lightning]

So I started this post with good intentions because you just never know what's gonna happen. And then Friday night the storm moved in and decided to rock me out of my chair with a large boom and the sky lit up. Figuring it was about time to shut everything down and head for bed I didn't give it further thought. Then Sat. morning arrived and lots of clocks were blinking and I noticed the coffee pot didn't come on. Now that's major early in the morning but I found that was just gonna be the beginning of a fun day.:undecided: I then began the chore of checking various outlets and then out to the panel box to reset a bunch of breakers. Hoping that would be the extent of the damage I continued on with the inventory and found the garage door opener not working, the irrigation controller blank, no cable, no internet, no landline phones and the search continued. My first call was to SECO who had a repair truck out the house in 1 hour. I did have surge protection on the meter and that was blown out. They'll be back during the week to replace the surge protector and a settlement on our losses will be forthcoming. How much will be covered is an unknown as of now. But what a great company they are. Next on the list was to call an electrician to check out the damage and advise repairs. He came out and assured me the house wasn't going to topple over and that most of the power was available. He would be back on Monday to replace 3 GFI outlets in the kitchen and 1 circuit breaker to the tune of $285. Then it was off to contact the other contractor's to repair A) Garage door opener $380 which was completed on Monday, B) replace irrigation controller $175 on Tuesday, C) repair ethernet connection on computer and clean up cookies and download new virus protection on Thurs $120. The problems with the phones and computer couldn't be resolved until the Cable Company arrived. The real fun was trying to get our beloved cable provider Comcast to come out to restore the 3 services that I pay them for. I called the first thing Sat. morning to arrange for a repair person ASAP. I was told someone would be there on Thursday. I explained to them that that was 6 days from now and that was unacceptable. They told me they'd see what they could do. I called again Monday and they had now moved me up to a Wednesday repair appointment. I explained to them that I had no cable, phone or internet and I felt that they should certainly be able to provide me with repair service sooner. They told me they'd move it thru upper management to secure a better date. I then called Tuesday because of course they hadn't called me back again. They confirmed I was scheduled for the Thursday appointment. To say that I wanted to jump thru the phone would be an understatement but I realized that all the different people I had been talking to where only small spokes in the massive cog. Finally I got to a supervisor who then moved my repair appointment up to Wednesday with a time period of 8 AM until 7 PM. So the wait on Wed. began and of course you're all expecting another horror story regarding this appointment.:a040: Nope, not to be. Repairman showed up around 2 PM and 2 1/2 hours later I had cable. My phone system was shorted out so that went in the garbage and the computer needed outside help. To say Comcast was the least helpful of any people or companies I dealt with would be putting it very politely. So now back to the original message of this post......Based on I didn't suffer any damage to 2 large screen TV's, refrigerator or the AC system.........Lightning Rods or not :D
Skip 2
Thank you for sharing your experience as it may be helpful to others to think about surge protection living here in the Lightning Capital of the US. These events are usually caused by an indirect lightning strike to a nearby tree, flag pole, wall, house, or even the ground. This is in contrast to the more powerful but far less frequent direct lightning strikes that was experienced in the Village of Pinealls last month and Calumet Grove last year.

You reference that you had SECO surge protection on your electric meter that is intended to protect hardwired (that which you do not plug into a 120 volt wall outlet) equipment such as the A/C. This is frequently misinterpreted to mean "whole house" surge protection. SECO also provides a starter kit of secondary surge protection devices or point of use plug in protectors for any piece of electronic equipment that has a microprocessor and is of value. TVs should have surge protection that includes the coaxial cable that comes out of the wall should pass through the surge protector before going into the TV. The same concept usually applies to computers with a telephone connection. And do not let a Comcast contractor tell you that this isn't necessary because there is surge protection on their box outside of your house.

[rubicon]

The only fact that has remained constant about this lightning issue in the 8 years that I have lived here is that this is the lightning capital of the US.

The recent POA Bulletin featured an article about lightning and those homes equipped with CSST gas lines which would give one to pause but for the fact that the recent total loss of the million dollar home was all electric.

There has been contradictory opinions on the efficacy of lightning rods, surge protectors at electrical boxes. By the way I had SECO install a surge protector on my electrical box and now a posters explains that the surge protector did not help him and any claims made appear to return a minimal return

As to the CSST gas lines the question I have is why would TV install such lines when they were well aware of the lightning problem in this area? The answer is because such installation is the least expensive

[zcaveman]

The only fact that has remained constant about this lightning issue in the 8 years that I have lived here is that this is the lightning capital of the US.

The recent POA Bulletin featured an article about lightning and those homes equipped with CSST gas lines which would give one to pause but for the fact that the recent total loss of the million dollar home was all electric.

There has been contradictory opinions on the efficacy of lightning rods, surge protectors at electrical boxes. By the way I had SECO install a surge protector on my electrical box and now a posters explains that the surge protector did not help him and any claims made appear to return a minimal return

As to the CSST gas lines the question I have is why would TV install such lines when they were well aware of the lightning problem in this area? The answer is because such installation is the least expensive

According to the article in the POA, it was not until a decade ago that they realized that a lightning strike would breach the CSST gas lines. In 2007 there was a class action suit on CSST gas lines. I am not sure when TV started building all electric homes but I suspect it was in that timeframe so I think that they were proactive and got rid of the gas lines in the new housing. Or it could have been that they did not have gas lines out that way.

After reading the article, I might have to look into replacing the CSST gas lines with the galvanized pipe that was mentioned in the article. I think that even with lightning rods there is still a potential with the CSST gas lines being punctured or wearing.

Z

[getdul981]

It is too bad that these lightning rod systems do not have an indicator or something to tell the people that have them that they worked. At least a blinking light. Then they could report it to someone that keeps track of successful redirects to lightning strikes.

Z

A neighbor said they paid $2700 for whole house protection with rods. Don't know what company they used and didn't ask because I'm not interested in getting them.

FYI....

Watch Lightning Strike the Willis (Sears) Tower in Chicago! (http://parade.condenast.com/312049/mabel_martinez/watch-lightning-strike-the-willis-sears-tower-in-chicago/)

[folkh]

We used A-1 Lightning Protection, very happy with workmenship and owner Jeff Lewis very nice gentlemen to deal with.

[Mikeod]

In Southeast, Ground Rods May Not Protect Homes Against Lightning » News » University of Florida (http://news.ufl.edu/2002/08/15/lightningrod/)

You all should read this article before spending any money on Lightning Rods
The title should have added the word "alone" after Ground Rods. It is clearly stated that a surge protector at the meter protected the test house in two of three tests. In the third test, the meter did not have a surge protector and was destroyed. The article also states that the use of surge protectors inside for all electronic equipment and appliances in addition to a surge protector at the meter is recommended. When I had my lightning rods installed, we were told exactly that. We have a SECO surge protector at the meter, another surge protector at the panel, and individual surge protectors at the outlets that also include the cable for the TV and modem.

[getdul981]

The article was published in August 2002. I'm sure the technology has improved immensely since then.

[rdhdleo]

Update! We'll we have now made sure everything in the house has surge protectors (not just power strips) that includes ones that have cable hook up on them and phone line. We have replaced all that was lost and in some instances found some good deals.
Now I have to give HUGE kudos to our AAA Ins. They had an adjuster out in a couple of days and in less than 2 weeks after the lightning strike took out one electronics and tree and garage door opener, we have received 2 checks from AAA that even after they took out out $1000 deductible will covers all replacements! I am very impressed with AAA!

[Lightning]

In Southeast, Ground Rods May Not Protect Homes Against Lightning » News » University of Florida (http://news.ufl.edu/2002/08/15/lightningrod/)

You all should read this article before spending any money on Lightning Rods
If the article you are talking about relates to grounding in sandy soil - this is why you hire a UL and LPI listed installer as it is their job to get a proper ground.

[Villages PL]

It seems the greatest threat is from indirect hits, and surge protectors are no guarantee of safety for equipment. It seems that unplugging everything is the only way to be sure, but given the frequency of storms at this time of year in TV, that seems pretty cumbersome.

Speaking of guarantees, there might not be any guarantee that an expensive (whole house) lightning rod system will keep your house from catching fire from a massive lightning strike.

Did A-1 Lightning Protection give a guarantee? Not that I expect they would, I'm just asking.

[plmtree]

We used Pike Electric and let me tell you they arrived on time, sent a great worker and we are very pleased and will use them again in the future!

[tv2016]

The title should have added the word "alone" after Ground Rods. It is clearly stated that a surge protector at the meter protected the test house in two of three tests. In the third test, the meter did not have a surge protector and was destroyed. The article also states that the use of surge protectors inside for all electronic equipment and appliances in addition to a surge protector at the meter is recommended. When I had my lightning rods installed, we were told exactly that. We have a SECO surge protector at the meter, another surge protector at the panel, and individual surge protectors at the outlets that also include the cable for the TV and modem.


Is it necessary to put surge protectors at the outlets for appliances like refrigerator, washer/dryer, built-in microwave, range, dishwasher? Not sure how to do that -is it recommended?

[Lightning]

Speaking of guarantees, there might not be any guarantee that an expensive (whole house) lightning rod system will keep your house from catching fire from a massive lightning strike.

Did A-1 Lightning Protection give a guarantee? Not that I expect they would, I'm just asking.

The studies that I have reviewed show that the major reason for failure is simple neglect and failure to follow the maintance criteria in NFPA-780. They don’t take much maintenance as the have no moving parts. Are there are any manmade products that 100% reliable – never have a failure? Every transportation mode has a failure rate as does your appliances, computers and other electronics. Are automatic external deliberators (AED) 100% guaranteed when they are called on in a life & death situation? Yet wee had one fail last summer during a Villages softball game. My point is that anything manmade can fail but you have to agree that they all work a very high percentage of the time well into to the upper ninety percent range including LPS.

[Shimpy]

I did have the surge protection provided by SECO and that was destroyed when they checked the meter. The very helpful rep told me that reimbursement from the surge protection company is minimal. You must have all your appliances plugged into individual surge protection outlets. He cited the refrigerator as a very iffy covered item because they can say that the surge came in thru the water line hooked up for the icemaker. He is processing a claim for my garage door operator that fried the PCB and both sensors. He warned that these might not be covered because they can claim lightning came in thru the sensors. So I keep all my receipts and will turn them into my homeowner's insurance.
Skip 2

I was told the same thing by the SECO rep, that it would probably be denied because the surge probably came thru the water line into the sprinkler controller/timer. He also told me they usually say for refrigators the surge came thru the icemaker water line and don't pay the claim.
I was warned by the guy that replaced my sprinkler timer that it is nearly impossible to get SECO to pay any claim because they always have a reason why they are not at fault. There is no way to prove otherwise.

[NoMoSno]

I wonder what they would say if you use polyethylene tubing , to feed the ice maker?

[HiHoSteveO]

I wonder what they would say if you use polyethylene tubing , to feed the ice maker?
That likely wouldn't hold water (OOP! Pardon the pun)
The water within the polyethylene tubing is an excellent conductor of electricity.

[gustavo]

That likely wouldn't hold water (OOP! Pardon the pun)
The water within the polyethylene tubing is an excellent conductor of electricity.

Actually water is an excellent insulator, it's the stuff in water that conducts electricity.

[Skip2MySue]

I was told the same thing by the SECO rep, that it would probably be denied because the surge probably came thru the water line into the sprinkler controller/timer. He also told me they usually say for refrigators the surge came thru the icemaker water line and don't pay the claim.
I was warned by the guy that replaced my sprinkler timer that it is nearly impossible to get SECO to pay any claim because they always have a reason why they are not at fault. There is no way to prove otherwise.

So here's what I ended up doing: Called SECO and had a long conversation about the best way to protect myself for the future boo-boo's. Purchased individual plug in surge protectors for the TV's, computer, microwave, telephone, garage door opener and irrigation system. They were delivered and that night we had another lightning storm that knocked out the irrigation and garage door. Thankfully, I went out and reset the breaker and all was fine so I guess the S.P.'s did there jobs on that storm. Another point they made is you have to have your Comcast cable run into a S.P. also to eliminate the potential of the surge coming in thru your cable line. Got the claim back from SECO and they covered none of my losses as the panel S.P. did it's job to protect the big stuff. Submitted all my claims to homeowner's and they paid for everything less the $500 deductible. I just had to submit invoice copies to cover any losses. American Integrity Insurance took care of everything. So fortunately it wasn't too bad of an ordeal except for the very poor support our fan favorite Comcast :censored: provided.
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