Surge Protection

[BarryB]

This has most likely been covered before but since I'm new I'll ask.
Is it recomended to get a surge protector installed from the electric company for protection against a lighting hit?

[cologal]

This has most likely been covered before but since I'm new I'll ask.
Is it recommended to get a surge protector installed from the electric company for protection against a lighting hit?


It has been discussed but you do have options.. You can rent or buy from the electric company or you can buy from an electrical contractor like Munn's.

It has been said that the contractors are a better deal. With all the lighting it is highly recommended. They also recommend smaller protectors on the garage door opener, TV, Microwave, lawn sprinklers and any computers.

[GMONEY]

Yes it is a good idea. i just checked in the home system thru Galaxy Home Solutions in Wildwood. The only hit I see is you cant protect from a direct strike. The odds are high you will not get a direct hit, but if you did it could knock out everything. I have a friend in Leesburg, it seems everybad storm they get hit hard, already knocked out 2 new television set ups.
As Cologal quoted, check the SECO and other places. It is good to have.

[Barefoot]

This has most likely been covered before but since I'm new I'll ask. Is it recomended to get a surge protector installed from the electric company for protection against a lighting hit?

Yes.

Two worthwhile purchases we made in the Spring before we left for six month .... humidistat and surge protector.

You can get SECO to install one on your electrical panel. Or you can buy individual surge protectors for your outlets and install them yourself (less effective but also a lot less expensive and better than nothing).

[The Great Fumar]

Barryb

i personally have the seco protector collar on my elec. Panel and several little protectors on tv's , phones. Etc etc...

Having said that, i also must tell you that we went to a meeting with the fire people and the lighting question was asked of the chief.......
He stated that collar's and lightning rods have very little effect if any in preventing strikes..........also said that some believe that they actually attract lighting.........

I personally think its a crap shoot...... Its the luck of the draw but you' ll sleep better then its probably worth the money....

Nervous fumar

[downeaster]

A friend who is an electrical engineer and specializes in lightning protection says the best protection is a tall tree nearby, preferably pine.
Of course it is only good for one hit as pine trees tend to die after a direct hit.
He also said lightning rods may be of benefit if installed correctly. He added, most are not installed correctly.

[Barefoot]

My husband, Fireboy, isn't retired yet. In real life he is a Fire Captain. He set up the surge protectors on the individual plugs in our Villa.

[rsetterlund]

How do I contact Munn's. I checked superpages.com and can only find air conditioning dealers. If you have their phone number would you please post it. I would like to contact and get an estimate for having a whole house surge protector installed. Thanks.

[Bogie Shooter]

How do I contact Munn's. I checked superpages.com and can only find air conditioning dealers. If you have their phone number would you please post it. I would like to contact and get an estimate for having a whole house surge protector installed. Thanks.

TV phone book. Munn's Heating and Air Conditioning, lake cty 352-787-7741, Marion 821-0284, Sumter 689-0164. Did not see where Munn's does electrical contracting.

[Barefoot]

Munns does both air conditioners and dehumidistats. SECO (your electric company) installs surge protectors.

We had our dehumidistat installed when Munns did our yearly air conditioner service.

[jojo]

I do not know how a humidistat works. Does it simply signal the air conditioning on when the humidity reaches a certain level? My problem is that I don't like the air conditioning on cool enough to reduce the humidity in my house in the summer.

[Barefoot]

I do not know how a humidistat works. Does it simply signal the air conditioning on when the humidity reaches a certain level? .


Jojo, that is exactly the way a humidistat works. It reacts to humidity, not heat. We used one for the summer months (we're snowbirds) with incredibly low electric bills. No mould, perfect results.

[MMC24]

Between the two, a humidistat is more important to install in your home. The humidistate is used everyday during the summer and will help prevent mold build up. There is a lot of lighting in our area and should we sustain a direct hit on our house, the surge protector will not help.

[Pocadot55]

We had SECO install their protectors four years ago. This year lightning hit one of our palm trees and knocked out all our electronics on one side of our house. SECO does not handle the claims. They give you a number to call in Utah. You must send the surge protector that your electronics were plugged into to Utah where they will examine it and let you know if you have a claim. In our case they said the lightning strike came through the ground and they were not liable. Even though the surge protector was damaged, it was not damaged enough for a claim. Our homeowners policy picked up the tab. I also learned that the surge protector on the meter is only for appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, etc. So-called "white appliances". We still have the surge protector on the meter even though they are difficult to deal with in placing a claim.

[GMONEY]

check with Galaxy Home Solutions in Wildwood.

[Barefoot]

We had SECO install their protectors four years ago. This year lightning hit one of our palm trees and knocked out all our electronics on one side of our house. SECO does not handle the claims. They give you a number to call in Utah. You must send the surge protector that your electronics were plugged into to Utah where they will examine it and let you know if you have a claim. In our case they said the lightning strike came through the ground and they were not liable. Even though the surge protector was damaged, it was not damaged enough for a claim. Our homeowners policy picked up the tab. I also learned that the surge protector on the meter is only for appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, etc. So-called "white appliances". We still have the surge protector on the meter even though they are difficult to deal with in placing a claim.


Good information Pocadot, thanks. I sure didn't realize the claim process was so difficult (not something they explain when they're trying to sell it to you)!! We unplug all electronics and our fridge when we leave for the summer.

[Sidney Lanier]

We had SECO install the surge suppressor collar on the electric meter, and with it they gave us a boxful of smaller surge suppressors for inside the house. Being an obsessive compulsive, I not only installed all of them but I also added several more. We bought rather than rented the unit from SECO, figuring that it would be less costly in the long run, and they still are responsible for it for the first ten years.

I'm posting to share that I learned a short while ago that the garage door opener needs a specific kind of surge suppressor that protects not only the motor but also the sensors at the foot of the garage door and the control panel by the entrance to the garage from the house. Installing this was a bit complicated, because there are so many wires, but I managed it. If anyone would like more info, please feel free to PM me.

[pili]

We got our surge protector from Bella's. They put it on the electrical box, for phone line, and TV lines. We also have individual surge protectors for the outlets. The surge protector won't protect you from lightning, but it will save your electrical appliances.

[cabo35]

We have a high end surge protector and voltage regulator on our TV and stereo equipment. We have a standard APC unit we bought at Circuit City on our computer. Both have guarantee provisions.

The computer took a hit or spike and was fried beyond repair. I initiated the claim process with APC. My local computer guru sent them a letter indicating the computer was dead and probably cause by an APC failure to protect it. They asked me to send back the APC unit. In a relatively short time, they sent me a check for $680 dollars, a pro-rated figure, for a new computer. I was satisfied with the result and concluded, like Fumar, it is the luck of the draw but important to make surge protection selections by considering the guarantee and claim experience of the manufacturer.

I will probably go with Seco, after I grill them on the guarantee and claim experience, for the outside unit. I'd like to try to nail them down, in writing if possible, on their claim guarantee. Thanks for the heads up in that regard Polkadot55.

[samhass]

Go check out the firehouses and see if they have lightning rods installed.
My guess is they do have the rods.
I have seen some terrible installations in my community. I believe the proper installations have copper to ground on the house and aluminum to ground on the aluminum birdcages. IMHO, of course.






Barryb

i personally have the seco protector collar on my elec. Panel and several little protectors on tv's , phones. Etc etc...

Having said that, i also must tell you that we went to a meeting with the fire people and the lighting question was asked of the chief.......
He stated that collar's and lightning rods have very little effect if any in preventing strikes..........also said that some believe that they actually attract lighting.........

I personally think its a crap shoot...... Its the luck of the draw but you' ll sleep better then its probably worth the money....

Nervous fumar