Whole house surge protection
 

We have our design meeting in 2.5 weeks and we are making a spreadsheet of all the possibilities in the new build including all the information we have gained from the knowledgable people on TOTV. One question that we have not seen addressed is if we should get whole house surge protection at build or after market. Could you offer advice?

We did our after market through SECO (our electricity provider).

We had our surge protection installed by SECO after we closed. They have a couple of options - rent or buy. You will need to decide what will work best for you. Good luck with your design meeting!

Rona

My $.0295 worth - go with what SECO's offers:

Protect your equipment from lightning with SECO Energy's Surge Protection System

Bill :)

I agree with this Ohio boy once again.

I agree. If a surge protector takes a hit, it needs to be replaced. If you rent it from seco, they will replace it. If you buy one from seco or anyone else, you own it, and you will need to buy again.

Good info. Thank's..........

I got mine from SECO too. Easy install and peace of mind.

We all talk about the insurances for auto, car, sinkhole, home, cart, bike, etc, but for the $5.95 per month that SECO charges to "rent" a house surge protector that also includes power strips for tvs/computers, it seems like a pretty small peace of mind to me in the lightning capital.

Yep!

Thank you all for the recommendations and your kind reasoning. Thank you to Bill and Brillo for the SECO link. Cleared this little problem up....now on to the next. Gee, building is fun (wink, wink).

100% agree. I have had them installed in my last two homes and never regreted it, even though it never tripped. I had made the recommendation to have it installed in a training session I was giving, and one of my clients later told me that a month after my presentation, they had a power surge that fried half of the appliances in their home. Unfortunately they had not had the suppressor installed, which would have been a lot cheaper than the appliance replacement.

You're both welcome, bigallis and suzi!

Bill :)

You will be required to contact SECO 2 weeks prior to closing to establish your service account for electrical service. You can ask them to add the surge protector then. They did not ask me, I had to ask for the installation. They then give you the option of renting or buying the equipment. The rep also said additional plug in surge protectors would be delivered to the home address shortly after closing.

For more information on lightning and surge protection see the back issues of the POA Bulletins at POA4US.org and look for the Lightning Matters columns.

Definitely get the whole house surge from SECO>
We had a "supercell" over our house last year and it protected
MOST of everything - major appliances, etc.
Where we got hit it was through the security system and it
took out a garage door, stero equipment and the security system.

It cost a lot to lose equipment. In 15 years here in Tampa this
is the 1st this has every happened to us.

OK everyone. Listen up. Closed on our home May 25, 2012. Had surge protector installed immediately by SECO. On June 7 our house took a "direct hit" by lightening. Roof melted, all wiring inside had to be replaced. 4 new televisions needed replacement. Garage door opener, irrigation system, telephones, and computer. We called fire department, electrician, and insurance. Electrician fixed a lot, cable company rewired (got rid of comcast and signed with Brighthouse). Insurance paid for everything except deductible. Tried to get deductible from SECO and was told that "direct hits are not covered" but they did replace their protector. Builder fixed the melted roof and did not charge us.

Points out that it's SURGE protection, NOT lightning protection. Big difference.

SECO tells you up front that primary protection on the meter and secondary protection on all electrical equipment (TVs, computers, microwaves, etc) is for an INDIRECT lightning strikes. Unfortunately, few people take the time to understand this distinction. To protect against a DIRECT lightning strike as described by sharonga you need to consider a lightning protection system, commonly called lightning rods, by a UL and Lightning Protection Institute listed installer. Qualifed installers do not solict door-to-door. There is no governemnt oversite therefore this is a buyer beware market place. To learn more info on lightning see the back issues of the POA Bulletin or the Lifelong Learning College catalog under the science heading.

Lightning. You spoke to our group of villagers and it was MOST helpful.
I wish that you had an "ask the expert" thread on here. I know that you are not connected to any contractors and that you and your partner will come and give presentations on lightning striking homes here to groups of people who are interested.

For people who do not live here. This part of Florida is the lightning capital of the country and seven homes have burnt to the ground in the last six or seven years due to direct lightning strikes. Lightning rods installed by a reputable person is a very good idea.

WAS it seven in six years or six in seven years, I can't remember.

GO SECO !!:agree::agree::agree::agree:

We also had SECO install WHS. SECO provided 3 surge protectors for inside the home as well. One was for our TV-Cable-Phone. It plugs into the wall. We could not use it because the cable connection and plug are so close together. We did use the little one for the computer. The other one sits in the garage. That one is more for the land line, and we didn't have a land line installed. We ended up using Monster surge protectors for the TV's. Do you have to use SECO's surge protectors to be covered?

Graciegirl, thank you for your continued support. We have given over 70 presentations in the last four years.

Seven homes have been destroyed by lightning in the last nine lightning seasons. None have been destroyed since 2009 when we had two; Virgina Trace and Sunset Pointe. We are long overdue for another.

As indicated by sharonga some homes have taken a DIRECT strike but were lucky that they were not destroyed. Manny homes have been impacted by an INDIRCT lightning strike demonstrating the need for primary and secondary surge protection for electronic equipment. As we tell our attendees, "lightning loves technology".

I'm not sure what you mean by "covered". SECO will stand behind their devices but if you get surge protectors from other sources you need to read the warranty. If by "covered" you mean homeowners insurance you probably are (subject to your deductible) but to be sure check with your broker/agent/carrier.

The fire chief told us that lightening rods would not of helped. He also explained that the insurance companies do not give discounts for them. Mixed messages.

Sorry for the confusion. I really just wanted to now if SECO would stand behind their WHS if I wasn't using their surge protectors inside on our TV's. I guess I should order some strips from them, but these Monsters surge protectors cost over a $100 bucks. I know that after deductible home owners would kick in.

We have heard this before. As a retired fire protection consultant I have the utmost respect for the fire service when it comes to putting their lives on the line for others. To say that lightning rods would not have worked is NOT supported by science or experience since Ben Franklin invented the lightning rod in 1752. Our most important resourse that we use in our presentations called Lightning Tips for Villagers, is University of Florida's Dr. Martin Uman's book, The Art and Science of Lightning Protection. It can be found in the library on Belvedere Blvd. See the first paragraph of the Preface.

You should ask if lightning rods don't work why does The Villages install them on every pumping station, nearly every building at Sumter Landing and the former fire headquarters on Bonita Blvd. and the new fire headquartes on Morse Blvd?

You may also wish to enroll in Lightning Tips for Villages that will be offered on April 25th at the high school. See page 55 of the Life Long College catalog. We do this as a community service and the $5 fee is for the rental of the room.

Lightning rods will protect your house from fire due to a lightning hit on the structure if they are properly installed (Important to get a reputable and certified installation company). However, they will do nothing to protect electronics and appliances within the home from surges that come in through the lines (even our underground lines have been known to carry surges). For this reason, I have a whole house surge protector from SECO and individual quality surge protectors on appliances. These help allot - but no surge protectors give 100 percent protection.

You are correct - safety is never absolute but what you describe is what we suggest in our presentations and Lifelong Learning Class. The national standard on lightning not only calls for a lightning protection system (lightning rods) but also surge protection on the electric meter or electric panel and point-of-use protectors on all electronics of value. As for reputable contractors there is no licensing of LPS installers. We suggest only seeking quotes from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) "listed" installers. We know of three in our area; A-1 Lightning, Advanced Lightning, and Triangle Lightning. We have never found a door-to-door LPS installer that is UL listed. Buyer beware!