Protect your home from Lighting Strikes

There are many ways to protect your home and electronics from lightening strikes. This article lists simple things homeowners can do to protect their investments from the unpredictable weather that affects us all at some point.

Having a lighting rod professionally installed on a home or building is the best way of preventing the accidental discharge of electric into the building. It is known that a lighting strike will occur on the highest point of the building. Installing a lightening rod at the highest point will help to safeguard the building from electrical damage but this alone will not offer total protection.

The surge protectors that you plug your computer and related hardware into can help to prevent damage to other electrical devices in your home. These systems protect the devices by 'catching' the damaging currents that flow through the buildings wiring system, out the outlet and into the device. These surge proctors stop the electic from flooding into the device and creating havoc.

Every piece of equipment that a person can plug in to the outlet can be damaged in the event of a lighting strike. This does include televisions, stereos, air conditioners, and even cell phone chargers but it also includes outdoor items that are hardwired into the home at some point. Minimize the connections, which plug into the home or buildings outlets and lower your chances of an accidental strike that could be devastating and expensive.

Putting kitchen appliances on a surge protector is also a great idea. A microwave, coffee pot, toaster, as well as a radio can all be plugged in the protector and can be turned off quickly in the event of an emergency.

All of these items will draw electric in when ever they are plugged in, and all can be damaged when too much power floods the circuit. Prevent that damage by installing a surge protector.

Telephone use should be avoided in the presence of a lighting storm, as sometimes the lightening can come through the telephone lines. This does includes telephones on a landline as well as cell phones. Putting all the cell phone changers on a surge protector not only protects them during a storm it will also save the home owner money as the surge protector can be turned off when the phones do not need to be charged.