Protect Your Home From Lightning

According to msn.com, lightning can enter your home from numerous kinds of wiring including phone lines, TV cables, antennas, even invisible dog fences. It can also enter through plumbing pipes and water, such as from a bathtub or shower. A lightning bolt can produce temperatures of 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, creating major damage to a house, from frying up your computers to burning it completely. If fire occurs, the cost to repair a home is extravagant, even when insurance policies cover damages from electrical power surges. According to the Insurance Information Institute, in 2008, damage claims from lightning affected 185,789 U.S. homes and cost about $800 million. Lightning doesn’t only cost a lot, it also kills…about 58 people yearly in the U.S.

The All My Sons of Maryland movers remind you that most lightning occur in the summertime and the likelihood of your home being a target depends on where you live. Some regions, like the Southeast, are just more prone to electrical storms. Electrical surges are brief microbursts of current caused by the lightning, faulty wiring, high-demand appliances like refrigerators. It can damage sensitive electronic equipment, so it’s a great idea to buy individual surge protectors for equipment you value. When you buy those surge protectors, make sure you don’t confuse them with a power strip. They do look the same, so verify that next to the UL mark, it’s indentified as “surge suppressor.” Also, look for one with clamping ratings in the range of 330 to 370 volts.

TheMaryland moving specialists remind you that to protect your home from lightning damages, you can install a whole-house lightning-protection system or LPS. It typically costs about 1% of the home’s value. An LPS is based on a few principles, like the fact that lightning is attracted to tall things and it can be directed to the ground and dissipate through the use of a system of conductors and grounding electrodes.

Homes today have many wiring outlets, from Ethernet lines, to electrical wiring satellite dishes, cable modems, exterior lights, irrigation systems and more, so it’s really important that the LPS is installed by a professional who will take into account the entire picture. One defect and the whole thing is affected, possible creating damage to a home. LPS allows the electricity to be confined to a designed path so the damage is no longer a possibility.

If you’re looking to move into a home with an LPS already installed, just make sure to specify this to your real estate agent when you’re giving them your list of requirements for your dream home. And when you’re ready to move, make sure to employ the Maryland moving specialists for a hassle-free move and a professional job all around.