Ask a Licensed Electrician in Trumbull, CT About Whole Home Surge Protection

There are a lot of things that can happen during a lightning storm, including your electricity going out for an extended period of time. Think about how much residential homes and commercial buildings rely on power. Large appliances like freezers, refrigerators, computers, televisions, lighting and even Wi-Fi devices all run on electricity. So if you experience a major lightning storm and your home or business is struck, all your electronic units are at risk. This is why it’s important to install the right surge protector: one that protects against lightning.

Here are a few things your licensed electrician in Trumbull, CT wants you to know about whole house surge protection—especially if you live in an area where lightning strikes are a real threat.

Protect your home and electronics

When lightning is a threat to power, be it minor or major, you risk having some or all of your electronics being damaged. This is where a whole house surge protector device comes in handy. It is typically installed in an easily accessible spot, but connected to your home’s main electrical box. These devices are capable of defending against most power surges brought on by tripped circuit breakers, power company malfunctions, nearby lightning strikes and more. Here are some tips to protect your home against lightning storm damage:

• If your local weather person predicts an impending lightning storm, or you notice the signs of one approaching, turn off any electronics you do not absolutely need to be using. This includes the TV, radio, lighting and computers.
• Should you experience an outage, turn off or unplug any electronic devices not plugged into a surge protector. Doing this can help to avoid a power overload when the outage is over.
• Private water well owners should switch off the main power to the well pump during a severe storm to avoid lightning damage. A damaged well pump will leave you without water until a repair company can come out and fix it.
• Surge protectors are your best chance at preventing a total power outage. Of course, you can use several around your house to plug multiple electronics into. Or, to protect everything from your smaller electronics to large appliances and the HVAC system, consider installing a whole house surge protector.
• Whether your power is prone to getting knocked out during a lightning storm or due to other regularly occurring events, you may want to have a standby generator on hand.

Since your power can be out for anywhere from a few seconds to many days, depending on where the lightning strikes and how strong the event is, it would be wise for you to consider installing whole house surge protection. This can save your electronics from complete destruction and your electrical system from frying. It’s worth getting for your safety and peace of mind.

If you are interested in learning more about installing equipment to protect your home or business against lightning, don’t hesitate to contact the team at New England Electrical Contracting, Inc. Speak to a licensed electrician in Trumbull, CT about surge protection from lightning today!