vincevoughen
06-09-2010, 06:23 PM
It blew the dog fence right off the garage wall. Every appliance in the house was fried. Hearing my neighbor lament the loss of all his appliances through one lightning strike made me do some research into the hidden dangers of power surges. I was amazed to find that even without lightning strikes, the electricity supply to my home was sending power surges through my computers up to 20 times a day. Time to call an electrical contractor.
I found out that power fluctuations on the electrical grid are normal. They happen up to 20 times a day in the average home. The most we usually notice is a flickering light. Our appliances, on the other hand, are affected by every variation in the electricity supply.
Although they are designed to keep working through fluctuations within a certain range, my electrician told me that the net result of standing up to constant changes in the power supply is costly wear and tear on all my electrical appliances. Their lifespan can be reduced by as much as 30 percent. That may not matter so much in the case of a $50 toaster, but what about my computers, or that home theater system that cost me thousands of dollars?
Even worse, during a lightning storm the electrical grid weathers multiple lightning strikes, some of which may be close to home. Lightning is common from spring right through fall, so statistically speaking you're more likely than not to get a strike near you at some point during the year. A single strike a mile away can send a 30,000 amp surge of electricity through your home, which is enough to do some serious damage to sensitive computers.
One lightning strike on your house can fry every electronic device in it. Imagine having to replace your computers, TVs, and every other appliance in your home all at once. What's worse, your insurance policy probably does not cover this kind of event, which means that you'll be paying out of your own pocket.
I found out that power fluctuations on the electrical grid are normal. They happen up to 20 times a day in the average home. The most we usually notice is a flickering light. Our appliances, on the other hand, are affected by every variation in the electricity supply.
Although they are designed to keep working through fluctuations within a certain range, my electrician told me that the net result of standing up to constant changes in the power supply is costly wear and tear on all my electrical appliances. Their lifespan can be reduced by as much as 30 percent. That may not matter so much in the case of a $50 toaster, but what about my computers, or that home theater system that cost me thousands of dollars?
Even worse, during a lightning storm the electrical grid weathers multiple lightning strikes, some of which may be close to home. Lightning is common from spring right through fall, so statistically speaking you're more likely than not to get a strike near you at some point during the year. A single strike a mile away can send a 30,000 amp surge of electricity through your home, which is enough to do some serious damage to sensitive computers.
One lightning strike on your house can fry every electronic device in it. Imagine having to replace your computers, TVs, and every other appliance in your home all at once. What's worse, your insurance policy probably does not cover this kind of event, which means that you'll be paying out of your own pocket.