These days, just about everything in your home that makes life easier (or more fun) is controlled by electronics.
Some electronic components are relatively simple; many are complex and sophisticated. But from your computer and television to your oven and laundry machines, just about everything is electronic nowadays.
Are your home’s electronics – entertainment system, laptops and printers, appliances, you name it – protected from power surges?
Are you sure?
Maybe you have things plugged into power strips sold as “surge protection” devices. And some of those devices do a reasonable job of providing some protection.
But what if lightning strikes nearby, causing a surge your power strips can’t fully handle?
With the change of the seasons, and harsher weather headed your way, doesn’t it make sense to take another look at the surge protection in your home?
“It’s Not Going To Happen To Us”
On the other hand, you might think surge protection isn’t something you really need to worry about.
After all, what are the odds lightning would strike your house? A million-to-one?
Try one-in-200.
That’s the chance your home will be struck by lightning at some point in the next twelve months, according to the National Lightning Safety Institute.
It’s a lot more common than most people think.
As a matter of fact, Colorado ranks in the top ten in terms of vulnerability to lightning strikes.
And if that isn’t sobering enough, consider this: lightning strikes aren’t even the most common cause of electronics-wrecking residential power surges. That would be your appliances themselves, cycling on and off. Some of the latest research suggests those simple cycles could account for up to four out of five power surges.
What are the odds you have a refrigerator, or other appliance, cycling on and off in your home?
That’s likely 100%.
There are other causes of power surges (like the utility company switching power grids at a substation)… and those surges caused by weather are still the most severe (and dangerous to your devices)… but there’s a reason insurance claims (and the average claim value) from electrical surges are high and on-the-rise.
It can happen. To you.
Double Down On Protection
So what’s the best way to keep yours from being one of 150,000 (or more) homes struck by a power surge this year – a power surge that ruins your cherished electronic devices and forces you to file a hefty claim with your insurance carrier?
The good news is that this is a problem that can be solved. Relatively easily.
And at a surprisingly affordable cost.
Call a qualified, safety-first electrician and get him to install a top-of-the-line whole-home surge protector, right at the circuit breaker box.
But don’t throw away those plug-in surge protectors and power strips.
To provide extra protection, plug your electronics into quality surge-protecting wall devices.
(Come to think of it, you could use a couple more of those, right? And that one in the TV room could probably use an upgrade, too…).
An electrical surge can strike your home in a fraction of a second. And your expensive, helpful electronics will pay a hefty price when that happens. So protect them. Don’t let a potential power surge jolt your pocketbook, too.
