According to U.S. Climate Data, Jackson, TN receives about 54 inches of rainfall on average each year. And with rainfall comes lightning. Lightning is one of nature’s most awesome displays, snaking across the sky in bursts of radiant tendrils. But what happens when this powerful force of nature strikes your home? Even more important, what can you do to protect your home from damage? Delta Electrical has the answers.
What is lightning, and what can it do to your home?
Lightning occurs when the ice particles with a cloud collide and fracture into pieces (Global Hydrology Resource Center). When this happens, some of the pieces become positively charged while others receive a negative charge. These then interact with one another, the electrical discharge between positive and negative ions leading to a thunderstorm.
Lightning will generally seek the highest point possible, but it will also find paths of conductivity such as water pipes, gutters and window frames, and electrical systems. A lightning strike on your home can lead to fire dangers, igniting roofs, beams or panels. Lightning strikes can also cause a severe power surge through your electrical systems, leaving them damaged in the process.
How an Electrical Contractor Can Protect You
There are a few options for protecting your home from lightning damage.
- Lightning protection system
- Lightning protection systems tend to be made from copper and aluminum materials. When this groundwork is in place, it intercepts the strike and directs it into the ground.
- Surge Protector Devices
- SPD’s are used to protect electric supply networks, telephone networks, as well as other types of systems. It is the most commonly used type of overvoltage protection.
- Point-of-Use protection
- Point-of-use surge protectors can help protect your electrical devices from electrical surges
Don’t be caught off guard by Mother Nature. Before the next storm hits, call Delta Electrical to see how we can protect your home and provide you with any of your electrical power system needs.