An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Although the cold weather is still here, spring is really just around the corner, and we know that brings storms and lightning. Now is the time for storm season preparation. Here are three simple upgrades you can do to your home to prevent any damage or trouble for when storm season blows through:
1. Invest in Surge Protection Appliances
There are two types that you can get and we recommend using a blend of both. First off there are the surge protector power strips you can get basically anywhere that sells electronics. Those are great for smaller usage like for TVs and anything else you’d plug into the wall. We urge you to almost exclusively plug your precious electronics into surge protectors. It just takes one strong surge to fry your flatscreen forever.
There are also in-wall surge protectors. These are outlets outfitted with surge protection. We recommend using these for the outlets where you plug in large appliances like your refrigerator or stove. Do not plug these large appliances into a power strip surge protector because they draw too much power. However, these appliances still need protection from a powerful surge, which is often caused by lightning during storms.
Also to note: there are dips and surges in voltage daily, although they might go unnoticed by us. Even though everything in your home still runs, these smaller surges can shorten the lifespan of your appliances. So, don’t just consider these surge protection devices as insurance, they’re an investment in extending the longevity of your electronics.
2. Install Whole-Home Protection
You can have surge protector power strips and outlets but lightning can still strike and fry all the wiring within your walls. Anything not plugged into surge protection will get fried, your wiring will be destroyed, and your home will be at risk for fires. A whole-home surge protection system, like the SYCOM one we offer, will work to prevent any such damage in the event your house gets struck by lightning.
What to Do If Your House Is Hit by Lightning
Our whole-home surge protection system comes with a guarantee that will cover costs up to $25,000 should any damage occur when the system is in use.
3. Consider Installing a Backup Generator Hookup
A backup generator is an appliance to use if you experience long periods without power. There are models that are very powerful and can connect directly to your home’s mainframe to power the house. This is the safest and most convenient way to use a backup generator. There are smaller appliances out there that work, but you have to run them outside (because of fumes), so you’d have to run in and out to use your toaster or anything.
