Lightning Strike 101: A Homeowner’s Guide
Thunderstorms in Florida are just part of living in one of the most beautiful places in the world. While you enjoy having close access to sandy beaches and sunny parks, you may have also realized that frequent rain and thunder are one of the few downsides of living in the area.
Although the thought of dealing with a lightning strike can generate anxiety for homeowners, it helps to know you have options for protecting your property. Exploring what happens when lightning hits and how to prevent damage allows you to sit through the next storm without fear. Get a lightning strike evaluation with Melbourne Mister Sparky.
Understand How Lightning Travels
Walking through a brief science lesson can help you gain a better understanding of how lightning can damage your property. Lightning starts as electrical charges that begin to build up in storm clouds. Once these charges begin to get stronger, they start to seek out positively charged objects that exist on the ground.
Lightning is an equal opportunity striker that can hit anything within its reach. Trees, buildings such as homes and even people are all possible strike zones for electrical charges. Once the charges make a connection to ground-level objects, an electrical current is released that can cause lightning damage and other hazards.
Residential buildings are especially prone to damage from lightning strikes due to the types of materials they contain. Metal wires, pipes and other types of building materials can all conduct electricity and lead to serious damage.
Know What Lightning Hits Inside Your Home
Taking shelter is your best bet for avoiding personal injuries during a lightning storm. But, you’ll also want to note that a lightning strike can send electrical charges flowing through your home.
Some of the top places where lightning hits include the following:
- Electrical wiring
- Metal pipes and plumbing fixtures
- Phone lines and other conductive materials
- Ground surfaces surrounding the foundation
During a lightning storm, it is best to avoid close contact with conductive materials that could carry energy during a strike. Waiting to use the plumbing until after the storm can protect you from serious injuries. The same is also true regarding the use of appliances or charging cords.
Be Alert for Damage Beyond the Obvious
After a strike happens, you’ll need to immediately be on guard for obvious signs of damage. Lightning damage can lead to house fires if it causes flammable materials to ignite. You might also notice the power going out if the strike affects the electrical panel.
However, there are some forms of lighting damage that might not be so obvious. For instance, melted wires might be hidden inside the walls. Or, a broken outlet might not immediately show signs of damage until you try to plug an appliance in and receive a shock. Our team can perform a lightning strike evaluation to identify damage that you might not see during an initial visual check.
Lightning strike evaluations only take a short time to complete. During an evaluation, we can check the outlets, circuit breaker and other electrical components to ensure that they are all working properly. We can also assess your home’s appliances, wiring and cords to ensure that they are all safe for you to continue to use.
Remember Why You Should Never Ignore a Lightning Strike
A lightning strike happens so fast that you can sometimes question whether one really happened. Meanwhile, you could also experience a serious electrical impact that requires an immediate response. In both cases, ignoring the potential for damage could cause you to live in a hazardous environment.
Most lightning strikes will leave some form of damage in their wake. For instance, your home could sustain damage to the wall or roof that allows water to leak into the wiring system during the next phases of the storm.
Faults in the electrical system could also exist without causing an obvious issue until later. Plugging an appliance into a faulty outlet could cause arcing or shocks. Broken wiring could spark and cause the insulation inside the walls to catch fire. As a general rule, you’ll need to call an electrician for a lightning strike evaluation any time you suspect that your house sustained a direct hit.
Learn How to Protect Your Home From Lightning Damage
When we come out to perform a lightning strike evaluation, our technicians will suggest solutions for protecting your home from damage. Some of our recommendations may include the following ideas.
Install Lightning Rods On High Structures
Many homes have chimneys, flag poles and other features that could attract lightning. Installing roses on your home can direct lightning to the safest route away from the building.
Use Surge Protectors
Our electricians can help you select surge protectors that serve as a safeguard for protecting appliances if a sudden strike sends power surging through the system.
Unplug Electronic Devices
Surge protector installations can help prevent damage to your home’s appliances. But, it never hurts to include multiple layers of protection against strikes. Unplugging electronic devices can prevent them from sustaining damage, and you’ll be less tempted to use them during periods of high lightning activity.
Trim Trees and Branches Around Your House
Wood is a poor conductor of electricity, but it is possible for a strike to a tree to allow electrical currents to flow to buildings that wet branches can touch. Make sure to trim trees away from your home, which can also lessen the risk of damage to the roof. You’ll also want to keep branches trimmed away from power lines to prevent them from harming the electrical system if they break during a storm.
Bottom Line: When In Doubt, Call Us Out
The best way to handle a strike by lightning is by taking action before one happens. But, it’s not too late to protect your home by checking for damage after lightning strikes. As we like to say, “Don’t put up with any malarky, call Mister Sparky.”
If you notice malfunctioning outlets, tripped circuit breakers and other electrical problems, reach out to our team right away. We’ll diagnose the problem and offer solutions that keep your home’s electrical system running safely and efficiently.