How Lightning Can Damage Your Home's Electrical System
A lightning strike near your house can cause an electrical surge that destroys your electronics. A direct strike on your home can cause extensive damage to your house and your home's electrical system. As soon as it's safe after a lightning strike, check your electrical panel for signs of damage. Also, check your electronic equipment. If you suspect or fear damage, call an electrician for an inspection since there could be damage behind the walls you can't see. Here's how lightning can harm your home's electrical system.
Start A Fire In The Electrical Panel
When a power surge enters your home, it goes to your electrical panel first. A powerful surge can completely destroy the panel and even cause it to catch on fire. Fire is a major concern with lightning because it sends more power through your home's electrical system than it can handle. Having a whole-home surge protector put on your electrical panel might help avoid damage to your home's wiring and your electronics from a power surge, but it probably won't do much to protect your electrical panel from a powerful lightning strike.
Melt Insulation Around Wires
A power surge makes the wires in your home hot which also increases the risk of a fire. This heat can cause the insulation around the wires to melt and all this happens behind walls where the wires are hidden. Your home could be at risk of fire due to the damaged wiring and you won't know about it until an electrician inspects the wiring and finds the damage.
Damage Your TV And Computers
When the power surge from an electrical panel flows through the wiring in your home, it makes its way to your outlets where you might have a TV or computer plugged in. A small surge protector might not save your electronics if the power surge is too strong and your expensive electronic equipment might be damaged and ruined. If you're at home when it's storming with heavy lightning, you might want to unplug your electronic equipment to keep this from happening.
While electricity from a power surge flows through the electrical pole to your home, a lightning strike on your house can send an electrical charge through your home's wiring as the lightning races to the ground. Either scenario is bad for your home and may result in the need for extensive electrical repairs, such as a new electrical panel and wiring. The safest action is to call an electrician for an inspection so you know if your home is still safe and if not, what repairs have to be done. Contact a company, like Narducci Electric, for more help.