Don’t be Shocked- Safety Enhancements from a Power Surge
By: Julina Macy
Lightning. A single bolt of lightning ripping through the sky can produce about three times the temperature of the surface of the Sun. More than 16 million lightning storms erupt through the sky annually and around the world. While the chances of being struck by lightning are minimal, it takes only one strike to damage all the electrical equipment in your home – including your heating and air conditioning equipment.
When an electrical discharge makes contact with your house, an excess amount of electric current bursts through your home’s phone jack, ethernet cable and AC outlet. In addition to telephones and computers being damaged, the second costliest item in homeownership – the heating and air conditioning equipment – can be permanently damaged. Fortunately, a simple device can save you the frustration and money that comes with a direct hit.
Surge protectors are specifically designed to protect electrical devices from sudden voltage spikes. They can be used in single outlets or have multiple outlets like in a power strip. One homeowner in Michigan plans on taking that surge protector to the next level.
“One of our customers, Chuck Pantera, is currently looking into a whole house surge protector to avoid future damage,” said Dennis Wissner, owner of the Aire Serv® of Mid Michigan franchise. “His home was recently struck by lightning for the second time.”
Don’t Get Frazzled
Imagine going to bed and being nearly asleep when the sound of a lightning strike nearby jolts you out of bed. In an instant, your smoke alarm detector begins howling. As you investigate what is going on, you find the light bulb above the kitchen sink has shattered all over the floor. The circuit breaker is soon checked, but nothing has been tripped. What is going through your head?
“Chuck told us that the noise from the strike launched him right out of bed! In addition to broken light bulbs and the smoke detector going off, his son had been working on his laptop at that time. The laptop wasn’t plugged into the wall, but it still started smoking,” added Wissner.
At that time in Michigan, the weather was mild enough to not have the air conditioner or furnace turned on. However, a few days later the homeowner was ready to turn on the heat. The furnace “was dead”.
After contacting local heating contractors to determine what was wrong with the furnace, technicians found the furnace’s circuit board was “fried” and that would need to be replaced before any more troubleshooting could be completed. The repair costs were approaching $3,000.
“We sent our lead comfort designer, Mike, to provide a free estimate on a new furnace and he found a big black mark behind the thermostat. The thermostat was also dead,” added Wissner. “We were able to work with his insurance company and replace the furnace with a high-efficiency variable speed unit.”
In addition to replacing the furnace, Chuck Pantera found a damaged flat screen TV, DVR, home theater system, sewage pump control board and a few light switches.
Power Up
Now is the time to also have your air conditioner inspected for exposed or faulty wiring. When you have a spring tune-up, a reputable air conditioning contractor will inspect the electrical connections. High and low voltage power connections can loosen from vibrations when the AC unit is working, which can cause overheating and potential fire or control failure.
The AC unit’s contactors should also be checked for dirt or damage. While this is a small item, contactors control line voltage to compressors and motors. A faulty piece can be another source of overheating.
Avoiding an overheating system, potential fires or hitting exposed wires with your weed-eater can be simple and low-cost. Contact the Aire Serv near you to find out if it makes sense to add a surge protector or other safety components to your heating and air conditioning units. You can also contact Mr. Electric® for whole house protection.
