News Releases

Walton EMC Offers Tips to Combat Lightning Damage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2004

Contact Greg Brooks, 770/266-2307

MONROE, Ga. -- With rounds of thunderstorms sweeping through the area, Walton Electric Membership Corporation urges consumers to protect appliances and electronics from lightning strikes.

The electrical flow from a lightning bolt usually takes less than half a second and measures up to 1 million volts.   A regular light bulb operates at 120 volts.

Most lightning strikes are two to three miles long, as big around as a quarter and hotter than the surface of the sun.

Walton EMC offers these steps to combat lightning damage:

Step 1:   Good Electrical Ground System in Structure

A good electrical ground system is essential to thwarting damage from lightning strikes. When lightning strikes, it seeks the easiest path to ground.   The ground system's purpose is to provide a pathway for excess current that lightning induces in a building's electrical system.

Without a good ground system, the lightning current will find another way to get to ground that may include through the building, its electrical system or the electronics and appliances connected inside.

An adequate ground system is also necessary when the weather is good.   It helps take care of surges caused by electric motors and other causes.

It is essential that all grounds at homes or businesses be connected at a single point. Walton EMC technicians find that many times the phone or TV system is connected to a different ground rod than the electric system.   This can be worse than having no ground system at all.

Call your electric utility for help on evaluating your home's or business's ground system.

Step 2:   Meter Mounted Protection

A large appliance motor protector installed on the building's electric meter base reduces surge current that tries to enter the home or business from a lightning strike through outside wiring.   It protects electric motors and also enhances the operation of individual point-of-use protectors.

Many electric utilities install and maintain these devices for a monthly fee.   The small monthly cost of meter-mounted protectors is much cheaper than paying an insurance deductible and risking cancellation from lightning damage claims.

Step 3:   Point-of-Use Protection

The last line of defense is a point-of-use protector for electronic devices.   These protectors should be used for all electronics, including TVs, VCRs, DVD players, computers, telephones/answering machines, cash registers and home theater systems.

Don't neglect protecting phone and satellite/cable TV connections.   If electronics have these inputs, make sure to choose surge protectors that have phone and TV connections.

Point-of-use protectors should include a replacement guarantee for both the protector and any devices connected to it.   Bargain basement-priced protectors are not likely to provide adequate protection or have sufficient warranties.

Established in 1936, Walton EMC is a consumer-owned electric cooperative with 105,000 accounts in ten Northeast Georgia counties between Atlanta and Athens.

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