Natural phenomena are interesting as long as they don’t harm you and wreak havoc on your property. Unfortunately, there is more to worry about besides flash floods and wildfire warnings in the surrounding areas of Colorado Springs. Lightning strike damage is a common occurrence in our mountain region, and Mr. Electric of Colorado Springs is determined to help our local communities better understand the dangers of lightning flashes and how to take better measures to protect your electrical panels from power surge damage.
Whether you’ve purchased expensive electronics or want to protect your home from lightning electrical damage, your local Colorado Springs electrician brings the necessary experience, knowledge, and professionalism to provide our customers with electrical safety services. Give our friendly customer service team a call today to find out what to do in the event of lightning flashes, or keep on reading for details about this natural phenomenon and protective measures you can take.
What Is A Lightning Flash, And How Does It Occur?
During the development of a lightning flash, oxygen insulates the positive charges and negative charges between the clouds and the ground. And once those charges reach a certain level, the insulating air in between dissipates, leading to an immediate discharge of electricity. That bright flash is also known as a return stroke.
Not many people are aware that there are two types of lightning: intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground. The former is the more common type, where electrical discharge occurs within thunderstorm clouds, whereas the latter charges between the cloud and the ground. The world has over seven types of lightning storms, but each continent experiences different kinds of climate disasters due to its location and climate. Spatial extent and distribution are what determine the kind of lightning flash they have.
What Lightning and Power Surge Damage Can Do
A high-voltage lightning flash can travel through electrical systems and fry your electronics, appliances and other expensive devices. Your home’s wiring is merely a gateway for the powerful surge to travel, but it’s inside your devices where it causes damage because that is where the electrical current ends.
In the worst-case scenario, the surge of electricity triggers sparks to rise into the air, thus coming in contact with flammable substances in the dry vegetation. Properties could also have combustible materials running, which is why it’s important that you have gas line protection as per the national electrical code, especially when having stainless steel pipes in place. But every situation is different and highly depends on how well you are maintaining your home’s electrical systems.
What Happens When Lightning Strikes My Home?
Heat and shock waves would surround your home, and because a lightning bolt gets as hot as 50,000° F, they are able to start a fire on your roof, inside your attic or even the wiring inside your interior walls. Direct lightning strikes can break through shingles and masonry structures, causing an immediate power surge and even serious structural damage to your house’s foundation. The likelihood of a lightning flash striking your home is 1 in 200. Although your home is the safest shelter during severe weather conditions, there is a one-third chance of indoor lightning strike damage.
In fact, even indirect side flashes are powerful enough to cause lightning electrical damage to tall structures and lead to injuries via ground flashes.
How Do I Prevent Colorado Springs Lightning Strike Damages To My Home?
We take lightning protection measures very seriously at Mr. Electric of Colorado Springs. Lightning strike damage can occur in different ways, of which many are life-threatening, especially direct strikes on properties.
You may already find yourself unplugging your electronic devices when the weather forecast predicts lightning flashes and thunderstorms. But the best and safest way to protect your Colorado Springs home from lightning electrical damage is to have a licensed electrician complete a whole-house surge protector installation. A surge protector acts as a resistor to excess electricity by redirecting it into metal oxide varistors (MOV). A surge protector is often mistaken for the power strips that you buy at your local hardware store, but our protective device is professionally hard-wired into your home’s electrical panel to protect the entire structure. But keep in mind that surge protectors don’t have a long shelf life and should be inspected annually and replaced every three to five years so you remain protected from lightning flashes.
Additional ways of protecting your family and property include installing a lightning rod, which a specialist mounts on top of your building so that in the event of a strike, the rod will immediately and safely redirect the deadly current into the ground. Power that comes in contact with the earth will dissipate. (Please note that there are different types of rods with different purposes, but feel free to check with our expert electrician about which type may work best for your needs.) Give us a call to learn more about surge protection.
Need A Colorado Springs Electrician to Secure Your Home? Get Lightning Strike Damage Prevention Today!
Guess which state ranks 19th in the United States for lightning flashes? That’s right, it’s Colorado, especially in the surrounding areas of Colorado Springs. Lightning strike damage is not a minor inconvenience that can lead to a power outage.
Whether you’re in Colorado Springs or a surrounding area like Black Forest, our team of licensed electricians has got your back! Reach out to us today and book your in-home electrical inspection and preventive maintenance.
While you’re here, why not learn about our professional EV charger and GFCI outlet installation services?
