East Texas is no stranger to powerful thunderstorms, and while the rain can be a welcome sight, the electrical havoc storms can cause is less appreciated. Your home’s electrical system is at risk of power surges, outages, and even damage from lightning strikes. Taking proactive steps to protect your home can save you from costly repairs and ensure your family’s safety.
Install Whole-Home Surge Protection
Thunderstorms often bring unpredictable power surges, which can wreak havoc on your electrical appliances and systems. A whole-home surge protector acts as a shield, preventing excess electricity from damaging your electronics.
Why It Matters: Power surges, often caused by nearby lightning strikes or sudden changes in the power grid, can fry anything plugged into your outlets. This includes your HVAC system, computers, and other high-value devices.
How to Install It: A licensed electrician can install a whole-home surge protector directly into your electrical panel. This device works as the first line of defense, absorbing or redirecting excess voltage before it reaches your appliances.
Use Point-of-Use Surge Protectors
In addition to a whole-home system, point-of-use surge protectors provide an extra layer of safety for individual devices. These are particularly useful for sensitive electronics like televisions, gaming consoles, and computers.
How They Help: By plugging your devices into surge protector strips, you can prevent sudden spikes in voltage from reaching and damaging your equipment.
Pro Tip: Not all surge protectors are created equal. Look for models with high joule ratings for better protection and replace them every few years, as their effectiveness can wear down over time.
Ground Your Electrical System
Grounding your home’s electrical system ensures that excess electricity has a safe path to travel into the earth, rather than damaging your devices or causing a fire.
Why It’s Crucial: If your home isn’t properly grounded, a lightning strike could lead to catastrophic electrical failures. Grounding also reduces the risk of electrical shock.
Steps to Take: Have a professional electrician inspect your home’s grounding system. They can ensure all outlets, circuits, and panels meet current safety codes.
Invest in a Backup Generator
East Texas thunderstorms are notorious for knocking out power. A backup generator can keep your home running smoothly during extended outages.
How It Works: Generators provide an alternative power source, ensuring essential appliances like refrigerators, medical equipment, and lights stay functional.
Types to Consider: Portable generators are a budget-friendly option for short outages, while whole-home standby generators automatically kick in during a power failure and can sustain your entire home.
Safety First: Always place portable generators outdoors in a well-ventilated area to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Trim Overhanging Trees
Falling tree limbs during a thunderstorm can take down power lines or damage your home’s electrical connections. Regularly trimming overhanging branches reduces this risk.
Why It’s Necessary: Strong winds and heavy rain can cause trees to topple or limbs to break, potentially bringing live wires dangerously close to your home.
What to Do: Hire a professional tree service to remove branches that are within striking distance of your home or power lines. Avoid attempting this yourself if the limbs are near live wires.
Unplug Devices During Severe Storms
The simplest way to protect your electronics during a storm is to unplug them entirely. While surge protectors are effective, they’re not foolproof against direct lightning strikes.
When to Act: If you know a severe storm is approaching, unplug sensitive and high-value electronics like computers, televisions, and kitchen appliances.
Additional Tip: Consider unplugging your internet modem and router to avoid damage to your connection equipment.
Perform Regular Electrical Maintenance
Proactive maintenance can help identify potential vulnerabilities in your electrical system before a storm hits.
Why It Matters: Overloaded circuits, outdated wiring, or faulty panels are more likely to fail during a storm. Addressing these issues ahead of time can prevent disruptions.
Schedule Inspections: Hire a licensed electrician to perform an annual inspection of your home’s electrical system. This check-up can ensure that everything is in peak condition and up to code.
A Safe Home, Rain or Shine
When it comes to storm-proofing your electrical system, expertise matters. At Home Projex, we specialize in protecting homes against East Texas’ unique weather challenges. Contact us today and let’s make sure your home stays safe and powered, no matter the weather.
