By Bob Gatton
How often is a house directly hit by lightning? Not very often, but strikes in the proximity of a home can cause surges in the electrical, telephone or cable television lines that can cause severe damage to electronics.
A nearby lightning strike isn’t the only risk. Downed power lines, the cycling on and off of equipment at a nearby factory and even the cycling on and off of appliances in the house can cause damaging surges.
And it is not just audio/video equipment and computers that can be damaged. Modern stoves, refrigerators, washers and dryers, microwave ovens, telephones and other appliances have microprocessors that are subject to damage from surges. Take a few minutes to walk through your own house and do a quick inventory of everything that has a microprocessor in it. You'll probably be surprised by how quickly the number adds up.
And if you are like most people, you probably have more than a few of those inexpensive power strip/surge protectors in your home. While some of these can provide good protection, many are little better than just connecting the plug directly in the wall outlet. And there are probably quite a few pieces of electronics in your home that are not protected at all.
Sparking sales
Wouldn’t a surge protector that protects the entire house be a better solution? Of course it would, especially considering that in new construction, a whole-house surge protector can be included in the mortgage. Considering their relatively low cost—from less than $200 to approximately $1000, plus the cost of installation—they're pretty cheap insurance for the homeowner even if they're an upfront expense.
For builders, though, whole-house surge protectors can be a great selling point. Few homes have this feature, but all home buyers have electronic equipment. That can make whole-house surge protectors a real "Wow!" factor that differentiates your homes from your competitors—and at a bargain price.
Several manufacturers make whole-house surge protectors. Among them are Panamax, Leviton, APC and Ditek Corp. The price for these whole-house products range from less than $200 to approximately $1,000, plus the cost of installation. This type of protector is installed close to the electrical service panel box, and it's a job that should be done only by a qualified electrician. Whatever product you choose, make sure that it suppresses surges not only on the power lines, but also surges that come into the home on the cable and telephone lines.
But is this enough? Whole house systems can still let through small surges if they are hit with a sufficiently large voltage. And remember that surges can be generated by appliances in the home. The motors in dryers, refrigerators and HVAC systems can produce surges.
For the highest level of protection, I would use not only a whole hose protector, but also quality surge protectors for my computer systems and my audio video components. That way you're covered not only for every electronic in the house, but you have extra protection for the most sensitive components.
I've learned the hard way that it only takes a second to lose a lot of expensive equipment to a power surge. I'm planning to build a new home soon, and it will have a whole-house surge protector in it. Frankly, I don't know why every builder doesn't install them in every house. Their customers would thank them.
Bob Gatton is an Atlanta-based home-theater and -electronics consultant and writer.
| 
