Scared of Lighting? Here are Ways To Protect Your Home and Be Safe from Such Incidences
Lighting is the leading cause of natural human death compared to tornadoes and hurricanes. In a split second, lighting can discharge up to 20,000 amps of electricity. Since lighting cannot be prevented, you can learn how to protect your home.
How Lighting Works Near Your Home
It still remains unclear what creates the mechanism for lighting. However a common theory that tries to explains the phenomenon is that when electrical fields are separated in the cloud. Hence, a positive ion is created at the top of the cloud, with a negative ion at the bottom of the cloud.
A positive charge is also created on the ground below. For lighting to form, there must be presence of ice particles. The positive ions tend to climb up telephone poles, landlines, houses or trees while collecting in open areas such as fields. Hence a negative channel of negative ions from the cloud reach down with the accumulation of the positive ions on the ground.
How Your House is Stroked by Lighting
When lightning strikes your house, it travels through the building while following water or metal conductors through the structure on the ground. In case you live in a less populated area with few conductors, telephone pole transmit the electricity through long distances. This is why it is highly advised to avoid using landlines during storms and raining seasons.
How Can You Protect Your Home’s Exterior from Lightning
Lightning rods are a preferred option for preventing lightning from striking your home. However, it does not prevent the incidence of striking but it directs the lightning strike from your home. The lightning rods should be installed to touch the roof of your house will extending it to touch the ground cable.
Lighting can also travel on the ground. Therefore, you should consider planting trees at a safe distance from your house. You can invest in a shaft grounding system from a professional firm for extended protection. This will ensure all the structures and surrounding landscape are protected from lightning strikes.
Taking Care of Your Home’s Interior
In case you have an electrical connection in your home, lightning can affect all electrical equipment’s attached to it. The safest means of preventing heavy losses in unplugging your power source in the event of lightning strikes.
Surge protectors are helpful but cannot protect your electronic appliances if the strike is powerful. You should also avoid using all plumbing equipment’s in your home such as faucets, toilets and sinks since they are connected with pipes which act as good conductors of electricity. It is also important to avoid your phone during lighting strikes.
The best way to ensure that your home is fully protected is by installing a lightning protection system. During lightning storms, it is recommended to unplug all electrical appliances from their power source. Surge protectors and lightning arresters are another safety level protection measures that you can install in your home for extra safety.