Re: advice on a UPS and surge protector

In article <Gjk2j.6195$7T.5903@trndny09>,
Little Sir Echo <LittleSirEcho@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I read your post and do not intend to deny the benefits of a whole house
system. My point is that it is not an option for most people.

No doubt that is correct. Of course I was not advocating it for most
people. I presented it as the most reliable method for people who live
in lightning-prone areas. With global climate changes, this problem may
possibly be on the increase.

It might be helpful if you would share with us the cost of your whole
house lightning (not lightening) protection system. I suspect it is
significantly more than the cost of a UPS/Surge Protector.

Yes, well we had some of those (not the cheapies either) and lost a
couple thousand $$$ in electronics anyway. Unless they've suddenly
changed in the last couple years, the majority of surge protectors offer
only one time protection. If UPS devices are different, I'd be really
surprised. Some people seem to be almost completely unaware how many
devices in their homes can be affected by power surges and lightning
events. First of all, we need to correct the myth that only a direct or
near hit can cause the kind of expensive damage requiring a whole-house
system. Most modern lightning events that damage electronics are from
lightning strikes which penetrate the ground, hitting underground cable.
This is not hard to do since electric and phone cable is virtually
everywhere. A strike a mile away can cause a surge along your lines and
take out a good portion of your electronic property.

Second, one has to consider how many electronic devices, spread around
the home, can be protected by a single or even a few UPS/Surge
Protectors. These days most people have enough electronics to require
multiple protection devices. In our home, for instance, we have
numerous electronics with chips and/or circuit boards including three
computers in three separate areas, an array of AV equipment, garage door
openers, washer, dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, radios, light
fixtures, freezer, sewing machines/computers, shop equipment, iPods,
printers, scanner, external hard drives, shredder, and other devices far
too numerous to note--- all of which can be ruined by a lightning strike
as much as a mile away. And I don't think we're terribly different than
most of the people who post here with regard to the number of devices.

So people who live in lightning prone areas like we do must judge for
themselves what is the most cost effective way to protect their
investments. For us and many others, given the commonly high home
insurance deductibles these days, a whole house system may be a good
option. It may somewhat reduce the cost of home insurance (it did for
us). Our system cost just under $2000 installed IIRC and that is for
nine terminals and the rest plus two whole-house surge-protectors at the
main. That is how it is typically priced. A certain number of terminals
are needed for a certain amount of square footage. We have a large
footprint house so we needed more terminals than usual. I paid more
than that for my G4.

Also, does a whole house system provide a warranty covering the cost of
damages in the event it does not protect as intended?

Some systems have warranties and some do not. It depends how much you
want to pay and what kind of home insurance you have. There are also
systems that can be installed be the home-owner for *far* less than
ours.

No doubt a properly installed and effectively working whole house system
has advantages over a UPS/Surge Protector arrangement--I agree with you
on that.

But it is simply not cost effective for most people, especially those
with moderate means.

It's all relative. Once again, as with my first post in this thread, I
am talking about people who live in lightning-prone areas--- not most
people. I don't know why that distinction is so hard for some people to
comprehend.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Lightning Damage
    ... Lightning rods containing radioactive materials are called Early ... connection significantly shorter than paths via electronics. ... Dan discusses a 70 degree cone of protection. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: Surge surpressors
    ... A lot of lightning protection engineering goes into them. ... I don't bother unplugging my phones because they're cheap. ... Seems even "lightning protected" boat usually suffer electronics ...
    (alt.home.repair)
  • Re: http://h71000.www7.hp.com/?
    ... Lightning strikes the other building. ... Lightning seeks earth ... and through electronics inside your building, then to earth, and onward ... Electronics already contain internal protection. ...
    (comp.os.vms)
  • Re: Weather Station and Lighting
    ... That will earth lightning and remain intact. ... electronic internal protection is not overwhelmed. ... Protection of electronics is that routine ...
    (uk.sci.weather)
  • Re: Weather Station and Lighting
    ... But to lightning, concrete is conductive. ... Path that includes an electrical connection ... a path from incoming lightning to earth ground ... protection earths transients before they can enter a building. ...
    (uk.sci.weather)