How to protect yourself and your electrical appliances from lightning damage

A single strike of a lightning bolt has the ability to power one sixteenth of the entire world for 30 microseconds, so imagine the overwhelming damage it could cause if it were to hit your home.

Research carried out by the Tornado and Storm Research Organization (TORRO) revealed that the UK is struck by lightning an astounding 300,000 times on average per year. This tends to occur after a hot and humid day, when the earth produces thunderstorms from the forceful heat of the earth’s surface.

The Met Office has recorded that thunderstorms and lightning strikes are the most common in the East Midlands and South East.

When this wild weather hits the UK, consider the following tips on how to keep safe in the home when lightning strikes, as well as how to protect your electrical appliances against lightning damage.

Protecting yourself:

Do not take a bath or shower

The plumbing in your home is a serious risk when lightning is in the vicinity. Once lightning has struck, the powerful electrical current can travel through the metal pipes, which can lead to electrocution if you are using any taps or the shower head.

Do not use any appliances that are plugged into the wall

Any appliance that is plugged into a wall socket and turned on can be dangerous for you to use if lightning strikes your home or the power line it is connected to. Turn all appliances off until after the storm, including any corded telephones that you may have in your home.

Avoid areas where moisture is present

Areas such as a basement floor can be classified as “ground current danger zones.” Stay in dry areas and away from walls (electrical wiring in walls can allow lightning to jump through the air inside a house).

Protecting your appliances:

• Make sure your home has good earth bonding
• Install a lightning rod
• If lightning was to hit your home and you have a lightning rod in place, the rod will be struck instead of the building. This can prevent a fire starting or electrocution.
• Turn off and unplug all appliances

Surge protectors and UPS units cannot provide direct strike protection. By unplugging devices and turning them off, you are completely disconnecting any connection and therefore saving your appliances. Stick to using cordless items.

Want to save money? No problem.

If you’re having trouble with any aspect of your boiler, home appliances, or if you’re suffering from a home emergency such as an electrical breakdown, plumbing problem, or security issue, then be sure to get in touch with us.

You can face a hefty bill if something goes wrong at home, so eliminate the possibility and speak to us today.

Call us on 0345 3192 247, and one of our friendly technical team members will go through some simple diagnostics to see if your problem can be resolved over the phone. If not, we’ll send an engineer to be with you as soon as possible to ensure you’re back up and running in no time.