Grounding refers to any measures taken to avoid the damage of electrical surges or the adverse effects of short-circuiting from domestic electricity or even lightning. Of the two, protection against lightning should take first place. Internal wiring is made in a way that there are many fail-safes to protect your property and family.
Lightning, on the other hand, is quite destructive, and you may stand to lose your home or get injured when exposed to lightning strikes. There are modern lightning surge protection systems that you can install in your residence to ensure your safety and that of your loved ones. Below are the topmost benefits of having a properly installed lightning protection system in your home.
Being a natural force, lightning is not something you can easily take control over. It would be synonymous with controlling the weather. However, the option to divert lightning is always available. The principle behind most grounding systems is that it directs the lightning through a good electrical conductor like copper to a place where the charges can quickly and safely discharge. This is usually the ground or earth which is always at zero potential.
With the increased risk of damage to many expensive electronic pieces of equipment in most homes, it has been necessary for the installation of lighting surge protectors. When incorporated with a good lightning arresting system, surge protectors can divert the large charge associated with lightning strikes safely into the ground. This will go a long way in improving the life of your electronic appliances some of which are quite expensive.
In areas that experienced frequent lightning strikes, it was previously a necessity to have lightning rods installed for both residential and commercial properties. The purpose of these rods was basically to divert the lightning strikes as far away from the property as possible. The rods were not that efficient in attracting lightning but served the purpose of reducing the chances of damage to the structures by lightning.
There has been a rising popularity of modern lightning protection systems, and this attests to their high efficiency. However, some old buildings still use traditional lightning rods. Modern lightning protection systems were designed to address the same problem but in a more advanced way. The system to employ should always complement the size of your residential or commercial property.
Modern grounding systems are a bit more expensive than the traditional lightning rods, but they also offer improved protection from lightning. You can certainly not compare the cost of contending to damages to your property with the cost of getting a modern electrical and lightning grounding system. The contemporary system usually comprises of a series of air terminals made of good electrical conducting materials.
Although lightning protection systems will reduce the chances of damage to your electrical appliances, installing lightning surge protectors coupled with a properly installed electrical grounding system is also crucial. Lightning strikes have also been known to hit power lines that end up damaging your appliances in the event that you did not have a lightning surge protector in place. This is true even if the strike happened miles away from your home.
It is high time you consider getting a lightning protection system and a proper electrical grounding system for your residential or commercial property.
