Lightning protection for your home

How can you protect your home against lightning and electrical surges? 

Electricity means much more than an ever-growing variety of conveniences. 的 dangers lightning and electrical surges present are very real. 例如，突然的电涌可能会悄无声息地损坏你的许多电器. An arc fault could spark an electrical fire — in fact, electricity is the third-highest cause of home fires 每年.

Or lightning could strike your home, causing extensive damage. 闪电是大多数人每年都会遇到的最危险和最常见的天气灾害, according to the National Severe Storm Laboratory. 所以，花点时间回顾一下你可以采取的一些步骤，以帮助保护你自己和你的财产.

全屋防雷

W在这里 do electrical surges come from?

电涌是电压的突然增加，会损坏你家里的电器元件. 浪涌可能发生在:

• Your electric utility switches power from one area of the grid to another.
• 空调、炉子、冰箱或吸尘器都可以打开或关闭.
• Electric utility lines touch one another.
• Nearby lightning strikes occur.

Surges can travel down power, telephone and 电缆 TV lines. 当有浪涌时， unprotected electronics and appliances can be damaged. 的 damage builds up over time, until the appliance components fail. Properly installed Surge Protection Devices (SPDs), combined with a good grounding system, 应该帮助保护你的电子产品和电器免受除最严重的电涌之外的所有伤害吗. 防雷器将电涌转移到你家周围的地面，在那里电涌消散. That's why a good grounding system is important for surge protection.

A step-by-step electrical surge protection plan

• 步骤1: 考虑请一位合格的电工检查你家的接地系统，以确保它处于正常工作状态.
• 步骤2: Plug your electronics and appliances into point-of-use SPDs. 只有电源线的设备使用单口spd，带天线的设备使用多口spd, 电缆, 电话线和电源线.
• 步骤3: 考虑安装全屋电涌保护系统，以吸收来自外部的较大电涌. 该装置可由公用事业公司安装在电表上, or next to the electric service panel by an electrician.

What is a home lightning protection system?

当闪电袭来, 由此产生的电涌可以通过公用事业输电线传输到附近的家庭. 当然，直接闪电击中你的房子会造成严重的破坏. 但是如果你 home has a lightning protection system在美国，由闪电引起的电涌通常会安全地偏转到地面上. A lightning protection system is not intended to prevent a strike. 它的目的是提供一个安全的路径，使电流可以安全地引导到地面.

Keep in mind this is not a do-it-yourself project. 只有经过美国UL (Underwriters Laboratories)认证并获得美国LPI (lightning protection Institute)认证的经验丰富且信誉良好的防雷承包商才能安装这些系统. 合格的专家使用ul列出的材料，并确保安装方法符合国家认可的LPI安全标准, UL and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

What does a lightning protection system look like?

• 空气终端: Also referred to as lightning rods, 这些不显眼的铜或铝棒每隔一段时间垂直安装在屋顶上. 空中终端充当雷击接收器，用于拦截雷击.
• 主要导体: Constructed of aluminum or copper, 这些编织电缆将空气端子连接到其他系统组件和接地.
• 理由: 至少有两根接地棒, driven at least 10 feet deep in the earth are required for all structures. 的 ground terminations direct the dangerous current into the ground, to eliminate the chance of injury or damage to the structure.
• 债券: 将金属体(屋顶构件)和接地的建筑系统连接到主导体上，以确保导电性并防止侧闪(两个物体之间的闪电跳跃)。.
• Surge arresters and suppressors: 电涌是由于电力线或公用设施上或附近的雷击造成的电流增加. 在电气面板上安装浪涌抑制装置，以防止过电压进入，以免引起火灾. 安装在电气面板上的避雷器有助于保护重型电器，并防止服务面板入口发生火灾. Additional devices may be needed to protect other in-house electronics. 浪涌保护装置通常与防雷系统一起安装.
• 树保护: 的 防雷学会 建议任何比房屋高或距离房屋10英尺以内的树木都要安装防雷系统. 树木不能提供保护，许多房主选择保护树木，因为它们本身的价值. 靠近建筑物的未受保护的树木也会对附近的房屋造成侧面闪光的危险.

的se systems should be designed and installed by a qualified lightning protection system contractor.

What should you do when lightning is nearby?

立即寻找避风处. An enclosed building offers the best protection. 如果附近没有坚固的建筑物，请进入车辆并关闭窗户.

• 如果你找不到藏身之处, 去地势低洼的地方, crouch down with your feet together and hands on your knees, and wait until the storm has passed.
• Keep away from utility poles, towers, isolated trees or bodies of water.
• Don't use a corded phone except in an emergency. Cordless and cell phones are safe to use.
• 远离电器、电视、壁炉、金属物品、门窗.
• 如果有人被闪电击中，请拨打911或当地的救护车服务. Give first aid if you are qualified. Lightning victims are safe to touch and need medical attention immediately.

For additional information on how to protect your family and home, or for a list of certified professionals, 请与 防雷学会 or pp王者电子官网商实验室.