Most homes today are chock-full of high-end electronics, with even mobile phones running $1,000 to replace. With summer on the way, it’s a good time to revisit your family’s routine for when storms arrive.
A lightning strike on your property or to a transmission station serving your home may cause power surges that can fry computers, phones, televisions, appliances and HVAC systems, among other household electronics. To best protect your expensive technology, use a three-pronged approach.
- Plug all small electronics into a high-quality, point-of-use surge protector. While nothing will protect against a direct strike to your home, a good surge protector will help for most power fluctuations.
- Consider a whole-house surge protector. These attach to your home’s main electric panel and protect against both internal and external surges. They are the best way to protect high-end appliances.
- Unplug during a storm. For systems that aren’t guarded by surge protectors, your best bet is to break the flow of power by unplugging. A homeowners insurance policy typically covers lightning strikes, but the actual cash value of a one-year-old (or older) item might leave you with a pretty big coverage gap. It’s best to practice good prevention.
For more information on risk management, click here.
