LI Protecting Your Home | Westhampton Lightning Protection

Lightning looks for the quickest and easiest path to the ground. It is possible for a single bolt of lightning to carry over 30 million volts of electricity. This power can ignite fires, tear apart houses, and cause electrical surges. Lightning can also travel through phone and cable lines, antennas, and computer models to enter in your home. It is estimated that fire departments in the U.S. respond to over 23,000 fires caused by lightning each year. Many of those fires could have been prevented with a lightning protection system.

Lightning protection systems are an important part of any structure or building. They work by providing a route for the lightning to follow that goes around the home or structure and safely grounds it to the earth. There are a few key components of a lightning protection system. The first is an air terminal or lightning rod. These rods are installed on the roof and catch the lightning strike before it hits your home. Main conductors built from aluminum or copper connect the rods to the rest of the system within the exterior walls. At least two ground rods are inserted into the earth 10 feet down. This is where the lightning is discharged after it moves safely around the building.

Surge suppression equipment is also an important feature of a lightning protection system. This protects people inside the building who many be using electronics during a storm. Without surge suppression equipment, lightning can move through wiring and injure people.

A Lightning protection system should be installed by qualified professionals. If you are building an estate home in Nassau or Suffolk County, contact Applied Lightning. We have over 20 years of extensive experience in providing lightning protection systems and will make the installation of your system as convenient as possible. Our lightning protection company are educated in commercial, government and military lightning protection standards and work to exceed them.