Central Florida is one of the most lightning-dense places in the country. A strike does not have to hit your roof to cost you money — a nearby hit or a utility switching surge travels in on the service wires and reaches everything at once.
Why your power strip isn’t enough
A plug-in strip clamps small spikes at one outlet. It does nothing about a surge coming in on the feeders, which is the kind that takes out AC control boards, pool pumps and well pumps first.
What real protection looks like
A Type 2 surge protector mounted at the main panel
Short, straight leads — lead length is most of the performance
Point-of-use protection at the AC condenser and sensitive electronics
A verified ground, because a suppressor without one is decoration
WHOLE-HOME SURGE PROTECTION
$550 – $1,400
A panel device is about two hours. Layered protection at the AC, well and pool is the top of the range.
FROM THE TRUCK
Good surge devices have an indicator light. Glance at it after a big storm season — they wear out absorbing hits, and a dark light means it did its job and needs replacing.
Quick answers
Does a surge protector stop a direct lightning strike?+
Nothing stops a direct strike to the structure. Whole-home protection handles the far more common nearby strikes and utility surges.
Will it protect my AC?+
A panel device helps. For the compressor and control board, a dedicated device at the condenser is the better answer.
WRITTEN BY
Tony Taylor
Owner of In Phaze Electric. Navy veteran, 30 years on the tools, Florida license ER13014254. If the answer is “you don’t need us,” he’ll say so.
MEET TONY →WANT A PRO TO LOOK AT YOURS?
Surge protection
$550 – $1,400 · free estimate
