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Old 06-22-2017, 11:15 AM   #1
ishoot308
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Originally Posted by SIKSUKR View Post
Makes me wonder if it came from a different path than your electrical service as you have suggested. I wonder that if it came through your communication feeds how it got to your dog fence and gate thought. Curious if you saw any signs of the strike on your property.
No signs of strike on the property that I could see. The strike was large enough to set off my glass break alarm on my security system. I'm hoping to recover whatever my DVR recorded which may tell me where the strike occurred. We were not at home during the storm...
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Old 06-22-2017, 06:04 PM   #2
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Too bad you have to go through this. Lucky, I guess, that there was no ensuing fire.
I hope you'll let us know more when you get an analysis from whoever does the new protection system.

I'd guess the surge protector warranty might replace that item, but not any of the damage that it didn't protect from.
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Old 06-22-2017, 07:27 PM   #3
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I have seen the damage from lightning coming down a tall pine tree and in through the underground phone and cable and then into the house electrical system. The lightning strike blew the front of the electrical panel off the wall and through an interior wall in the basement. TV's and other electronics were all destroyed. You could see where all the roots (ie same as your burried dog fence wires) of the pine tree were right up to the foundation and to where the phone/cable lines came in underground. Residents of the property felt the whole home shake/move when the lightning hit. There was also a crack in the foundation. You had good protections in place but coming down a tree and/or up through the ground is hard to protect from. This event was in Atkinson, NH in 1991 or 92. Yours could have been that type of lightening hit.
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Old 06-22-2017, 07:55 PM   #4
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The best I have heard about is the protection the electric company provides right at the meter head. They pull the meter, put their device, and it (tries) to ground it there, before the house. Every fraction of inch of a wire has voltage differential, i.e. get it before it gets into the house. A breaker box has loss in the grounds. There are physical laws involved and one has to be realistic, no guarantees, only try to minimize damage.
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Old 06-22-2017, 07:56 PM   #5
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Surge protection is good. When we install surge protection, I always tell the property owners a surge protector to a direct lightning hit is like holding up a stop sign in front of a speeding freight train. It's not going to stop it. The best defense along with surge protectors is to do what you can to prevent strikes from happening in the first place. Find a qualified installer of lightning rods and see what they recommend.
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Old 06-23-2017, 06:27 AM   #6
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Quote:
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No signs of strike on the property that I could see. The strike was large enough to set off my glass break alarm on my security system. I'm hoping to recover whatever my DVR recorded which may tell me where the strike occurred. We were not at home during the storm...
Based on a lightning strike to a nearby house, my guess is that your Gilford house was built in a spot of high exposure and high elevation. There's probably not much that can be done to prevent another strike in the future; however, sailboats have some lightning countermeasures that might be worth exploring.

That nearby house was built at a high elevation and surrounded by open fields. Copper flashing, popular at the time it was built, seemed to have attracted the lightning: one lightning bolt took out much of it!

Our own house is surrounded closely with big trees. One birch took a "strike out of the blue", and re-directed the charge into the lake. At the time, I was seated typing on my laptop outdoors—about 25 feet away!

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Old 06-23-2017, 08:17 AM   #7
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I did not read all of the posts so please do not shoot me if I am repeating something already said.
My house has been hit several times with damages well over $100,000. Surge protection wether at the meter or anyone else only protects you from surge that enters from the power lines but it cannot protect you from a lightning strike coming in the back door, irrigation lines for example. Nor could they protect you from backfeeding from your electrical outlets, lights, outdoor cameras or speakers etc.

I still have surge protection throughout my house but have never lost one to a surge or lightning strike.

BTW lightning rods unless made from massive amount of copper, away from house, drilled hundreds of feet down and maybe 100 feet above the ground will help. That solution probably would work...
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Old 06-23-2017, 09:47 AM   #8
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How about a flag pole? I don't have this problem but maybe a 30' flag pole will take the hit and save the house. Just a thought, and you can be patriotic while protecting your home. My next door neighbor in Mass has a flag pole in his yard and that was struck by lighting a few years ago.






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Old 06-23-2017, 01:26 PM   #9
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How about a flag pole? I don't have this problem but maybe a 30' flag pole will take the hit and save the house. Just a thought, and you can be patriotic while protecting your home. My next door neighbor in Mass has a flag pole in his yard and that was struck by lighting a few years ago. '
Doubt it.Sounds like his house and immediate surroundings didn't show any signs of a strike.I'll bet it came under or along the ground.
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Old 06-23-2017, 02:57 PM   #10
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Sorry to hear about all the damage


Ok, a time varying electromagnetic field can induce current in a nearby conductor. That is how AC motors and transformers work. Even far away EM sources can induce small current hence we have broadcast radio, TV and cell phones. A current is induced in the receiving antenna, amplified and the information is recovered. Wireless communication as they say.

A lightning strike is a time varying EM field of huge proportions, very intense and capable on inducing a very large flow of current in any nearby conductors. A strike far away may send a surge down the power lines and cable lines and surge protectors may protect your electronics. What about a nearby strike?

A strike near your house can induce very large current in any conductive material. House wiring for electric or cable are good antennas and an underground dog fence is a perfect antenna as well as wiring to a driveway gate. This kind of surge does not come in via power lines but is induced or generated right within the local conductive wiring. Little or nothing can be done to stop it.

http://www.sto-p.com/pfp/pfp-iemf.htm

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Old 06-24-2017, 09:02 AM   #11
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Based on a lightning strike to a nearby house, my guess is that your Gilford house was built in a spot of high exposure and high elevation. There's probably not much that can be done to prevent another strike in the future; however, sailboats have some lightning countermeasures that might be worth exploring. :look.
Your pretty much spot on APS, high exposure, just off the lake, higher elevation...

it was determined the majority of the strike came through Metrocast internet cable. Even though the cable was grounded and screwed into a surge protector it blew right past it and did tons of damage trying to find more ground. From what I am hearing, there is not much I could of done when a strike this large hits.

It also came through an underground dog fence, blew apart the surge protector that it was plugged into.

Luckily I have a full replacement value homeowners policy and they have been great to work with thus far. No increase in policy for filing claim which is really nice!

Dan
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Old 06-29-2017, 12:13 PM   #12
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Your pretty much spot on APS, high exposure, just off the lake, higher elevation...

it was determined the majority of the strike came through Metrocast internet cable. Even though the cable was grounded and screwed into a surge protector it blew right past it and did tons of damage trying to find more ground. From what I am hearing, there is not much I could of done when a strike this large hits.

It also came through an underground dog fence, blew apart the surge protector that it was plugged into.

Luckily I have a full replacement value homeowners policy and they have been great to work with thus far. No increase in policy for filing claim which is really nice!

Dan

Good to know. If you dont' mind sharing, which insurance provider do you have?
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Old 06-29-2017, 12:29 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ishoot308 View Post
Your pretty much spot on APS, high exposure, just off the lake, higher elevation...

it was determined the majority of the strike came through Metrocast internet cable. Even though the cable was grounded and screwed into a surge protector it blew right past it and did tons of damage trying to find more ground. From what I am hearing, there is not much I could of done when a strike this large hits.

It also came through an underground dog fence, blew apart the surge protector that it was plugged into.

Luckily I have a full replacement value homeowners policy and they have been great to work with thus far. No increase in policy for filing claim which is really nice!

Dan
Hi Dan
there should not be an increase in premium for filing the claim, the only thing you could expect to see is upon renewal, if you had one, a loss free credit, usually about 8-10% off the premium (not all parts of the premium are subject to the credit) might be removed. But a small price to pay to offset the damage
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Old 06-29-2017, 02:23 PM   #14
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Hi Dan
there should not be an increase in premium for filing the claim, the only thing you could expect to see is upon renewal, if you had one, a loss free credit, usually about 8-10% off the premium (not all parts of the premium are subject to the credit) might be removed. But a small price to pay to offset the damage
Thanks for the info! Yes its a small price for the free credit loss as right now I am at 20 grand worth of damage!

Dan
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