Restrained lightnings
APC and the National Meteorological Service (OMSZ) draw attention to the lightning and surge damage associated with summer thunderstorms.
According to OMSZ data, the weather is most stormy in summer, June and July, when most lightning strikes. Frequent lightning can cause surges, which can cause significant damage to sensitive electronic equipment.
"Lightning in thunder clouds is one of nature's most spectacular, but also one of the most dangerous, phenomena. It can be observed that we have to expect much more lightning in mountainous areas than in flat areas. In Hungary, there are an average of 30-40 thunderstorm days per year, with the highest frequency between May and July," said Valéria Sándor, head of the Aviation Meteorology and Warning Department of the National Meteorological Service. "The location of a lightning strike cannot be determined in advance, it is often experienced in the most unexpected places. Some of the lightnings look for prominent places and objects, so building lightning rods is a form of protection, which allows the energy of the lightning to be dissipated and mechanical damage or fires can be prevented." Valéria Sándor added.
"What should we do if it's raining and lightning outside? Many people think that it is enough to unplug the TV or home theater system. Unfortunately, I have to make them bitter: they have by no means solved everything. On the one hand, because lightning entering electrical and communication networks can cause a short circuit or fire, and on the other hand, because data cables are still not protected from overvoltage this way," said Attila Szarka, APC system engineer. "Regarding a surge protection device, we can be sure of one thing: the value of the device is always dwarfed by the value of damage caused by lightning and overvoltage. It is important that everyone chooses surge protection equipment that suits their needs and devices: a small office needs something different than a large server room or an average home user. The solution we offer is one element of a multi-stage surge protection solution: fine protection that protects against the most common risk factors. By filling out a simple, three-step surge selector on the APC website, everyone can find the right solution for them," added Attila Szarka.
According to an APC survey, 53 percent of domestic households have already experienced a power supply problem, and these problems were due to surges caused by lightning strikes in more than 17 percent of households. At the same time, 60 percent of the population is unaware that there may be other lightning protection solutions besides lightning rods.
How to choose a surge protection solution and uninterruptible equipment?
- Choose a surge protection solution that has a low voltage permeability. Also note that the surge protection solution will only work if the apartment is properly grounded.
- Choose a surge protection solution that provides protection for electronic devices that protects all possible routes from electrical shock, including power lines, telephone lines, data cables, and coaxial cables.
- Provide uninterruptible power supplies for devices that are important to continue to operate in the event of a power outage.
- Choose an uninterruptible power supply whose bridging time can be scaled by connecting additional battery packs to increase the operating time of key devices.
- Get the most out of your valuable home theater system and protect it with a power-enhancing device that not only protects against electric shocks, but also regulates voltage and has a noise filter.
- For your safety, choose power protection devices for which the manufacturers undertake to compensate for damage to the devices connected to them throughout their life.
- Also pay attention to certifications: purchase power protection devices that have been certified by a UL, cUL, CSA, or other Nationally Recognized Test Lab (NRTL).
