How to Protect Electrical Appliances From Lightning Strikes

The protection of electrical appliances from power surges caused by lighting strikes is important for anyone who owns or rents a property. Protecting appliances from lightning damage has sparked the manufacture of surge protection devices. Many of these devices also come with automatic insurance policies which guarantee the protection of appliances up to a certain dollar amount.

Things You'll Need

• Surge protector

Instructions

1. Unplug the appliance from the wall outlet.

2. Plug the surge protector's three-pronged cord into the wall outlet near the appliance.

3. Insert the appliance's electrical plug into one of the surge protector's available outlets.

4. Turn the surge protector's power switch to the "ON" or "CLOSED" position.

Tips & Warnings

• Surge protectors with specialized electrical connectors for appliances such as dryers and freezers are available from most major shopping centers.

• Though they appear the same, surge protectors and power strips are not equivocal devices. Surge protectors protect against electrical surges, such as the ones caused by lightning strikes. Power strips merely increase the number of devices which can be plugged into a single outlet.

References

• PC Power Zone: Why and How Surge Protectors Work