I am in the process over the next few months of moving my family from San Jose, CA to Denver, CO. In San Jose, we almost never have any kind of lightning storms, so I have a simple Monster Surge supressor for all of my home theater. It is my understanding that in Denver, they have quite a few powerful lightning storms.

What should I do to minimize the risks?

Thanks
Greg

I am in the process over the next few months of moving my family from San Jose, CA to Denver, CO. In San Jose, we almost never have any kind of lightning storms, so I have a simple Monster Surge supressor for all of my home theater. It is my understanding that in Denver, they have quite a few powerful lightning storms.

What should I do to minimize the risks?

Thanks
Greg

Disconnect it when lighting storm is brewing outside and when you go out again disconnect it if it worries you that much and then you want hath to spend silly money for surge protector. I brought one less than two weeks ago and the damn thing doesn’t do a sodden thing.;)

You should look at one of the power conditioners, Monster has one. They provide proper voltage to the equipment, as well as guarding against voltage spikes. On top of that, have an electrician put a lightning arrestor onto your circuit panel.

You can have a whole house suppresor put on the house panel for just this type of thing. I had it done up here in Washington State.

Bill

Just make sure the wiring in the house is good. I live in a town that has a lot of old houses and buildings and the most common problem is that outlets are not grounded at all.

Nothing short of a lightning rod can protect your home from lightning. You can have equipment unplugged and in the closet and it will still get fried depending on where it hits. Surge suppressors were built for just that, surge suppression. Surges from the power company, not lightning.

I don't know, what the odds of your house getting hit by lightning? I agree with the lightning rod if you really care and it should not be that expensive (big tall rod that is grounded).

I don't know, what the odds of your house getting hit by lightning? I agree with the lightning rod if you really care and it should not be that expensive (big tall rod that is grounded).

Actually you have to worry about lightning strikes to nearby power lines, your neighbor's house and the induced currents that enter a building from the ground.

Here is a good primer on lightning from PG&E (http://www.pge.com/includes/docs/pdfs/mybusiness/customerservice/energystatus/powerquality/lightning.pdf). Here is their take on surge surpressors (http://www.pge.com/includes/docs/pdfs/about/news/outagestatus/powerquality/black_box.pdf).

Disconnect it when lighting storm is brewing outside and when you go out again disconnect it if it worries you that much and then you want hath to spend silly money for surge protector. I brought one less than two weeks ago and the damn thing doesn’t do a sodden thing.;)

What he said, disconnect it. Surge protectors are overrated IMO.