Ray Roberts wrote:
So wasn't it Ben Franklin that invented the fix for this problem, the
lightning rod, connected to earth ground?
I've often wondered why home insurance companies don't insist on having them
installed on each house they insure.
And no, my house doesn't have them either.

Well over 95% of all trees struck by lightning do not leave an
indication. If lightning is rarely so destructive, then why install
lightning rods? Of course, older homes already had a sort of lightning
rod - a cast iron sewer vent pipe. But more often struck are higher
earthing conductors - AC electric wires on telephone poles. If an
earth ground wire on utility poles is intact, then that is often a
better (electrically shorter) path to earth.

Using that paragraph, then one living in a newer home with plastic
pipes and underground utilities wires may consider Franklin lightning
rods (not to be confused with ESE devices).

A more common path to earth through a house is incoming on AC
electric wires (think of those wires as a large antenna network
connected directly to each household appliance). Few who suffer
appliance damage file insurance claims. Either a surge is harmlessly
earthed where utility wires enter a building, or lightning finds a
destructive path to earth via appliances.

Most commonly damaged are appliances that connect to telephone lines
because telco routinely earths a 'whole house' protector for every
subscriber - installed for free. Incoming on AC electric. Through
modem, portable telephone base station, or fax machine. Outgoing to
earth ground via telephone line. Many instead assume this is a surge
that enters via phone line. Fine. But then what was an outgoing path
to earth? No outgoing path means no electricity - no damage. Why did
the transient not take a shorter earthing path via a telco 'installed
for free' protector?

There is no stopping or blocking of lightning as plug-in protector
manufacturers hope you believe. Lightning damage is made irrelevant by
installing a so inexpensive and properly sized 'whole house' protector
on AC mains where that wire enters the building AND earthed to same
electrode used by telephone and cable TV. Effective protectors are
found in Lowes, Home Depot, and electrical supply houses using
responsible brand names such as Intermatic, Siemens, Cutler-Hammer,
Leviton, Square D, and GE. Effective protector for a typically most
destructive lightning path costs about $1 per protected appliance.

That protector also does not stop or absorb anything. A protector is
only as effective as its earth ground. Effective protectors make a
short and temporary connection to earth. Cable TV does not need a
protector since cable is earthed directly by hardwire.

We still build homes as we did when transistors did not exist
pre-1970. Most essential component of a protector system is earth
ground. Best protected homes have lightning protection installed when
footing are pour - halo or Ufer grounding. This because all lightnting
protection (Franklin rods, 'whole house' protector) is only as
effective as the earthing. However even upgrading household earthing
to meet and exceed post 1990 National Electrical Code requirements will
provide massive improvements.

So again, why is this protection not routinely installed? Many
believe a plug-in protector will somehow stop or absorb what 3 miles of
sky could not. Number of claims submitted to insurance companies
remains low. We still don't require effective lightning protection
that has been made essential since 1970. Lightning striking a house
via the roof is rare. Lightning directly striking household appliances
is more common - typically once every seven years. A number that
varies significantly even within neighborhoods. A problem made
irrelevant if each incoming utility wire in each cable is earthed
before it can enter the building. Effective protector earths each
incoming wire so that lightning need not damage household appliance.
How effective is your protection system? Protection begins with
quality of a single point earth ground.