How do you know what kind of protection you need in the event that Lightning is a problem?

You have searched the internet!

You have sent e-mails!

You have gotten replies that only confuses you.

You have seen products listed, and no idea what to buy.

You have had answers to every thing from Lightning Rods, Lightning Dissipaters, Surge suppression of all sorts.  

And yet, you are still as confused as when you first got on the web; and if you acted on

anything, the problem is still there!.  

It seems like every thing is price driven, or the miracle cure. It seems like every page you encounter, says the same thing. 

You need this or that, but are you for certain? 

Is there anyone that can be very specific and understand my needs?

My friend there are answers but you haven't a clue which one will help you. 

To be perfectly frank with you, it is an educational process, and it can be a costly mistake. 

Every now and then again I hear these tails of woe.

I think I have a typical examples for you to explore.

Example 1.

Home Owner

Caller calling the Power Quality Guru:

"Hi I am looking for John Pecore" said the caller, "That's me", I said;"how can I help you?" "I was recommended to you by such and such, that you might be able to deal with my lightning issue." I said," you came to the right place, what's your name...blah...blah...blah...

With out going in to it a great detail, this gentleman had a indirect strike by lightning.  His TV, Security System, Sound System, HVAC, washer & Dryer, sprinkler system and all sorts of electronic devices blew out, not once but several times over the years. There was no physical damage to the building.   He contacted his insurance company they came out to give him an estimate, got all the forms, called the repair services, they repaired all the equipment and he was saddled with a fist full of bills that he paid for, and turned them in to the home owner insurance company.  The insurance company paid the claim.  Six months later when the policy was due, the insurance company increased his insurance premium, and also told him he will need to get lightning protection on his roof or he will be dropped as a high risk. Well the guy called the local lightning protection companies in his area and got estimate between $1500.00 to $2500.00 to do the job.  He took the cheapest price.  Yes he got what he paid for.  Submitted the information to the insurance company and they reduced his insurance rate.  

That was not the end of the story.  The next lightning season, a direct strike on one of his lightning rods, worked very well.  All that current and power went straight to ground, and his aluminum rod melted, as well as the aluminum stranded wire melted, but his house was safe from lightning.  Just one problem.  You guessed it, his TV, Security System, Sound System, HVAC, washer & Dryer, Sprinkler System and all sorts of electronic devices blew out again, and this time much more destructive.  Did he resolve his problem, or did he add too the problem?    He also went through the same process with the insurance company, and you guessed it, with-in six months they dropped him with no apparent explanation.  Try to read this again, and absorb this information..... its all about the money. It's not about you.  If this is you E-mail me!, Your in trouble:

Example 2.

Commercial Industrial

Normally I do not get calls from Industrial customers directly, nor do they take the time on the internet to do any research.   So typically the dealer calls me who services the equipment.  With 15 or so years experience and with the typical administration, normally they haven't the education or a clue what to do about lightning at any level.  Even the Industrial/Manufacturing Engineer has no clue where to start.  What is even scarier that the unsuspecting customer does not know, that who ever the Professional Engineer who originally designed the electrical plumbing specified surge suppression on the distribution panel does not know, or does he have a clue what he/she is doing in this area.   They couldn't tell you a KA rating from A-Z or define a ground loop.  It is so sad, you as an end user is bleeding money based on damages even after the fact. Neither do they have the training or experience.  Likely issues are repeat repairs or false alarm on Fire Alarm panels, CCTV equipment keeps blowing out even after surge suppression is installed.  Your PBX, Key System, Access Control or Gate Access equipment are constantly being damaged and on the mend all the time after thunder storms. 

I can work with your Dealer who maintains these homeland security equipment.  If you have an electrician on board, I can also work with him regarding industrial surge suppression on your main panels, to help him isolate the problem and possibly get him the right type of protector you need. E-mail me  

Example 3.

Computer wiz kid

Computers: If for what ever reason you have not install a UPS on your computer and mother nature has been trying to get your attention, then you need to talk to me about it.  I do not care how big or small of a computer you have, if you have not at least tried some kind of protection on the system, somehow you really missed the boat on this one.  Now I can understand that buying a UPS can be intimidating and that you do not know how big a unit you might need.  It does require a bit of mathematics to get the most accurate size.  The biggest mistake nearly 90% of all people do in trying to purchase one, is they seem to undersize the unit and price is the driving force.  Naturally the UPS becomes very ineffective during brown outs or black outs.  Some times the system discharges to the point of no-return for the battery and sometimes if the system is undersized for the computer, you can actually burn out an inverter.  Sometimes lightning actually blows them out, and you try to return the unit as being defective, but turned away, not realizing this is what it is all about.

Here is a little math you can work with to order the right size UPS.: 115V x total amperage used = VA value.  Always add 50 VA for start up, and if you have a liner power supply, device then multiply the  figure by 3, then add that value to the Total VA value.  The reasoning behind that is that Linear power supplies actually draw 1/3 more power then a switchmode power supply in the computer. If this is all too complicated for you, just give me a call, and I would be happy to size one up for you.  I even have them in stock, most of the time. E-Mail me.

Lets say, for what ever reason you choose not to call me, remember this much in your search.  There are several kinds of UPS.  Triple Conversion True on line UPS, On line UPS, Standby UPS, Battery Backups, Modified Square-wave UPS, Power Factor Correction UPS, and True Sine Wave Standby UPS. They also have them in Rackmount styles.  UPS's for basic consumer use run from 250VA to 3000VA.  The basic power supply in most new computers are 400 watts, but people are buying UPS's at 194.50 watts.  The Monitor is 134.21 watts, and the Printer.268.41 watts.  Add all this up when you are using a 194.5 watt unit.  That is 802.62 watts on a computer and the UPS is only 194.50.  A little math tells me the 250VA UPS is four times too small, and never really functions as a standby unit.  It might work to get over the humps, but if there is a blackout more then a couple of minutes, chances are you are likely going to replace the unit. Naturally you wasted money.  If this sounds like you, do not do what I think you are going to do, just E-Mail Me or call me. One other thing, you are not alone. Everybody makes this mistake, it is not about you it is all about the money remember.

Example 4.

Phone System and modems of all sorts

I have spent tons of money on surge suppression, UPS, and all kinds of devices for protection for my phone systems and nothing works!  I am so upset, and annoyed that nothing has solved my problem.  I refuse to talk to any one, or any thing, it's all hogwash.  All I care about is that something or some one can provide me the perfect phone line protection and I can almost install it myself.  The problem is, I don't believe a word he or she might tell me. I am totally convinced there is nothing out there.

Well here is a guy who has done everything and anything, spent a ton of bucks and possibly his/her job is on the line.  The good news is, they have not done everything, and there is a perfect mouse trap that will give him 100% protection, and a seven year old could install it, depending on the system.  The product I have in mind is called Optelator II or Opticshield.  You will find it on http://www.opticshield.com .  Everyone by now should know unless they have their head stuck in the sand, that fiber optics is the only device that will give you 100% protection.  Do not get this confused with Opto-Isolators, those are actually discreet chips with one tiny fiber optics that lightning can jump over.  The Optelator/Opticshield has five inches of fiber optics and it would take somewhere in the area of 75,000 volts to jump that.  Your wire would burn up before anything like that could happen.  So you see there is technology, only you did not know it was available.  By the way, the cost of this product is $319.00 each.  Homeland Security buys a lot of these for military facilities all over the US and overseas.   If you think about it, it is not expensive compared to what you already did.

Fire Alarm False Alarms

America's number one problem since ADA (American Disability Act) change how manufactures manufactured Fire Alarm panels.   False alarms in an epidemic nation wide, and in some places people can go to jail for this.  New York is famous for crazy things, among other things.  If you need information pertaining to this click on New York or  I can e-mail that to you.    Yes a new invention call the Spike Block-1 plus the use of special in-line series surge suppression on the AC can resolve this issue.    Move your Mouse to the left of this sentence. This video is very revealing. To Access this Catalog page, to see all the technology plus CAD PDF files, plus PE Files go to: Fire ALarm link.

CCTV Lightning Issues:

This is a daily trouble shoot for me.  CCTV systems in my opinion are never installed properly, yet they are installed according to manufactures recommendation, or worse yet, the surge suppression they use, the manufacture of these items encourages grounding differentials.  As a result you have ground loops all over the place and damaged equipment to boot.

  This video clip is very revealing. To Access this Catalog page, to see all the technology that may be used to trouble shoot your system go to: CCTV

Remember the Old saying

It's better to unplug your equipment 

During a thunder storm?

Well, yes there is such a product.  You have never seen it in the stores, and you never thought something like this might be available. Obviously most people in the know (retailers) think you are not smart enough, or you don't want to spend the money for something like this.  Remember, it's all about the money.   The more you buy, the more profit they make, even if it is cheap.  I want you to take a look at this Video.  I call this thing ADU Technology.  Decide for yourself if you would consider this product an important tool to fight Mother Nature.  {Video}c 

How about a web page for this ADU Technology

Did you Know that Grounding is Bi-Directional

Many, not just a few Professional believe

that a protective device dumps everything to ground.

Naturally he is right except when you do that , Lightning and transit surges can go in three different directions. The true story is, when you have a surge or impulse on phase or neutral, to ground, the direction you would expect this dissipation would go is to earth ground.  In real life, it does not happen that way.  If you look at your computer, telephone equipment or network of any sorts, naturally we have a path way for lightning to travel.  If you have a ground loop or differential, (plain ENGLISH--- more then one building you have wire running too), I do not care if you have a UPS, surge suppression devices or what ever, lightning will follow a metallic pathway.  If your IO, chips, output controls, off primes lines, data lines, 100BASET, or what ever, your stuff can still blow out. 

Here is a video clip that can best exemplify what all this means.