[Shop-talk] Whole-house surge protection

[Randall]

> I was under the impression (from what I've seen on TV and 
> also read) that the whole-house protectors that are wired 
> into your breaker box are meant to protect your electical 
> wiring from lightning strikes.
> 
> Is this not true?

If the lightning strikes your house directly, there isn't much that any
device can do about it.  Your best chance against a direct strike is an
old-fashioned lightning rod (or better yet rods) to keep the lightning
outside the house.

A strike outside the house probably isn't going to damage the wiring itself,
but can induce high voltage spikes that may damage equipment connected to
the wiring.  A good protector on every wire that enters the house (not just
power line but TV cable/antenna, telephone, etc.) can offer some protection
against that.

-- Randall