Climate changes occurring around the world in recent years can cause very high-intensity storms and atmospheric discharges. atmospheric discharges such as lightning; may cause a fire, burn electrical installations or destroy household appliances.
Although the probability of lightning strikes in your home is very low, lightning strikes can damage the electrical installation. Lightning causes several hundred times more energy to flow through the installation than normal, and therefore the voltage increases and electrical devices are damaged. Excessive voltage spikes can even cause a fire. For an atmospheric discharge to destroy electrical equipment, it is not necessary for it to fall on the building itself, it is sufficient for it to fall near the building in question. Yılmaz Özcan, Country Manager of Eaton Electric; warns that in such cases the damage will be less, but it can still be quite costly.
Lightning protection systems protect the building, the people living in it and the installed devices connected to the electrical system against lightning strikes. This installation system includes:
- Metal elements that directly take over the currents in the event of a lightning strike
- Conductors that are installed on the building facade and carry current to earth electrodes
- Ground-mounted earth electrodes that dissipate energy from lightning
How to Protect Electronic Equipment with Lightning Protection Systems?
Surge protection devices are used to prevent damage to computers, televisions and household appliances during a severe storm. These devices are mounted directly to the electrical panel, the building connector and the socket to which the equipment is connected, and undertake the task of reducing the voltage increase caused by atmospheric discharge to a safe level for the equipment.
Class I, II or III surge arresters are most commonly used. Class I surge arrester is mounted on the input supply or main panel of the building, Class II surge arrester is mounted on secondary distribution panels close to the load. Class III surge arresters, on the other hand, are used directly in the house, like surge-protected sockets. Özcan said, “This type of surge arrester looks like an ordinary extension cable and is very easy to install. Simply plug the equipment into the socket for installation.” said.
A professionally designed and installed lightning protection system increases the safety of buildings and protects them from material losses. Installation costs of lightning protection systems depend on the size of the building, the shape of the roof and the choice of materials used in its construction.
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