Lightning, Electronics, and your Villa Rental

It was 3am and a thunder rumble near our upstate New York house woke us out of our deep slumber. We know what to do, we know the routine. We quickly hand out assignments and get to work - everyone running around the house to unplug our electronics so they won't be effected from an electrical surge caused by a nearby lightening strike. Microwave, TVs computers, and more. If we can reach the power outlet? It gets unplugged.

Florida is the lightning capital of the world, yet, when we are in Florida we don't unplug electronics. There is a thunderstorm almost every afternoon in the summer. The villa instructions for thunderstorms is to simply avoid using electronics during a storm. What is the difference? Why is Florida better at lightning protection than my New York house?

You shouldn't be responsible if a lightning strike damages something in the villa. You should be concerned, however, for the electronics you brought with you. Perhaps you are recharging an iphone, have kid's games, or brought a laptop. Those could all be victims to a thunderstorm.

If you are renting a villa, you should ask the owner or management company whether the villa is equipped with whole house surge protection. Whole house surge protection is installed above the electrical box at the service entrance. While it won't protect against a direct lightning strike (that is unlikely) it will protect against a surge from a nearby strike (much more likely).

Even with a whole house surge protection, some dirty electricity could get into the house. That is where  surge protectors plugged into electrical outlets are useful. These are not the cheap power strips, but are the $20-$50 surge suppression power strips. You can either bring a power strip with you, buy one when you arrive, or ask if they are available within the Villa.

The combination of a whole house surge protection system and surge protection at the outlet will not help during a direct lightning strike, and will not protect under every situation, but it is some of the best protection for offering peace of mind at your Florida vacation villa. Of course, nothing will ever be as sure as unplugging a device, but surge protection is a good option.