Hi. No, nothing. Buildings are as it was built 53 years ago.
Some cited a typical reason for all damage. Solution is based in what Franklin demonstrated. Lightning is a connection from charges in a cloud to other charges (maybe four miles away) in earth. If that path is anywhere inside, then nothing - as in nothing - will avert damage. Protection only exists when that current, from a cloud, connects to earth BEFORE entering.
Do lightning rods do protection? Of course not. Those are only connecting devices to what does all protection - earth ground electrodes. Franklin demonstrated it over 250 years ago. As taught in elementary school science. Only earth does the protection.
Does a protector do protection? Of course not. It (not plug-in ones) is only connecting device to what does all protection - earth ground electrodes. Plug-in protector (including UPS) has no earth ground. Will not discuss it. Is so grossly undersized that it must be more than 30 feet from the main breaker box and earth ground. To avert threats to human life. Only earth does protection.
Any wire that enters, without a low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) connection to earth, means protection is compromised. Telephone, TV cable, and satellite dish are required to have that effective protection installed for free. AC electric (the most common source of surges) does not.
If a human did not properly earth (ie less than 10 foot connection to electrodes) a 'whole house' protector, then damage is directly traceable to human mistakes. Every AC wire must make a low impedance (ie hardwire has no sharp bends) connection to single point earth ground. Either directly or via that protector.
That protection is essential especially to protect least robust appliances - ie plug-in protector and UPS. Anyone can read joule numbers to see why plug-in protectors protect profits; not appliances. Destructive surges can be
hundreds of thousands of joules. How many joules will destroy (even create fires) that plug-in protector? Thousands? How many joules can destroy at UPS? Hundreds?. Don't take anyone's word for it. Go read those numbers. Urban myths and scams exist when numbers are ignored.
A surge is incoming to all appliances via AC electric. Are all appliances damaged? Of course not. Again, from elementary school science. It is electricity. It must have both an incoming and a completely different outgoing path. Incoming on all electric wires. What is a best outgoing path? Via that switch and router to protection required to exist on that internet cable. That cable must already have a low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) connection to earthing electrodes.
What is damaged? What protected a dishwasher, digital clocks, and central air? Network hardware made the better connection to earth. So it protected other appliances.
Damage directly traceable to humans who all but invited that surge inside. Surge went hunting, destructively, for earth ground via appliances.
Best protection cost about $1 per protected appliance. Lightning is typically 20,000 amps. So a minimal 'whole house' protector is 50,000 amps. Obviously, it must connect low impedance (ie less than 10 feet) to earth ground. Companies known for integrity provide them. Called Type 1 and Type 2 protectors. Properly sized so that it can connect low impedance to earth. Numbers define 'properly sized'.
A $3 power strip with five cent protector parts, selling for an obscene $25 or $80, is undersized. Called a Type 3 protector. It must be more than 30 feet from the main breaker box and earth ground to avert fire. Has no low impedance connection to earth. But it sure does protect an obscene profit margin.
Scams are easily promoted when one does not learn (or remember) above concepts. Such as what Franklin demonstrated over 250 years ago. And how electricity works (it must have both an incoming and outgoing path to earth).
An effective solution always answers this question. Where do
hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate? A protector is only as effective as its low impedance connection to and the quality of those earthing electrodes. Earthing (those electrodes) are the 'art' of protection. Scams need you to ignore well proven science. Protection only exists when a surge is earthed BEFORE it can enter.
