In Seattle, we often think of summer as the one refuge away from the stormy and gloomy weather. And while Seattle summers can be gorgeous, they also can often result in lightning storms. Is your home prepared for any damage these storms can do to your home wiring and appliances? Here are a few ways to prepare yourselves for summer storms.

Watch the Weather for Upcoming Summer Storms

The biggest mistakes come from not paying attention. In the summertime, when you get accustomed to all the sun ano clear skies, it’s easy to disregard watching the weather reports or checking them on your phone. Who needs that when you can just look outside and see the sun? Well, as many longtime Northwesterners will tell you, the weather in Seattle can change on a dime. Even if we’re in the middle of a heatwave, you’ll want to double check to prepare yourself and your home. Knowing if there’s a storm coming will give you vital time to make sure you have your home in order and have your electronics setup properly.

Whole-House Surge Protectors

A whole-house surge protector is a device that’s plugged into your homes’s main electrical service box. What they do is monitor what electricity is allowed to come into your house, protecting your appliances and electronics should something like lightning strike. The voltage from lighting could fry your home devices, setting you back more than just a few dollars. Whole-house surge protectors are becoming more and more common in newer houses, typically added in development, but there’s no guarantee that everyone house has one and older homes are less likely to already have one in place. Check your service box to ensure that one is installed – never assume that to be the case.

Outlet Surge Protectors

Whole-house surge protectors aren’t terribly cheap, but they are a worthwhile investment. If you’re not in a place where you feel that you can make that kind of purchase, outlet surge protectors will at least give your home some protection. As the name would imply, these are devices you plug into your wall and then plug your appliances into the device, much like you would with a power strip. This will help block excess electricity from harming your electronics. They can be a great failsafe and back-up should a spike electricity hits your home. These are also highly recommended for people living in older apartments.

Back-up Generators

Even with all the prep you can do for your own home, there’s still a chance that a power line goes down and you’re left waiting for the city to take care of it. Depending on where you live, this can be done quickly or take days. If you can’t afford to have downtime from electricity, it’s a good plan to have a back-up generator on hand. Finding the right generator for your needs can be difficult; thankfully we’ve already created a guide to help you decide what will work for you.

Need help installing surge protectors or buying a generator to protect your home from summer storms? Our team of expert electricians at Wire Craft can help.

Give us a call and we’ll schedule a time to walk through your home and make a plan to get you storm ready.