Lightning can of course cause fires, but this is comparatively rare.

Lightning has a much more direct impact on electronics in the form of what are usually called “surges.”

A “surge” is actually a number of different possible things — let’s get scientific for just a quick second— including voltage surges, also known as over-voltage, and voltage spikes.

Some of you more technical types may point out that actually many so-called “voltage” surges are more precisely energy spikes are measured in Joules not volts, but the result is the same. (It’s useful to think in Joules because the commercial packaging of most higher end units will have a rating in Joules).

Here’s the important point:

Without adequate protection your delicate electronics can get fried in a matter of seconds.

While there are causes of energy spikes other than lightning (for example, a nuclear bomb gives off a hell of an energy spike called an electromagnetic pulse or EMP), the typical day to day concern is lightning. The good news is that protection is simple, reliable and best of all very inexpensive and easy to use.

Surge Suppressors

Basically what a surge suppressor does is creates an extra circuit, with a breaker, between your wall outlet and your equipment

If a power surge or energy spike is enough to potentially harm your equipment, the breaker trips, and your stuff shuts off temporarily instead of getting zapped and very possibly damaged or destroyed.

Like any circuit breaker you then simply reset the circuit — there is usually a switch or button helpfully labeled “reset” — and turn everything back on.

Common questions about surge suppressors:

· Are they all the same?

No. There are cheap junky ones and high quality industrial grade ones. Always buy good ones, most of which come with a warranty, as well as lights that indicate not only power but the “health” or status of the circuit breaker itself. There are also different methods of stopping the “surge”

· Are power cables the only thing I need to worry about?

No. You should also protect all RJ11 (aka “phone”) lines and all coaxial (aka “cable”) lines from energy spikes also. Most high end surge suppressors include in and out loops for these connections as well. Phone and coax are copper wire based, and copper is an excellent conductor.