Mister Sparky Helps Locals 'Surge' Through Summer Storms

By: Mister Sparky | 0 Shares 84 Reads

SARASOTA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to statistics from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. citizens spent over $500 million last year on damage caused from floods. This amount may be alarming to some, but floods usually occur during heavy thunderstorms, hurricanes and other harsh weather during the summer months. Although natural disasters can't be avoided, Mister Sparky America's On-Time Electrician is showing residents how they can protect their homes from severe damage during the upcoming storm season.

"The most important thing residents can do to prevent power surges, and other types of weather-related damage to their home, is to stay informed and prepared on the proper precautions. Not adhering to certain guidelines may cause people to spend hundreds of dollars in damage expenses," said Tab Hunter, president of Franchise Operations, Clockwork Home Services, franchisor of Mister Sparky America's On-Time Electrician.

A power surge could be caused by a tree limb falling on a power line, lightning striking utility equipment, or even a small animal trying to escape from the weather by getting into a transformer, Hunter said. Therefore, analyzing the exterior of your property and doing things like trimming back branches from trees hanging over your home and checking for other objects that may become airborne during high winds are good ways to prevent potential problems that could occur during a storm.

Mister Sparky offers advice to help residents prevent electrical surge damage:

Invest in an uninterruptible power supply and high-quality power strips/surge protectors to protect your computer equipment.

Have a professional install whole house surge protection that protects against dangerous power spikes, and allows electric current to flow through them. Whole house surge protectors divert excess voltage to the ground wire.

Ensure surge protection devices are Underwriters Laboratories (UL) rated, a trusted source for product compliance. Companies indicate this with "UL" on its packaging.

If you don't have any protection from surges, unplug computers and other electrical devices during thunderstorms with lightning.

Make sure to have a professional electrician install in-line telephone wire surge suppressors to guard against telephone system damage.

For more information about Mister Sparky, please visit www.mistersparky.com.

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