FRAUD ALERT!
Requests for quotes on lightning Protection systems for homes is a daily task for us and is the mainstay of our business. Yesterday, I was asked to respond to an email request for a Lightning Protection System for a home in a nearby town. Before calling the gentleman by phone to arrange a site survey, I pulled up a satellite image to view the roof of the home in question and get an idea of what an estimated price would be and since he stated in his request that he only had one electrical panel I had a really clear idea of what I could tell him when he asked the normal question;
“How much will this Lightning Protection System cost to install?”
So I made the call and was quickly advised that they already had it taken care of. He had called someone in the area that was advertising “Lightning protection as well as whole house surge protection”. He went on to say “I called and this guy came out right away, he told me that we didn’t need Lightning rods because they attract lightning to your home and that would be foolish! So he sold me an inexpensive Surge protector that he put in the panel and it was guaranteed for life to protect my whole house from lightning and surges for only three hundred bucks! So I’m protected now and don’t need your service goodbye!” And the man hung up on me before I could explain to him that a surge device cannot and will not protect the most valuable thing you have, YOUR FAMILY!
Although we incorporate surge protection devices as a standard component within an overall system ( lightning rods, grounding and bonding of all utilities) only a properly designed system that meets nationally recognized standards and installed by a certified professional are considered to be adequate to protect your home from a lightning strike that can be as high as 100,000,000 Volts of electricity at 55,000 degrees F. (That’s more than five times the temp of the surface of the sun).
BUYER BEWARE!
There are plenty of people that will gladly take your money and lie to you leaving your family exposed to all kinds of dangers. Sadly, there are just as many unsuspecting people that still believe that you can “get something for nothing”
Stay safe my friends!
Grady Vickery MID
VICKERY LIGHTNING PROTECTION
