[Dave_n_Tenn]

My AC unit took a hit yesterday.... KaBoom... no more AC.

Anyone else ever lose some equipment/electronics from Lightning in Florida?
How about dealing with insurance companies?

Oh well.... new unit going in soon........darn!

[harry chickpea]

LOL! MOST people in Florida have lost something to lightning. Invest in a whole house surge protector. IIRC, FPL will install one and provide some sort of insurance. There are other things you can do to mitigate lightning issues, like install a lightning arrestor on your cable/satellite dish, use a surge protector on you phone, and form the power cords into choke coils, but the whole house surge protector is a good first defense.

FWIW, I'm respectful, but not afraid of lightning. Even so, there were some storms in the 1980s where the ground strikes were occurring at a rate of three and four times a minute over the better part of an hour, within half a mile of our house. I got on the couch and made sure my feet weren't touching the floor. Florida can have some amazing storms.

[Dee2e]

Check with your homeowner's insurance, you may be covered for the damages.

[Dave_n_Tenn]

I am covered... but you know those insurance companies!

[Strel]

I've nearly been hit three times. The last one exploded an oak tree just few yards behind me, sending flaming bark raining down on my head.

I have lost a couple of water heaters and some stereo equipment to lightning, but nothing too serious. The standard surge stoppers seem to work well enough for electronic equipment inside the house.

[Brasstec]

Progress Energy installed a whole house surge protector for us. It costs about $6.00 a month but worth it IMHO. We had a lightning strike take out our compressor in our first home the month after we bought it in the 80's. The previous owner had provided a home warranty and it was covered under that.

[ivcceo]

Just lost a pool pump to lightning. Not worth claiming.

[mainship]

Changed well pump to above ground after having two submersibles destroyed within a couple of years, at least now the unit can be replaced without having to bring in a derrick. When I had ho ins it covered without question after the 500 deductible.

[Ladywithafan]

Originally Posted by Dave_n_Tenn

My AC unit took a hit yesterday.... KaBoom... no more AC.

Anyone else ever lose some equipment/electronics from Lightning in Florida?
How about dealing with insurance companies?

Oh well.... new unit going in soon........darn!

Years ago....and I do mean like 1991, when we first moved to Florida, we bought a tv at Circuit City. They asked us if we wanted "lighting insurance". I almost fell over laughing....but, the next month, when it was raining/lightening...we heard a big BOOM. And then, I smelled something burning & the tv went out...from the toaster....ok, right.

Some homes, in actuality, are more prone to lightening strikes than others. Some areas, as well.

When we built, on Tampa Bay, we had the whole house surge protected with some new fangled, "surge protection". Guess what? NOT. I don't care whether you have a $30K surge protected home or a $30 surge protector. If you get hit, same result, from experience.

[tallrick]

Lightning is very rare where I live. Even in Miami where my parents live there has been 1/4 the usual number of thunderstorms.