Protecting your home from monsoon power surges

Monsoon season officially runs June 15 to September 30, as defined by the National Weather Service. In the Valley it brings lightning, dust storms, microbursts, high winds and power outages, plus the surges that come with all of it. Surge damage often looks ordinary: a TV that won’t turn on, a garage door opener that quit, or an AC or pool control board that needs replacing after a storm.

The practical defense has layers: a whole-home surge protector at the panel, point-of-use protection for electronics, and a few habits when a storm is close.

Where monsoon surges come from

Lightning

Lightning doesn’t have to hit your house to cause trouble. A strike nearby can push a surge into power lines, and into the cable, phone and network lines that enter the house.

Utility switching and restoration

When storms knock down lines or the utility reroutes power, switching on the grid can send short spikes through your service. The moment power comes back after an outage can do the same, especially when everything in the house tries to start at once.

Your own equipment

Some surges start inside the house. Large motors like AC compressors and pool pumps create small spikes when they cycle on and off. Each one is minor, but they add wear to electronics over time.

How whole-home and point-of-use protection work together

Whole-home surge protector

A whole-home surge protector installs at your panel or meter-main. It handles large surges coming in on the service and helps protect hardwired equipment that a plug-in strip can’t reach, such as AC equipment, pool controls, kitchen appliances and the circuits in between. If you’re already having panel work done, that’s the easiest time to add one.

Point-of-use protection

Plug-in surge protectors handle what gets past the panel device, plus the smaller spikes that start inside the house. Use them for TVs, computers, game consoles, network gear and anything else with sensitive electronics. Some also protect coax and network lines, which matters because a surge can come in on those too.

Not every power strip is a surge protector. Read the label, and look for a listing mark from a recognized testing lab.

Layer	Where it goes	What it covers	Limits
Whole-home	At the panel or meter-main	Hardwired equipment and every circuit	Can’t stop a direct strike
Point-of-use	At the outlet	Electronics plugged into it	Only what’s plugged in
Unplugging	At the device	Anything disconnected	Only works if done before the storm

What surge protection can’t do

Surge protection lowers the odds of damage. It doesn’t make your house immune to storms. It can’t:

• Stop a direct lightning strike, which nothing can do
• Protect cable or network lines that don’t run through a protector
• Last forever, since protectors wear down as they absorb surges
• Work well without good grounding, because the surge needs a path to ground
• Keep the lights on during an outage

Grounding deserves a closer look. Many slab homes here use a concrete-encased electrode, often called a Ufer ground, and older homes may have grounding that predates current code. A surge protector is only as good as the grounding it connects to, so it’s worth having both checked together. For backup power during outages, you need a generator or home battery with a transfer switch.

Unplugging tips when a storm is close

• Unplug TVs, computers, consoles and chargers when a storm is headed your way
• Disconnect cable and network lines from expensive gear too
• Do it early, before lightning is overhead
• During an outage, switch the AC off at the thermostat and turn off major appliances
• Leave one light switched on so you know when power is back
• After power returns, wait a bit before turning everything back on

Outage prep for monsoon season

An outage when summer highs regularly top 110°F is more than an inconvenience. Get ready before the season starts.

• Flashlights and fresh batteries instead of candles
• Phones and power banks charged when storm warnings go out
• Know where your panel and main breaker are, including an outdoor meter-main
• Know how to open the garage door by hand
• Keep the fridge and freezer closed as much as possible
• A plan for medical equipment that needs power, made with your doctor and utility
• A cool place to go if the power stays off
• The outage number for APS or SRP, depending on your address

Stay away from downed power lines and anything they touch. Assume every downed line is live, and report it to your utility.

Generator safety

A portable generator is useful during a long outage, but its safety rules aren’t optional.

• No back-feeding without a transfer switch or interlock, ever
• Outdoors only, away from windows, doors and vents
• Never in a garage, even with the door open
• Extension cords rated for the load
• A cool-down before refueling

Back-feeding means plugging a generator into a dryer outlet or another outlet to power the house. It can send power onto utility lines and kill line workers trying to restore service, and it can damage the generator and your wiring when grid power returns. A transfer switch or interlock installed by an electrician prevents it. Standby generators and home batteries need a transfer switch too.

Location matters because generators make carbon monoxide, which you can’t see or smell. Keep it well away from the house, and keep working carbon monoxide alarms inside.

If you want whole-home protection in place before the next storm, Precise Electrical can install it at your panel and check the grounding it depends on.