On Sunday, March 8, 2015 at 4:46:56 PM UTC-4, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:
fired this volley in news:57840989-9c84-4ab9-
:

Have you bothered to check into it?

Yes, actually. Since the power mongers expressly exclude "direct
lighting strikes to the incoming service" as a covered instance, my
attorney said all it would do was "cost me time and money" -- enough of
which I'd already spent.

Lightning GROUND rods (never, ever, ever pointy lightning rods on the
roof!), arc-gap arrestors, gas discharge arrestors, MOV surge arrestors,
&c just are not 'full protection' against a multi-MW bolt directly to the
service. It's not the same as when it hits even as little as a block
away.

The only way to obtain relatively good protection is with a long-throw
knife switch on all three incoming conductors; and even that's not a
'sure bet'. The best protection to your equipment is to make sure that
every single item is physically disconnected from power during a weather
event, or when you're away. So now, everything we have, including
previously hard-wired equipment has a PLUG, not just a 'disconnect'.
It's a pain... but it works. Doesn't protect the infrastructure, though.
Nothing does.

Lloyd

Motor-generator. End of discussion.