Im curious, we get calls from time to time from customers wanting us to check out their wiring due to a recent lighting strike. The one I got today, said the lighting actually struck the roof of the house. The result was it took out a TV, and some GFI's......So, While I've never seen damaged (NMB)wiring from these strikes here locally, with the liability at stake, do you disconnect everything and meg at 250v or 500v or not? The difference in cost to the customer would be quite a bit I would think. But Im sure the insurace would cover that..The liability of the house burning down would be kinda scary......Just curious what other contractors do....thanks
To Meg, or NOt to Meg for Resi Lighting strikes........
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svh19044
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We always suggest and notate that a whole house test be performed, but insurance usually fights to pay for only "obviously" effected circuits. All tested circuits appear unaffected, recommend whole house test.
Out of all of the circuits that I have tested after a lightning strike with the exception of fires/obviously damaged wire, I haven't seen a failed test. That's the good news, and I'm sure insurance companies play those odds. When there is an actual fire, insurance doesn't blink when you recommend the whole house be tested (and they shouldn't).
Out of all of the circuits that I have tested after a lightning strike with the exception of fires/obviously damaged wire, I haven't seen a failed test. That's the good news, and I'm sure insurance companies play those odds. When there is an actual fire, insurance doesn't blink when you recommend the whole house be tested (and they shouldn't).
Just for fun, the last call we got on a lighting strike, I tried to just use a ohm meter at the panel and of course there is a mulitude of reasons it showed resistance....So the same as you I just told the customer that I had never seen a damaged wire from a indirect strike, and left it up to him to decide if he wanted the "whole house" test, which he denied, and I dont blame him.
I did have one a few years ago where it blew a hole in the face plate on a range about the size of a silver dollar, and the customer opted to replace the range branch circuit only, and insurance did pay for it...
I did have one a few years ago where it blew a hole in the face plate on a range about the size of a silver dollar, and the customer opted to replace the range branch circuit only, and insurance did pay for it...
electricguy61
Senior Member
Severe thunder storms were often good for business when I was a contractor in Oklahoma.
One time, I was called to check out a house after a lightning strike. It hit the cable tv wire, burning the siding on the house all the way down the exterior wall, went into the cable box (melting it), and from there into the panel. While I was checking the panel, I heard a shout from the kitchen.
The lady of the house had put water into a fry pan to make gravy, and had turned away for a second, turned back to the fry pan, and the liquid was gone. Naturally, she thought she had only imagined putting in the water, and so added more. Same result.
The shout I heard was when she discovered a hole the size of a quarter blown through the pan. The lightning had gone into the panel from the cable box via the 120v connection, then gone out through the stove burner (Half of the burners were unaffected, so she hadn't noticed the stove had been hit).
Lightning does some weird stuff
All that being said, I agree with the other posters that when lightning hits, the damage is usually painfully obvious. Megging all the circuits might be good insurance, but I'm not sure it would find much.
One time, I was called to check out a house after a lightning strike. It hit the cable tv wire, burning the siding on the house all the way down the exterior wall, went into the cable box (melting it), and from there into the panel. While I was checking the panel, I heard a shout from the kitchen.
The lady of the house had put water into a fry pan to make gravy, and had turned away for a second, turned back to the fry pan, and the liquid was gone. Naturally, she thought she had only imagined putting in the water, and so added more. Same result.
The shout I heard was when she discovered a hole the size of a quarter blown through the pan. The lightning had gone into the panel from the cable box via the 120v connection, then gone out through the stove burner (Half of the burners were unaffected, so she hadn't noticed the stove had been hit).
Lightning does some weird stuff
All that being said, I agree with the other posters that when lightning hits, the damage is usually painfully obvious. Megging all the circuits might be good insurance, but I'm not sure it would find much.
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