Summer brings warm weather, backyard BBQs, and powerful thunderstorms. While the sunshine is welcome, the lightning, wind, and power outages that follow can take a serious toll on your home’s electrical system. Fortunately, with a few smart precautions, you can protect your family, your appliances, and your peace of mind.
Here’s how to prepare your home’s electrical system for summer storms—and how ServiceOne’s electrical and generator services can help.
1. Install Whole-Home Surge Protection
A lightning strike near your home or even down the street can cause a sudden surge of electricity to enter your electrical system. That surge can destroy sensitive electronics, fry appliances, and damage your home’s wiring in seconds.
A whole-home surge protector is installed directly into your electrical panel and acts as a buffer. Instead of that sudden voltage spike reaching your refrigerator, computer, or air conditioner, it’s absorbed and diverted safely.
ServiceOne offers professional installation of surge protection systems that safeguard everything from kitchen appliances to smart TVs and HVAC systems, because power strips only go so far.
2. Back Up with a Generator
When storms knock out power, the biggest inconvenience is more than just losing lights. Food spoils, basements flood if sump pumps fail, and essential medical equipment can stop working.
That’s where a backup generator comes in.
A standby generator automatically powers up within seconds of an outage, keeping your most important systems running without you lifting a finger. Whether it’s a whole-home generator or a smaller model that covers just the essentials, ServiceOne’s generator experts can help you choose, install, and maintain the right solution.
Midwestern weather is unpredictable, but your power doesn’t have to be.
3. Get a Panel Safety Check
Your home’s electrical panel is like the heart of your electrical system. And just like a heart, it needs regular checkups to stay healthy, especially before storm season.
A panel that’s outdated or overloaded can increase the risk of electrical fires, short circuits, and damage during outages. Summer storms can cause brownouts or surges that overwork already strained panels.
With a ServiceOne electrical inspection, a licensed electrician can check for loose connections, signs of corrosion, and worn-out breakers, ensuring your panel is ready to handle whatever nature throws your way.
4. Know What to Shut Down in a Storm
While automatic protection goes a long way, it’s still smart to know which appliances to unplug manually during severe weather. Surge protectors help, but things like computers, gaming systems, and even some newer refrigerators may benefit from being unplugged if lightning is near.
Knowing which breakers to flip and when to do so can also be helpful in preventing damage if the power blinks off and on repeatedly.
Be Storm-Ready with ServiceOne
Your home should be a safe haven no matter what the weather does. With surge protection, backup power, and regular panel maintenance, you can stay protected and prepared through every summer storm.
ServiceOne offers full electrical and generator services in Omaha and Dubuque, from inspections and upgrades to emergency installs. Don’t wait for a storm to find out your home isn’t ready. Contact us today and be prepared for the summer storm season.