Keeping your home safe from lightning strikes isn’t just about preventing fires — it’s also about protecting your electrical system from powerful surges that can destroy appliances in seconds. In Fort Worth, where summer storms and lightning are common, one device makes a big difference: the lightning arrestor. At All Spark Electric, we install and maintain surge and lightning protection systems designed to keep your home’s power stable and your electronics safe year-round.
What Is a Lightning Arrestor?
A lightning arrestor (sometimes called a surge arrester) is a safety device that protects your home’s electrical system from high-voltage surges caused by lightning strikes or sudden power fluctuations. It’s typically installed near your electrical panel or on outdoor service lines where electricity enters your property.
When a lightning strike or voltage surge occurs, the lightning arrestor detects the excess energy and redirects it safely into the ground. This prevents the dangerous surge from traveling through your home’s wiring and damaging your circuits, appliances, or sensitive electronics.
Think of it like a pressure relief valve for electricity — when voltage spikes suddenly, the arrestor gives it a safe path to escape.
How Does a Lightning Arrestor Work?
To understand how a lightning arrestor works, it helps to know how electrical current normally flows in your home. Under typical conditions, electricity enters your home through the service line, passes through the electrical panel, and distributes evenly to your outlets and devices.
When lightning strikes near your property or the power grid, it can send a massive surge of electrical energy into your system. That surge looks for the fastest path to ground — and if your home doesn’t have a lightning arrestor, it will travel through your wiring, damaging anything plugged in.
A lightning arrestor stops this by providing a low-resistance pathway to ground. Here’s what happens in sequence:
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Detection: The arrestor senses a sudden voltage increase.
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Redirection: It diverts that excess current directly to the grounding system.
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Protection: Once the surge is gone, it automatically resets and continues monitoring.
The process happens in milliseconds, protecting your home before you even realize a surge occurred.
The Difference Between a Lightning Arrestor and a Surge Protector
Homeowners often confuse lightning arrestors with surge protectors, but they serve different purposes and work best together.
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Lightning Arrestor: Installed at the electrical service entrance, it blocks extremely high-voltage surges from lightning or power grid events before they enter your home.
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Surge Protector: Usually plugged into outlets or integrated into your electrical panel, it guards appliances and electronics against smaller internal surges caused by things like large appliances cycling on and off.
A lightning arrestor acts as your first line of defense, while surge protectors handle the smaller fluctuations that make it inside your home’s electrical system. Together, they create a complete protection system.
Why Fort Worth Homes Need Lightning Protection
Fort Worth experiences frequent thunderstorms, especially during spring and summer. Lightning strikes are unpredictable, and even a strike that hits a power line miles away can send a damaging surge through your electrical grid.
Without a lightning arrestor, that surge can:
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Destroy circuit boards in expensive appliances
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Fry your HVAC system, computer, or TV
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Trip breakers and damage wiring inside your walls
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Increase the risk of electrical fires
Repairing or replacing damaged electrical systems can cost thousands of dollars, but installing a lightning arrestor is a simple and affordable way to prevent that damage before it happens.
Where Lightning Arrestors Are Installed
The location of your lightning arrestor depends on your home’s electrical setup. Typically, our electricians at All Spark Electric install them:
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At the main electrical service panel (where power enters the home)
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On meter bases or outdoor poles connected to your electrical service line
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In industrial or commercial systems, at key distribution points to protect critical equipment
The arrestor is always connected to your home’s grounding system, ensuring any diverted energy has a direct, safe path out of your electrical network.
Benefits of Installing a Lightning Arrestor
Adding a lightning arrestor to your electrical system offers long-term protection and peace of mind. Key benefits include:
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System Protection: Prevents catastrophic electrical damage during lightning storms.
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Longevity for Appliances: Extends the life of electronics and HVAC equipment.
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Fire Prevention: Reduces the risk of electrical fires from voltage overloads.
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Low Maintenance: Once installed, it operates automatically without user input.
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Added Home Value: Shows buyers your property is protected and well-maintained.
A professionally installed lightning arrestor can last for many years and requires only periodic inspection to ensure it’s functioning properly.
Signs You Might Need a Lightning Arrestor
If you live in Fort Worth or surrounding areas, chances are your home could benefit from one. You may especially need lightning protection if:
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You experience frequent power surges or breaker trips.
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You live in an area with tall trees or power lines nearby.
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You use expensive electronics, security systems, or smart home devices.
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You’ve noticed outlets or appliances failing after storms.
Even a single lightning strike nearby can cause damage that isn’t immediately obvious — such as weakened wiring or partially damaged circuits that fail months later.
Professional Lightning Protection from All Spark Electric
At All Spark Electric, we provide full-service electrical safety solutions for Fort Worth homeowners. Our licensed electricians install, test, and maintain lightning arrestors, surge protection devices, and grounding systems that work together to safeguard your home from unpredictable weather and power issues.
We take the time to inspect your electrical system, recommend the right protection setup, and ensure everything is properly grounded and code-compliant. Whether you want to add protection to an existing system or include it in a new installation, we’ve got the expertise to do it right the first time.
Protect your home from costly electrical damage before the next storm hits. Contact All Spark Electric today to schedule an inspection or request a quote for lightning arrestor installation in Fort Worth, TX.
