Hi All
I am often asked about methods to protect security devices from lightning. This is most usually after a customer has had to replace a lot of costly equipment due to lightning damage.
In Johannesburg lightning damage is very common for about 6 months of year but we end up dealing with the results all year round.
In summary, there are usually two ways that we can protect buildings from lightning:
1) Electrical Surge Protectors
2) Structural Lightning Grounding Network
The first - surge protection is the most common and affordable type we use in our houses. Often rated for smaller surges, they are effective at stopping smaller irregularities in the mains supply. They are however very rarely very effective at close lightning strikes. They are however, affordable and are all that is usually required to prove to insurance companies that we have done everything we can to protect our equipment.
The second, is more unusual and more expensive. Grounding is common in our homes. It is used to ground our electrical supplies and plumbing. However, lightning protection grounding is a network of conductive cables linked to strike termination rods and globes. They are more common in large installations but are not often seen in residences.
I will in some later posts discuss these options and how effective they can be.
Cheers
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Keeping your Home safe in South Africa - What to invest in first ? - 1
Hi All
A question I am often asked is "Whats security system should I invest in first?". The question is valid since many South Africans want their limited security budget to go as far as possible.
Although the answer is obviously slightly different for every person, there are a few pointers that can be followed in making a decision.
1) Even a cheaper alarm, installed properly with good cabling and conduits will give you an excellent result. An expensive alarm installed badly will still not be of much use. If you are limited by budget, choose a small but effective alarm system instead of a big complicated one. However, ensure good quality cabling (not alarm ripcord) is used.
2) A cheap electric fence WILL NOT last. Affordable is fine but cheap materials will result in a poor installation and the fence will likely be inoperable within a short space of time. My advice is to sometimes avoid installing a fence if you are going to do it badly.
3) Cheap CCTV is usually a waste of money and time. Simple DIY kits or cheap eastern vanilla products do not last and provide very poor resolution. The only benefit is showing that someone or something is there but it will not provide very useful data.
4) Consider the maintenance issues of the systems you are installing. Remember that every layer of complication adds to the potential failures and maintenance you will incur. Try think of simple elegant design and simplification to ensure the systems you choose will serve you well for many years.
I will discuss these issues further, I hope the above are useful!
Sean
A question I am often asked is "Whats security system should I invest in first?". The question is valid since many South Africans want their limited security budget to go as far as possible.
Although the answer is obviously slightly different for every person, there are a few pointers that can be followed in making a decision.
1) Even a cheaper alarm, installed properly with good cabling and conduits will give you an excellent result. An expensive alarm installed badly will still not be of much use. If you are limited by budget, choose a small but effective alarm system instead of a big complicated one. However, ensure good quality cabling (not alarm ripcord) is used.
2) A cheap electric fence WILL NOT last. Affordable is fine but cheap materials will result in a poor installation and the fence will likely be inoperable within a short space of time. My advice is to sometimes avoid installing a fence if you are going to do it badly.
3) Cheap CCTV is usually a waste of money and time. Simple DIY kits or cheap eastern vanilla products do not last and provide very poor resolution. The only benefit is showing that someone or something is there but it will not provide very useful data.
4) Consider the maintenance issues of the systems you are installing. Remember that every layer of complication adds to the potential failures and maintenance you will incur. Try think of simple elegant design and simplification to ensure the systems you choose will serve you well for many years.
I will discuss these issues further, I hope the above are useful!
Sean
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