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St. Cloud · Osceola County
Whole-Home Surge & Lightning Protection

Whole-Home Surge & Lightning Protection in St. Cloud

ZIP codes
34769347713477234773

Panel-mounted surge protection for Central Florida's thunderstorm season.

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About this service in St. Cloud

Central Florida is one of the most lightning-active regions in the country. A whole-home surge protective device (SPD) at your panel helps limit surges that come in on the power lines. Tell us about your home and we’ll connect you with an independent electrical contractor.

Open land around St. Cloud’s newer neighborhoods and the lakefront exposure near East Lake Tohopekaliga mean summer storms roll through often. New homes are packed with surge-sensitive electronics: variable-speed AC systems, smart panels, pool automation and EV chargers. A whole-home surge protector at the panel, plus point-of-use protection for computers and TVs, is a modest cost compared with replacing a single AC control board.

Permits

In St. Cloud city limits, permits go through City of St. Cloud building department. Outside city limits, through Osceola County Permit Center. The contractor normally pulls the permit.

Whole-home surge protector mounted next to a residential electrical panel
Thunderstorm with lightning over a Central Florida neighborhood
At a glance

St. Cloud

County
Osceola County
ZIP codes
34769347713477234773
Permits inside city limits
City of St. Cloud building department
Permits outside city limits
Osceola County Permit Center

Signs and situations

Thunderstorm season

The National Weather Service office in Melbourne reports roughly 90 to 100 thunderstorm days a year in east-central Florida, mostly in summer.

Covers hardwired equipment

Plug-in strips can't protect the AC system, water heater, pool equipment or appliances wired to the panel. A panel SPD covers the whole system.

Layered protection

A panel SPD plus good point-of-use protectors for computers and TVs is the usual approach.

Code context

Recent editions of the National Electrical Code require surge protection when a home's service equipment is installed or replaced. The provider will confirm what applies to your permit.

Call about Whole-Home Surge & Lightning Protection

Three kinds of protection
Whole-home SPDPlug-in surge stripLightning protection system
Installed atElectrical panel or meterWall outletRoof and grounding (air terminals)
ProtectsThe home's electrical systemDevices plugged into itThe structure from a direct strike
Installed byLicensed electrical contractorHomeownerLightning protection specialist

Before you hire

  • Ask for the Florida license number and check it on the DBPR license search
  • Ask whether a permit is needed and get the permit number
  • Get the estimate in writing, including what's not included
  • Make sure the final inspection passes and the permit is closed

Frequently asked questions

No device can promise that. A whole-home surge protective device (SPD) at the panel limits surges that come in on the power lines from nearby lightning and utility switching, which are far more common than direct strikes. Protecting the building itself from a direct strike is the job of a lightning protection system with air terminals and grounding, installed by a lightning protection specialist. Surges can also enter through cable, satellite and phone lines, which need their own protection.

Still have a question? Call (844) 578-0475

Call for electrical help

ZIP codes
34769347713477234773
Call (844) 578-0475