Try your homeowner’s insurance!
Pensacola, Florida might be the thunder storm capital of the world. In the storm season, we get on average one or two a week.
My AV equipment was all on APS battery backup with added surge protection for power and all cables, e.g., antenna, internet,.into the system. So I had not been unplugging. A few years ago, a very violent nighttime lightning event and our house got zapped. Lost a nice Anthem preamp-pre-processer, a 32” Sony TV, and a satellite dish receiver.
I filled a claim with APS / Schneider and sent in the units I thought were protecting my system. APS did replace the battery backup surge-protector units. But claimed they did not fail
A friend suggested I contact my homeowner’s insurance company. I had little hope.
But my Tower Hill agent guided me through a claim process, suggesting I get an inspection from an electrical engineer. For abut $100, I got a certified testimony that my equipment was fried by an electrical surge. Yeah... it was a bit of trouble. But, after I paid a $500 deductible Tower Hill coughed up almost $6000!
We unplug now!
[By the way... Tower Hill recommendation: We also got hit by Hurricane Sally September 2020. Our 22-year old house had very slight damage-- a few shingles loose and no breach of water into the house. But Tower Hill VOLUNTEERED to buy us a new roof, gutters on house and our outside shed. This was almost $30,000, but our cost was only a $500 deductible. I know insurance companies get a lot of DESERVED bad press. But for what it’s worth, we’ve found at least one that has been good to us]
