Lightning Damage? After Hours Electrician Near Me: 6 Checks After a Storm
Lightning damage does not always look like a scorched roof. After a Perth spring storm, it can be as quiet as a dead modem and a fridge that will not restart, or as serious as a switchboard that has arced. Here are six checks for lightning damage, and when to search after hours electrician near me rather than wait.
1. Check the switchboard first
Go to the board and look before you touch. Tripped breakers or safety switches are common after a strike nearby. Scorch marks, a burning smell, melted plastic or a warm board are lightning damage of a different order, and the answer there is not to reset anything but to keep clear and call.
2. Do not reset a scorched board
If the board shows any heat damage, resetting the switches can re-energise a damaged connection. Lightning damage inside a switchboard is one of the situations where an after hours electrician near me is genuinely warranted, because the fault sits at the heart of the installation.
3. Count what stopped working
Walk the house and note what is dead: the modem, the television, the oven clock, the aircon, the garage door. A single dead appliance is probably that appliance. Several dead at once across the house points to a surge through the installation, which is lightning damage worth having checked.
4. Unplug sensitive electronics
If the storm is still going, unplugging computers, televisions and chargers is cheap insurance against a second strike. Power boards with surge protection help, but they are sacrificial and may already have done their job, which is why lightning damage often takes out the second wave of devices.
5. Smell and listen
A fishy or burning smell anywhere in the house after a storm, or buzzing from an outlet or the board, means lightning damage has left something overheating. Switch that circuit off if you can identify it and treat it as urgent rather than waiting to see whether it settles.
6. Check whether neighbours are affected
If the whole street is out, the network is the issue and Western Power handles it. If your house is the only one dark, or the only one with dead appliances, the lightning damage is on your side of the meter, and that is what an electrician attends to.
Photograph everything for insurance
Damaged appliances, scorch marks and the board itself are all worth photographing from a safe distance before anything is repaired. Insurers deal with storm claims constantly, and clear photos plus an electrician’s report make the process considerably smoother.
Do not assume the surge board saved everything
A surge-protected power board protects what is plugged into it, and only until it has absorbed a hit. Hardwired equipment, the oven, the aircon, the hot water system, has no such protection unless a device is fitted at the switchboard, which is worth considering after any strike.
Get the installation checked before trusting it
Even if everything seems to work, a strike can leave damaged insulation and weakened connections that fail weeks later. An electrician testing the installation after obvious lightning damage catches those before they become a fault at a less convenient time.
Storm season is the moment to prepare
Spring and early summer bring Perth’s storms. Knowing where the main switch is, keeping a torch by the board, and having an electrician’s number saved makes the next strike a manageable evening rather than a scramble.
Why use a licensed electrician
Assessing lightning damage means inspecting the board, testing circuits and confirming the installation is safe to re-energise, which is licensed work. The network side is Western Power; the installation side is a licensed after hours electrician near me.
Suspect lightning damage after a Perth storm?
Keep clear of a scorched board and call ACS Electrical, a 24/7 Emergency Electrician Perth and after hours electrician near me. Explore our surge protection for your home guide, understanding your switchboard guide or electrical maintenance and repairs service. Call 0419 967 838.
Professional electrical services for homes & businesses. We ensure safety & compliance.
Electrician Near Me
Emergency Electrician
Near Me Electrician
Book Your Electrician Now
Get A Free Electrical Quote
Switchboard Upgrades
Local electrician Perth WA
Same day service for homes and businesses call now
Joondalup, Wanneroo, Stirling, Balcatta, Carine, Beldon, Connolly, Edgewater, Currambine, Kingsley, Kinross, Chittering, Lancelin, BIndoon, Baldivis, Melville
Phone: 0419 967 838
Email: admin@acselec.com.au