The magnetic field that accompanies a bolt of lightning is very strong, and can induce voltage in runs of wire. If the voltage is larger than the device can withstand it fails. There are a number of ways to try and protect devices from the induced voltage, but even at $35 a pop it might not be worthwhile. The simplest fix that might work is to use twisted pair wire for the connection to the sensor. The twisting all by itself helps cancel out the magnetic coupling. Next would be shielded twisted pair. EMT would be even more shielding (but only if you use clamp connectors and NOT the set screw connectors). Depending on the design of the device and the voltage you may even be able to place a voltage clamp near the sensor. You need one that has a high enough voltage to not turn on from the regular operation, but turn on at a higher voltage that is still below the damage level.

camlan, good point about the huge MB and the tiny others. I know that we remodeled to add walk in closets, and now I keep all my clothes in there. I have an elfa drawer stack for undies and socks, and shelves for folded clothes that would have gone into drawers in another scenario. Yet I have an empty dresser and mirror in the room, since I need the surface for my jewelry box. And the room would look too empty without it. I do think that larger closets have changed what furniture is used for clothes storage. But I think bedrooms for adults have become more like student bedrooms with office/computer areas in them.

Arrange them in a way that pleases you - that's the only rule! And I'm another one who thinks whether or not you see "books on display" in someone's home isn't an indication of intelligence, education or whether they value books or not. I'm a librarian and you won't find books on display in my home. I do have a small bookcase in the kitchen which houses my favorite cookbooks. My husband has a study in the rear of the home which does have several bookcases. If you walked into my home you'd think we weren't readers - you wouldn't see his study and even my magazines are housed in a closet off the kitchen. And with the prevalence of Kindles and other types of readers fewer people are purchasing expensive hardbacks.

Hi KM Keenan! Thanks for your update! It sounds like you are a little further along then you alluded to in your first post, but you are nowhere near where I would want to be before tearing out my current kitchen! KD move faster.... chuckle... enough said there! I respectfully disagree tho regarding your comment about your "having a fairly set plan at this point". What exactly do you mean by you have 2 and one more cabinet bids on the way? Are these actual kitchen layouts with cabinets and appliances where you want them? Or is it approximately what someone thinks the price of cabinets for the size of your kitchen space will be? There is a huge difference between the answers to these questions. If it is the latter, then what you really have are some of the components to a kitchen in mind, but you haven't come to a decision as to how they all fit together. I am guessing that your appliances are in boxes somewhere? Do you have the specs or the dimensions and space needed for all of your components handy on your computer somewhere? I would check your cooktop and sink specs to make sure you have the right cabinets for those items. That is where yours truly ended up making some unexpected last minute changes to our design! Can you post a layout or a photo of the space so far, in a separate thread, so that we can all help you make this happen? There are so many people with talent and expertise on this website and I believe by doing that we can help you get past this feeling of "oh, ____" that you might be feeling right now. Whoops, electrical... what do you mean by "other electrical questions"?? Lighting is one of those catch 22 items. It is important but it is driven by where you place your cabinets and appliances respectively. It is easy to get distracted from including lighting into your plan. I know we did and I am scrambling to make that work in our design. The main thing I would focus on with electrical, is determine roughly where you think you want lighting and where are the respective light switches going to go? Your actual fixtures could be decided a little later if you feel that you have too much on your plate right now. And even those of us who are extremely methodical have days of where we wonder if we will ever sort thru all of this fast enough! Looking forward to seeing your space/layout pictures!