No. Skip the bath until the storm passes. When lightning strikes a house, the current follows metal paths already built into it, including the plumbing. Stay away from plumbing during a storm and wait 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before bathing, showering, or washing dishes.
The answer surprises people because a bathtub feels like the safest place in the house during bad weather. But the risk is not about the roof over your head. It is about what your tub is connected to. Our electricians run the wiring, our plumbers run the pipes, and across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, we see where the two systems meet.
Why Is a Bath During a Thunderstorm Dangerous?
A bath is dangerous during a thunderstorm because a lightning strike can energize conductive paths inside a home, and a person in a filled tub can simultaneously touch water, a metal drain, and metal fixtures.
According to the National Weather Service lightning safety guidance, “Lightning will travel through the wiring and plumbing if your building is struck.” The guidance plainly states, “Don’t take a bath or shower, or wash dishes during a storm.” A strike does not enter through one wire. It spreads along every available path: the service drop, the ground rod, the metal gas line, the coaxial cable, and the water pipe.
Staying Inside Is Still the Right Call
That agency calls fully enclosed buildings with wiring and plumbing the best shelter because those systems carry current into the earth rather than through you. Do not leave the house. Stop touching what carries it.
Are Plastic Pipes Safe During a Thunderstorm?
A plastic supply pipe reduces the risk but does not eliminate it. This claim is often wrong, which is why we push back when someone says their house is fine because it was repiped with PEX. Three things stay true in a plastic-piped home.
- Water conducts electricity. It carries dissolved minerals, and in a hard water area like ours, plenty of them.
- Almost no house is all plastic. Tub spouts, shower valves, drains, and water heater connections are metal, and older North Texas homes often have a mix.
- Metal pipe is intentionally tied to the electrical system. Where it exists, code requires it.
Why Bonded Metal Pipe Is Part of the Electrical System
Bonding is the practice of connecting metal parts of a building with a conductor so they stay at the same electrical potential. It is not the same thing as grounding, which connects the electrical system to the earth. Electricians treat them as separate jobs.
Section 250.104(A) of the National Electrical Code requires metal water piping systems installed in or attached to a building to be bonded to the service equipment enclosure, the grounded conductor at the service, the grounding electrode conductor, or the grounding electrodes.
Without that jumper, a fault could leave a metal pipe energized with nothing to clear it. During a strike, the same bond runs both directions. If your home has a metal water pipe and has never had its bonding and grounding verified by a licensed electrician, get that checked before storm season, not during it.
What Else Should You Avoid Indoors During a Storm?
Stay off anything hardwired to the outside world: plumbing, corded phones, and equipment plugged into a wall outlet. According to the CDC lightning safety FAQ, “Lightning can travel through plumbing. Avoid all water during a thunderstorm.”
Wait or Continue: Common Indoor Activities During a Thunderstorm
| Activity | Wait or continue | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bath or shower | Wait | Water, metal fixtures, and a bonded drain path |
| Washing dishes or hands | Wait | The CDC names both specifically |
| Dishwasher or washing machine | Wait | Plumbing plus a plugged-in appliance |
| Corded landline phone | Wait | The wire runs outside the building |
| Cell phone or cordless handset | Continue | Safe if not plugged into a charger |
| Laptop on battery | Continue | Unplugged, it carries no external path |
The Damage That Shows Up After the Storm
Most lightning-related losses in a home are not injuries but equipment failures that show up the next morning when something does not turn on. A power surge is a brief spike in voltage above what a circuit is designed to carry. Lightning is the most dramatic cause but not the only one: utility switching, transformer faults, and large motors cycling produce smaller surges that degrade electronics over months.
Texas addresses this in code. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has adopted the 2023 edition of the National Electrical Code statewide, effective September 1, 2023. Section 230.67 of that code requires services supplying dwelling units to be provided with a Type 1 or Type 2 surge protective device, including when an existing service is replaced.
What a Whole Home Surge Protector Does and Does Not Do
A whole home surge protective device is installed at or near the electrical panel and diverts excess voltage to ground before it reaches branch circuits. It can mean the difference between losing one device and losing the HVAC control board, the range, the garage door opener, and the router in one event.
Here is the limit because we want you to hear it from us rather than find out later. No residential surge device stops a direct strike to the structure. A properly sized unit clamps the more common indirect surges, including nearby strikes that ride in on the utility line. Pair it with point-of-use protection for sensitive electronics to create a layered system. If your panel is older or crowded, expect a panel upgrade to be part of the conversation.
A Surge Protection Install in the Dallas Fort Worth Area, Done Right
Eric Chui reached out about his breakers, which is how these calls usually start. Homeowners rarely call an electrician asking for surge protection by name. They call because they have watched one storm too many and want to know if the panel in the garage is protecting anything at all.
Our technician, Marco, inspected the panel, identified the issue, and explained the options, including what each would and would not resolve.
In Eric’s words:
“Marco from Top Tech was super professional. He diagnosed the issue and offered solutions. He was also really good at educating the consumer regarding the ins and outs of electrical needs. Installed surge protection for my breakers!”
The work finished with surge protection installed at his breakers. The next nearby strike or utility fault now meets a device built to absorb it. Read Eric’s full review on Google.
Your North Texas Storm Season Checklist
Complete this before the next line of storms, not during one.
- Confirm your metal water piping is bonded and your grounding electrode system is intact.
- Verify a Type 1 or Type 2 surge protective device is installed at the service.
- Add point-of-use protection for the TV, computer, and home office equipment.
- Know where your main breaker is and confirm it operates freely.
- If your home has a sump pump, test it and consider a battery backup, since storms can cut power and deliver water in the same hour. We handle sump pump repair.
- After a close strike, book an electrical inspection rather than waiting to see what fails.
- Set a rule in your house that the 30-minute clock starts at the last rumble of thunder, not the last flash you see. That habit covers the bath, dishes, shower, and corded phone without anyone having to think during the storm.
Why DFW Homeowners Call TopTech Electric and Plumbing
Storm damage does not respect the line between trades. A strike that takes out a panel can also damage the control board on a tankless water heater, leaving the homeowner to coordinate two contractors who blame each other. We hold both licenses, TECL #32286 for electrical and RMP #39714 for plumbing, so one company diagnoses the whole path from the service entrance to the fixture.
That matters most on the bonding question because checking if a metal water pipe is properly bonded means reading a panel and tracing a pipe, and most companies are licensed for only one of those.
Our technicians are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Homeowners who want that check on a schedule use our VIP maintenance plan, which includes an annual whole-house electrical safety inspection.
FAQs
Key Takeaways
- The National Weather Service states that “Lightning will travel through the wiring and plumbing if your building is struck” and specifically advises against taking a bath or shower, or washing dishes, during a storm.
- The CDC advises avoiding all water during a thunderstorm, including showering, bathing, washing dishes, and washing your hands, because lightning can travel through plumbing.
- Wait until 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before resuming bathing, showering, or dishwashing.
- Plastic supply pipe lowers but does not eliminate the risk, because water conducts, fixtures and drains are metal, and most homes contain a mix of materials.
- Section 250.104(A) of the National Electrical Code requires metal water piping systems in or attached to a building to be bonded to the service equipment enclosure, the grounded conductor at the service, the grounding electrode conductor, or the grounding electrodes.
- The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code statewide, effective September 1, 2023. Section 230.67 of that code requires a Type 1 or Type 2 surge protective device on services supplying dwelling units, including when an existing service is replaced.
- The National Weather Service reports roughly 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes annually in the United States, about 300 people struck each year, and about 30 deaths.
- Between 1995 and 2004, lightning in Texas was associated with 34 deaths, 184 injuries, and nearly 23 million dollars in estimated damage, according to the National Weather Service Fort Worth office.
Citations and References
- National Weather Service, Lightning Safety one-page guide. weather.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Frequently Asked Questions About Lightning. cdc.gov
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Electricians Compliance Guide, National Electrical Code 2023 Edition adoption. tdlr.texas.gov
- National Weather Service Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas Lightning statistics. weather.gov/fwd
- NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, 2023 edition, Sections 230.67 and 250.104(A), as adopted in Texas.
