When you read things on the internet, you really have to take them with a grain of salt. For example, microwaving your phone will not charge it. More alarmingly your microwave and phone might explode. The worldwide web is the most significant source of information ever created by humans. Unfortunately, it’s also the greatest source of disinformation ever created by humans as well. When I first heard that you could wrap a device in foil and it will shield it from EMFs I laughed. Then I stopped to think about it, and the theory is sound enough.
Will wrapping your electronics in aluminum foil protect against EMF? Yes, both aluminum mesh and foil will protect devices against most EMF radiation. The presence of a Faraday cage around a device will help protect it and block out signals. This includes signals you want to send and receive.
Why Foil
It’s ubiquitous enough. Foil can is everywhere. Grocery stores and even dollar stores carry it. In fact, you probably already have aluminum foil in your kitchen drawer. All Aluminum foil is thinly pressed sheets of ninety-two to ninety-nine percent pure aluminum. So what is it about this inexpensive household supply that stops electromagnetic fields in their tracks?
Is Aluminum Special
Looking at it, the thirteenth element, aluminum, isn’t rare or unique. Aluminum makes up about eight percent of the core of the Earth. Likewise, on the surface, it’s the most common metal. Overall it’s the third most common element. The only things there are more around us are silicon and oxygen.
What aluminum does have is corrosion resistance, incredible strength, and very little weight compared to other metals. The aluminum oxide on the surface of aluminum prevents rust from forming. Incredibly it’s almost as durable as steel, yet it only has about a third of the weight. Moreover, aluminum is reusable. This makes it incredibly versatile and cost-effective. In fact, about three-quarters of all aluminum ever produced is still in use.
There’s no such thing as pure aluminum in nature, possibly because it binds so easily with other elements. In short, there’s nothing special at all about aluminum. It’s as far from unique as anything can be.
How a Faraday Cage Protects Devices
Enclosing a device, person or anything really inside a solid layer or a mesh of either aluminum or copper will create a Faraday Cage. However, copper is far less cost-effective and less corrosion proof. The lovely turquoise-colored tarnish that old copper pipes or unsealed copper jewelry get is a problem. It might make a pretty picture, but it’s also damaging the metal.
The surrounding material conducts and distributes external charges. This, in turn, cancels any effect the charge might have inside the field. Faraday Cages are often used to protect sensitive equipment from electromagnetic interference like computer forensic tests. Alternately, you can use a Faraday cage to keep waves inside too.
The casing around a microwave oven is an excellent example of this. That mesh pattern in the window lets you watch food cook without getting hit by the microwaves. Microwaves are another example of electromagnetic radiation.
I Tried It
Full disclosure, I wrapped my cell phone in foil and had a friend call me. Nothing happened. I wanted to make certain that the technique works. I’m satisfied with the preliminary result. I expected the phone to ring. Though the science is sound, I still thought it might be a little too simple.
Using foil will block the waves. However, I’m concerned about larger applications. While DIY is fantastic and cost-effective, sometimes you need to go with the pros. I use Empshield to help keep my home and equipment safe from attacks. You should check them out when you’re ready to cover a larger area like your home or business.
Can It Fail
Sadly a faraday cage is far from perfect. The attenuation, blockage of the outside force, isn’t complete. Foil is better than mesh in this case. Because it’s solid, it disperses better. However, they both have limits. Waves, like radio waves a phone or walkie talkie might need to function, are impaired. Radio is a form of EMF radiation, but there are others.
The length of the waves can change the efficacy of the shield. The power of the transmission also matters. Additionally, proximity can be a problem. For example, near-field high-powered frequency transmissions might pass through. Hence, high-frequency RFID is likely to get past your makeshift foil faraday cage.
Recently studies have pointed to some alarming results. It seems that Faraday Cages don’t quite wok the way we thought. A mesh cage or one made of very thin foil may be much less effective than a solid or thicker one.
How To Protect Against EMF
EMF weapons or nuclear explosions in the atmosphere, which create EMF waves may be the future of warfare. The ability to damage an area without destroying the buildings and other resources is an advantage. People wouldn’t be able to communicate.
Moreover, people would be without essential services and technology. That leaves them vulnerable to attacks. Most alarmingly, there’s evidence that prolonged exposure to EMFs may cause cancer. How can you protect yourself and your property?
Take Steps To Protect What’s Yours
- Take aluminum foil and wrap up extra equipment and wires.
- Place things inside an aluminum trashcan with an aluminum lid.
- Get yourself a suit of EMF protective clothing. Workers who handle powerlines often wear these suits, but you can pick up EMF resistant fabric and make your own.
- If you want to protect your whole house contact the people at EMPshield.com. They can help you with making your entire home EMF proof.
The walls of a home have no integrated protection against EMF. Simply put, wood, nails, drywall, stone, or brick don’t protect you. Sure, they’ll keep out the elements, but that’s it. If there’s an attack in your area, the whole grid could go down.
Without adequate protection, there’s nothing you could do. All your electronics and even the wiring in your walls would be a toasted mess. You’d be out power and thousands of dollars in equipment.
What Does the Shielding Effect
There is a tradeoff of sorts when you shield your whole house. For example, some models of cell phone won’t work inside. However, you’ll be protected against most electric shocks. It may seem counter-intuitive to use metal to avoid shock, but it works. Plus it discourages EMFs in your home.
Some signals within your home may be amplified as well. You’ll want to test anything that has wires inside it to see what the exact effect is on your equipment. For example, a television remote could be effected. You may want a TV that has a backup set of buttons for power and channel changing.
You can use built-in equipment just fine. Additionally, you can use your battery-operated devices. Your battery-powered alarm clocks are fine, and light sockets are a perfect example of integrated technology. Your lights will still work as well.
Wifi & Faraday Cages
A wifi router may be affected by a faraday cage. Because it emits radio waves, some of these will be absorbed by the cage around it. Sadly, the signal won’t be as strong. I suggest you use a wired connection to help avoid this issue in an EMF protected home.
Heat
The other noteworthy effect of a faraday cage is the heat. The waves bouncing around may be absorbed, but they are converted into a small amount of heat energy. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It has to go somewhere. Putting in some extra fans or kicking up that ac unit a little bit more often may be necessary.
In winter, this can become an advantage. After all, extra ambient heat means less need for heaters. Simply running your devices normally might help keep your home a tiny bit warmer. How much heat depends on the energy being dissipated.
Obviously, if you have a hundred devices at home, it’s going to heat up more than if you’re a tech minimalist. Smarthome devices, extra computers, and having a large number of people who all use tech at home change how warm it gets inside. Most things won’t cause a huge or even noticeable effect. However, you may want to consider using less tech inside the house.
Final Thoughts
Is it worth going to all this trouble to protect your home and family from something like EMF? Of course, it is! Everyone has to make their own decision about what works for them. You can opt to have just one room where you keep duplicate equipment and parts. A basement is a great idea if you’re able to build from the ground up.
Remember how your parents told you to pick up every day? A little bit of tidying can save you a ton of trouble. You can store things inside a protected container when you aren’t using them. It’s a simple solution you can use daily. However, in the long run, you want to protect the whole house. Those with a separate bug out location should look at protecting both. Your home and your survival abode both need to be prepared.
Don’t risk your survival or your family’s health. Proper preparedness is about doing everything you can to ensure you make it through whatever life throws at you.