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People who are trying to protect themselves and their families from the dangers of EMF are often shocked and horrified to learn that this radiation also exists due to power lines.
Unfortunately, power lines are fairly ubiquitous, so blocking their radiation as quickly and efficiently as possible is important.
Today, we’ll discuss how to block EMF radiation from nearby power lines, so you can reduce its effects on your family.
EMF Levels Near Power Lines
The upsetting fact about electric and magnetic fields produced by power lines is that it’s produced by both larger transmission lines (that span huge distances across the country) AND local lines.
These local lines wind their way through neighborhoods and across cities, taking power to everyone but also exposing everyone to dangerous EMF in the process.
Yay for modern conveniences, right?
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Still, the high voltage transmission lines (the ones connected to metal towers) put out the strongest magnetic fields.
As for local lines (ones mounted to wooden poles), the greatest exposure is to homes near a transformer box as it’s the hub that all the power lines in that neighborhood or street connect to.
Unfortunately, the magnetic fields that power lines produce can’t be completely blocked and shielding a family from these damaging fields can be expensive.
But there’s still some good news:
There are steps you can take and options homeowners have to shield their families and protect themselves – without breaking the bank.
Figure Out the Strength of the EMF
The first step?
Determine the strength of the field.
Knowing what you’re dealing with makes it possible to correctly address the problem efficiently and in a cost-effective way.
Hiring a professional to measure the field is the best way to determine how bad the problem really is.
Simply seeing the distance from the line isn’t enough as some wires may be close to a home but have a very low voltage, making them safer.
Other lines, on the other hand, may be farther away but have a high voltage, making them much more dangerous.
If you’re experienced with using a gaussmeter, you can certainly measure it yourself.
Check out our complete, easy to follow guide for how to take measurements.
Now on to the good stuff…
6 Ways to Block EMF from Power Lines
1. Use EMF Paint
A fast way to protect against radiation from power lines is through the use of EMF-protective paints.
These paints, when applied to the house, do a wonderful job of blocking any electromagnetic fields that come from multiple sources, including power lines.
The great thing about this paint is that it can even block low-frequency EMF.
Since the paint is black, you would use it like a primer and paint over it in your color of choice.
Homes that are in areas with very high levels of EMF might need two coats to ensure maximum protection.
NOTE: If you go this route, it is VERY important that you do not put any EMF-emitting devices in rooms that are painted, as the fields would essential be “trapped” in the room. For this reason, I think EMF paint is best for shielding bedrooms only.
2. Do Some Landscaping
Adding bushes and trees to the property around a home not only boosts curb appeal, but it can also help reduce the impact of EMF from power lines.
Trees certainly don’t block EMF, but since radiation weakens as it passes through objects, the “shield” of limbs, trunks, and leaves can reduce its impact before it reaches your home.
Sappy trees, such as pine and cherry, are much more effective at decreasing both lower and higher field levels, making them the best choice to plant around a home.
While deciduous trees look great and do a wonderful job shielding EMF during the spring and summer, they lose their leaves in the winter, so they’re not a great year-round option.
3. Invest in Wire Mesh
While EMF paint is great, it can’t be added to windows, which are weak spots when it comes to EMF defense.
So what’s a homeowner to do?
Use wire mesh frames, of course.
They attach to the outside of the window and can easily reduce the amount of EMF that enters your home.
For best results, it’s important to look for 6mm wire mesh or something like this:
The only problem is it can block a lot of natural light. If that bothers you, you can use a slightly larger mesh like this one that allows more natural light to pass through.
4. Consider Your Home’s Appliances
Every home has multiple appliances but not all of them are the best or safest option to use around a family.
In fact, there are some appliances that not only allow EMF from local power lines to enter your home more freely, but some even create their own EMF as well.
Appliances that have grounded extension cords or shielded power cords do a great job reducing EMF.
It’s also a good idea to consider appliances that have a modern switched-mode, which helps prevent exterior EMFs from entering your home.
5. Bury Power Lines
While this is a great way to reduce EMF from power lines, it’s obviously not something you can do by yourself, so it’s a bit harder to accomplish.
However, due to the great results that people have, it’s an option to consider. Earthing power lines causes the electrical fields they produce to be absorbed by the earth.
This means that any EMF that escapes and exits the earth will be greatly reduced.
Since this option can be expensive and difficult, homeowners should contact their electric companies or city officials to see if it’s an option. If they dismiss the idea, you might want to gather some data to present and get a petition going to help nudge them in the right direction.
6. Consider Your Diet
While this is not a substitute for more proactive ways to stop or deal with EMF from overhead power lines, families need to consider their diets when they’re exposed to EMF.
Consuming certain nutrients can help negate the dangers of exposure. Working with a professional nutritional therapist is key for achieving the best results.
But some of the most effective nutrients to mitigate the effects of radiation include:
- magnesium
- calcium
- whole food vitamin C (not just ascorbic acid)
- zinc
- selenium
- chlorella
- Proanthocyanadins
Dealing with EMF from power lines can be very scary but facing the problem head on is the best way to ensure your family is as safe as possible.
Since EMF can extend a long way from power lines, it’s not enough to assume that distance will keep you protected. Always measure and get a concrete number to see what you’re dealing with.
Maybe it’s not as bad as you think…
But if it is, there are things you can do about it as discussed today. Start with the easiest – like maybe painting the room(s) closest to the lines or mounting window mesh – and work your way up to the more difficult solutions.
Read more about the risks of living near power lines here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to live next to power lines?
Several studies have shown that living next to power stations, high voltage power lines, and cell towers can increase your risk for developing certain cancers, so my opinion is no.
Do trees block EMF?
No, but they do reduce its impact as it passes through the leaves and limbs.
Do large power lines give off radiation?
Yes, they emit low to mid-frequency EMFs.
Does burying power lines reduce EMF?
If a house were to be built directly above underground cables, then no, your exposure level would still be tremendous. However, I’m pretty sure there are laws that dictate how far a home has to be away from underground power lines. Burying power lines does reduce the range of its EMF field, so theoretically yes, it would decrease how much EMF reaches your home.
Certified EMF Expert, Chief Editor & Researcher at Beat EMF. I’m in charge of testing all the products and sorting through the duds to deliver effective EMF solutions for your family. Learn more about me here.
Hi Jordan,
The drop line from the main power lines comes in at a location on the side of my house where it’s maybe 3 feet from where I sleep. This is where the box with the smart meter is located. My questions are:
1) Do the wires coming in and out of the box produce any harmful EMF’s ?
2) I know the smart meter ir a horrible offender and I am getting a faraday cage to surround it. Is that the only measure I should take?
Thanks, Robert
Hi Robert,
To answer your questions:
1. Yes, you’re going to be dealing with a magnetic field issue.
2. If your smart meter is located only 3 feet away from your bed (on exterior side), you’ll need to shield inside as well. The simplest solution (that looks nice, considering it’s your bedroom) would be to hang a shielded poster frame like this one over the area opposite where meter is located.
Hi Jordan,
I have a similar but slightly different questions. The drop line from the main power lines comes in at a location on the side of my house where my bed is. Our bedroom is above the garage and that is where the electric box is. My questions are:
1) Does the electric service drop produce dangerous emf for me and my kids?
2) are there any measure I should take besides moving my bed?
Hi Penny,
1 – Yes, but your actual exposure from it will depend on how far your beds are from that area and type of line.
2 – I can’t answer that sufficiently without knowing how far your beds are from the source and the exact type of power line it is.
I suggest getting an EMF meter (this is the one I recommend) to see if you’re within safe exposure levels. But definitely go ahead and move your bed to the farthest wall. That’s the minimum you’d do. Whether or not more shielding is necessary will be determined by your measurements.
Hello, we are interested in purchasing a new home that is next to a SoCal Edison easement. There are high voltage power lines running adjacent to the new home. What level EMF reading is a safe level?
Hi Manny,
I’ve had clients along the Edison easement, and I wouldn’t buy a house anywhere near there (just my 2 cents).
As for your question, you primarily want to look at magnetic field readings, and you want them below 1 mG throughout the house and below 0.3 mG in any sleeping areas.
HI Jordan, I have become sensitive to EMF’s. We had a building biologist into our home and have mitigated for Radio ( WIFI, etc) We have large Power Lines behind our home and measuring anywhere from 100 to 285 in a day. I was hoping we might redo our back stucco and put G_Iron Flex behind it but one of the engineers said the fields will find their way around the home- we are attached to another home so wondering if it might reduce it a bit? I know trees help and we have a few but it’s hard to get trees to grow 20 feet quickly. Any suggestions? Thanks
Great read, thank you! My apartment in puerto vallarta has some medium tension transmission lines that sit atop a concrete pole running about 5 meters from the side of our house, (also the side of the bedroom) strangely enough my desk is about 12 meters from those lines and I feel the sensation of restricted breathing and pressure in the chest. That side of the house is glass so there is little we can do to screen the emf. I have a low frequency reader on the way… just curious what you would do in my shoes?
Mexico has poor to no regulations. I know Vallarta and lived there.
If you feel it get away.
I have a substation behind my block of land and to the left towers. They are approximately 326 metres away . The EMF tested are .01 and 0.2 I have been told they are a safe level I am almost ready to build not sure what to do now ?
Hi Shelley,
What unit of measurement is the .01 and 0.2 in?
I got sent photos it has a u kind of shape then a T
Say 1 UT = 10mG
Hope that makes sense
1 u T =10 mG is what it says on the metre in the photos
It’s a funny shape u if that makes sense ?
Call the power company and they will tell you the levels.
Hi Jordan, Stumbled into your site and what incredible info! I’m a nutrition researcher and your info is helpful. Two things…There is a small transformer about 30 feet from my bedroom wall and about 40 feet from my bed. It powers my house and my neighbors because I’m in a rural area. What would be your shielding recommendations? Blocking paint, could I put the Naturelle Shielding cloth as sheers over the windows as well?. I can easily turn off the breaker switch at night to this bedroom and adjacent bedrooms. Second thing…When will your nutrition guide be published.
This site is garbage to sell stuff.
Hi
Jordan .thank you for such a wonderful information.
I have a question how much distance should petrol/diesel fuel station should be there from high voltage wire lines?
Hi
We have a reading of 0.5 micro tesla in the front of the property and 0.3 micro Tesla on the back side of the property. We plan to plant some trees on the front side to limit the exposure to power lines of 110 kv.
Any more suggestions?
Hi! Great article! I’m in the process of purchasing a property with a range of EF value 50-150 V/M in the yard. (Inside home readings are ok). Should I be concerned about EF readings are they potential health hazards or mainly EMF?
Hi we moved into a rental that has the tower next door. So the house is on one piece of land, next door is vacant and was used as a massive veggie patch and fruit trees. Would we feel tinkling in our feet and legs, perhaps the electricity running thru the ground? Hope this makes sense. In vic and the weather is quite cold in the suburbs. We did live closer to the city. Or is it just us not being used to the different weather out in the burbs?
Very informative article. Can you tell me how much it would cost to ground a power pole? Our private school is installing a couple of portable classrooms very close to 2 power poles. Is it something power companies routinely do?
Thank you
Hi, Could you say how far is a desirable distance for a bedroom from overhead 20000 V power lines?
Many thanks
Julian
Electronic engineers are EMF licensed experts that know all about it and have told us that all what is on this site is there to sell. Your ideas about EMF are incorrect. The EMF certificates are garbage that anyone can get.
Hi Jordan, there are power lines buried approximately 50 feet from my house (a bungalow) along two sides (the house sits on a corner lot). I’m experiencing a humming sound and what feels like vibrations on my feet throughout the house. Would you suspect electromagnetic fields and if so, how could I measure that field. Also, how would I find the legal requirement that states the required distance a buried line should be away from my house here in Ontario, Canada.
Thank you, Vic.
Do any companies have any products to cancel EMF from power lines?
Hi Jordan,
We already did several testings in our home. Do you offer phone consultations?
Thank you,
Diego
Hi, is there any material I could buy for my kids to use a powerwheels car? The EMF is off the charge, it’s not RF but EMF from the battery motor. I tried putting aluminum foil around the engine and it did nothing. Thank you!
Sorry I meant to say off the charts not charge.