Lightning strikes

[JCSB]

Took a major lightning strike last Friday. Took out my irrigation controller, pool computer controller, and my gate transmitter. Kicked out all the GFCI's too. Everything on a surge protector made it though ok! So, I was wondering what might have happened if I was trickle charging the battery and took a hit. Could it take out the electronics in the car? Maybe I should keep the charger on a surge protector. Any thoughts?

John

 

[JCSB]

So, no one has any ideas on this?:confused

John

 

[Shadowman]

Took a major lightning strike last Friday. Took out my irrigation controller, pool computer controller, and my gate transmitter. Kicked out all the GFCI's too. Everything on a surge protector made it though ok! So, I was wondering what might have happened if I was trickle charging the battery and took a hit. Could it take out the electronics in the car? Maybe I should keep the charger on a surge protector. Any thoughts?

John

John

As for the OEM trickle charger; I would not trust it however if you were to have your gal on a Battery Tender brand then IMO your gal would have remained just fine.

Takes care

Shadowman

 

[JCSB]

John

As for the OEM trickle charger; I would not trust it however if you were to have your gal on a Battery Tender brand then IMO your gal would have remained just fine.

Takes care

Shadowman

It is on a battery tender. I just can't believe I lost so much stuff. Just thought what would happen if hooked up with the battery tender?

John

 

[Empty Pockets]

It is on a battery tender. I just can't believe I lost so much stuff. Just thought what would happen if hooked up with the battery tender?

John

Rather than allow "Murphy" to even get the CHANCE to triumph here, why don't you go with your origional thought and just plug in a surge protector? Then, no matter WHAT - you've done all you can. :thumbsup :cheers

 

[JCSB]

Rather than allow "Murphy" to even get the CHANCE to triumph here, why don't you go with your origional thought and just plug in a surge protector? Then, no matter WHAT - you've done all you can. :thumbsup :cheers

Yep, that's what I'm going to do. But I've decided I will go out to the garagemahal the next time there is a storm and do the "it's alive".:rofl

John

 

[Specracer]

Replace ALL of your surge protectors. Unless you have something exotic, most all surge protectors use MOV's that are in parallel. They take the hit, but the only take it once. Unless you have a more expensive unit, that tells you that the MOV's are dead, you will never know....

Also when you look at lighting and how it "works", basically what happens is all the current wants to do is get to ground. So when the hit happens (your house) it is looking to get into the ground, ASAP, so it gets into the power lines, and runs (gate, etc) and runs eventually to ground, the problem is that to get to ground, it has to run through the circuits of the different devises, and needless to say, printed circuits just can not flow the current of lighting.

I bet the car is AOK.

 

[JCSB]

Replace ALL of your surge protectors. Unless you have something exotic, most all surge protectors use MOV's that are in parallel. They take the hit, but the only take it once. Unless you have a more expensive unit, that tells you that the MOV's are dead, you will never know....

Also when you look at lighting and how it "works", basically what happens is all the current wants to do is get to ground. So when the hit happens (your house) it is looking to get into the ground, ASAP, so it gets into the power lines, and runs (gate, etc) and runs eventually to ground, the problem is that to get to ground, it has to run through the circuits of the different devises, and needless to say, printed circuits just can not flow the current of lighting.

I bet the car is AOK.

All my surge protectors have indicators on them. I have alot of expensive audio and video equipment and I prefer not to take a chance. Looks like I've overlooked these things though. :frown

John

 

[MAD IN NC]

Even though you have surge protectors lightning is invented by Murphy himself. No telling what happened if it gets on the inside wiring, coax or phone lines. If it did, damage can appear for some time as most of todays transformer less power supplies will break down - but you might have got lucky.

Nobody can predict the total damage, only design to protect to a known level of disturbance economically. So who knows - just make sure you insurance company knows of the incident incase the big screen multi media system goes out two months from now.... I'm just speaking from experience in the telecom sector and seeing weird lightning shit over the last 25 yrs. in the outside plant, business systems and residences.....

 

[Empty Pockets]

So who knows - just make sure you insurance company knows of the incident...

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...I dunno about that, Mike. I reported "possible" damage to my ins agent once (not about lightning though) AND MY "CLAIM RECORD" WAS CHARGED A CLAIM AGAINST IT even though there was no written claim for damages ever made and the company, obviously, never paid out a dime.

I'd do some thinkin' about doing that...

 

[FB GT40]

Protection

I live in a lightning prone area. In the past year I have lost 2 x 65 inch flat screens, a printer, a computer. Most of the surge protectors won't stop a heavy lightning hit. I thought I was protected - but still lost lots of stuff. Even had a strike come through the cable, into the modem and trash the mother board. Had a hit that came through the kitchen window hit the fridge (stainless) and jump to the stove. (also stainless). Fortunately Sue was in the livingroom and not the kitchen. There are companies that specialize in whole house protection (UL rated) and proper grounding. I'll be doing it soon. Around $10k for the garage and house. This is dangerous stuff and should be treated accordingly. :ack

 

[MAD IN NC]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...I dunno about that, Mike. I reported "possible" damage to my ins agent once (not about lightning though) AND MY "CLAIM RECORD" WAS CHARGED A CLAIM AGAINST IT even though there was no written claim for damages ever made and the company, obviously, never paid out a dime.

I'd do some thinkin' about doing that...

If I lost even a garage opener - I would open a claim.... The deterioration will continue thats a known fact.... Sounds like you have a crappy insurance company also or the good hands dropped ya,,,,,,, :lol

 

[JCSB]

I live in a lightning prone area. In the past year I have lost 2 x 65 inch flat screens, a printer, a computer. Most of the surge protectors won't stop a heavy lightning hit. I thought I was protected - but still lost lots of stuff. Even had a strike come through the cable, into the modem and trash the mother board. Had a hit that came through the kitchen window hit the fridge (stainless) and jump to the stove. (also stainless). Fortunately Sue was in the livingroom and not the kitchen. There are companies that specialize in whole house protection (UL rated) and proper grounding. I'll be doing it soon. Around $10k for the garage and house. This is dangerous stuff and should be treated accordingly. :ack

Sheeeeze and I thought I had it bad! Sounds like a battle zone to me. Good luck and if I'm ever in the area I'll be sure to take off my watch and belt. :biggrin

John

 

[RALPHIE]

Don't they make and install Lightning Rods anymore? On my grandfather's farm in Ohio, there were multiple rods on all the buildings, and during particularly high electrical storms, we'd sit on the porch and watch the flashes drawn to them. They always drew the flashes, and had heavy braided cables to grounded stakes. I never recall hearing about any electrical damage. I always thought Ben Franklin was a pretty good inventor. I think the barn had 6 rods on top.

 

[fjpikul]

Perhaps your house itself isn't grounded. I personally sank two 15 foot copper rods on each side of my house. You can buy them at any big hardware store. You'll need a hose to make the ground soft (even down to 15 feet) and a hammer or small sledge.

 

[MAD IN NC]

So here's the future risk. Many newer homes have the "yellow" flex gas pipe. I know I do in mine but the connectors to the gas main are polypropylene or like material meaning you don't have a "earth grounded" gas pipe.

If and when lighting hits - problems. Bigger homes out east have two/ three zones and it's usually the one in the attack that feeds the upper level to the house that "ignites" and burns down the house when lightning hits...........

Found this out a week or two ago and am having my gas line "grounded".

 

[JCSB]

House grounded so no problems there. The ac is underground so I didn't take a direct hit but one at the pole feeding the underground ac.

John

 

[Spirit]

Perhaps your house itself isn't grounded. I personally sank two 15 foot copper rods on each side of my house. You can buy them at any big hardware store. You'll need a hose to make the ground soft (even down to 15 feet) and a hammer or small sledge.

Sink copper rods 15 feet into the ground?

You got to be kidding - No Way - Solid Rock here.

Holy Crap - Todd would have to come down and do some MAJOR blasting to get 'em in.:ack

Lightning strikes? Yep, have had just about every electronic device blown at least once over the past 20+ years.

Gate opening system and Door King Intercom system been hit 4 times up at the road - it gets real interesting when you get trapped in or out of your own place.

Yes, I got surge protectors, but it’s Texas, and when we get lightning, WE GET LIGHTNING.:eek

House got hit a few years back. Blew a hole in the rock up on the tower just below the roof eve. That was a kinda interesting experience.


Unplug, sit on the porch, watch the light show.:cheers