T.V. toast? Lightning struck...

[Joe Tonich]

a tree about 70 yards from my house the other night.Travelled down the tree into the gas shutoff and into a neighbors house. He said flames shot out of every heat register.... the furnace and everything electrical in his house is toast. http://joetonich.forumup.us/images/smiles/icon_sad.gif

Since it struck every TV and comp. monitor that was shut off in mine and another neighbor's house has the color all messed up. Green and Red at the bottom but ok at the top mostly. Are our screens toast or will the color come back right after a lil' while? Can't figure out why the ones that were on work OK but the ones shut off don't. http://joetonich.forumup.us/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif http://joetonich.forumup.us/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif

Anybody know?

[Jim Becker]

Joe...lighting can jump a switch in a micro-second. Unless it's unplugged, it's really not "shut off" relative to lightning! If your CRTs are working, but discolored, a good degaussing may fix them. (usually automatic, but you may need professional help for this time)

[Ken Garlock]

Joe, you have learned firsthand that you cannot stop lightning, it does what it wants and then some.:eek:

It sounds like you are in need of a trip to the TV repair shop, or at minimum, a service call. Even if your TV was turned off, it was still on so that the remote control would function to turn-on the rest of the TV. Hence, you had a direct connection to the power line, and you can be guaranteed that you had a notable power surge.

IF it is a Sony, fix it, otherwise buy a replacement.:)

[Mark Rios]

I love technology and nice electronic stuff so what lightning can do to that kind of stuff scares me. That's why I have anything electronic that I care about connected through a surge protected, line conditioned UPS. I've got two in the house. They cost about $100 each and, IMHO worth every penny for insurance on thousands in electronics.

[Ken Garlock]

I love technology and nice electronic stuff so what lightning can do to that kind of stuff scares me. That's why I have anything electronic that I care about connected through a surge protected, line conditioned UPS. I've got two in the house. They cost about $100 each and, IMHO worth every penny for insurance on thousands in electronics.

Mark, that is a good start, but lightning wouldn't even notice your protection. You are dealing with millions of volts at thousands of amperes when dealing with lightning. What you have is good for the standard line surges that everyone gets, and it provides reasonably good protection. The only safe way to prevent damage to any electrical equipment is to disconnect it from the power line by unplugging and putting the plug as far away from the outlet as you can. Remember, the lightning has already traveled a couple miles down from clouds, and another foot or two arc is nothing.

Simply put, if the lightning has your address, there is little you can do. Or, you could install a urinal, nobody ever hits them.:D

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Lightening is weird stuff. It is the source of many so called religious experiences what with it's ability to ball up and roll around and even go POOF at your feet.

I lost a TV when the cable got hit from over a hundred yards away. It was totally toast. Now I have a series of grounded overload protectors but I know bloody well that unless the box is unpluuged there ain't nothing I can do for any amount of $$ I'm bringing to the table that will, of a certainty, shed a lightning strike.

[Mark Rios]

Mark, that is a good start, but lightning wouldn't even notice your protection. You are dealing with millions of volts at thousands of amperes when dealing with lightning. What you have is good for the standard line surges that everyone gets, and it provides reasonably good protection. The only safe way to prevent damage to any electrical equipment is to disconnect it from the power line by unplugging and putting the plug as far away from the outlet as you can. Remember, the lightning has already traveled a couple miles down from clouds, and another foot or two arc is nothing.

Simply put, if the lightning has your address, there is little you can do. Or, you could install a urinal, nobody ever hits them.:D


Well, I originally bought the UPS/line conditioners so that the computers and stuff could have a clean, even power supply and I thought that the lightning protection was a nice bonus. Oh well......looks like I better start pounding those lightning rods into the ground. :D :D