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| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 226 responses total. |
jep
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response 150 of 226:
| 
May 9 16:41 UTC 2002 |
Hey, what timing, I'm in the short question item just when I have a
short question.
Is a person in any extra danger from watching a TV or using a computer
during an electrical storm?
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remmers
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response 151 of 226:
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May 9 16:41 UTC 2002 |
Re #149: Don't forget to have a designated driver.
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johnnie
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response 152 of 226:
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May 9 17:29 UTC 2002 |
re 150: According to FEMA, "Do not handle any electrical equipment or
telephones (during a thunderstorm) because lightning could follow the
wire. Television sets are particularly dangerous at this time."
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slynne
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response 153 of 226:
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May 9 17:41 UTC 2002 |
In other words, it is ok to talk on the cordless phone and change the
channel with the remote!
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rcurl
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response 154 of 226:
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May 9 18:12 UTC 2002 |
Add computers to #152 (and cordless mice to #153).
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keesan
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response 155 of 226:
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May 9 18:37 UTC 2002 |
My modem once got burnt out while it was in use during a lightning storm, as
did my neighbor's answering machine (mine did not, it was a better one). The
modem needed a diode replaced, and US Robotics sent us two for free! It is
probably best not to use electronic telephone equipment during storms.
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gull
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response 156 of 226:
|
May 9 19:48 UTC 2002 |
I'm not sure why TVs are considered 'particularly dangerous'. I've
heard rumors that they sometimes explode when they take a lightning
surge, but I'm not sure why that'd be true.
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rcurl
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response 157 of 226:
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May 9 19:54 UTC 2002 |
Heat shock to the tube.
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oval
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response 158 of 226:
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May 9 22:06 UTC 2002 |
i unplug my modem during storms. i've known many people who've had their
modems blown. i take my chances with tv or phone.
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other
|
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response 159 of 226:
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May 9 23:03 UTC 2002 |
I will never fear using my computer during a storm. Of course, I have a
laptop with a wireless net connection...
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jmsaul
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response 160 of 226:
|
May 10 03:52 UTC 2002 |
Telephones have wires? Wait...
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mdw
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response 161 of 226:
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May 10 06:50 UTC 2002 |
All modern TV's have incredibly thick glass on the front. If they were
to "implode" (it's not an explosion, technically), about the safest
place you could be, most likely, is in front of the tube.
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gull
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response 162 of 226:
|
May 10 13:34 UTC 2002 |
I used to run around unplugging everything during storms, but in Michigan
some times of year that happens three or four times a *week*, and it gets
annoying fast. Now I use surge supressors on the power, phone, and cable TV
lines, but don't bother to unplug stuff. If there's ever a direct hit to a
nearby power or phone line some of my equipment will probably get cooked,
but that's a pretty rare event.
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slynne
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response 163 of 226:
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May 12 13:59 UTC 2002 |
I know, I dont have time to go around unplugging stuff every time there
is an electrical storm. Sheesh!
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void
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response 164 of 226:
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May 14 17:50 UTC 2002 |
I unplug my computer, printer, and cable modem during thunderstorms.
Surge suppressors won't stop the surge from a direct lightning hit to
the power line.
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slynne
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response 165 of 226:
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May 14 18:21 UTC 2002 |
I am pretty sure that my homeowners insurance would cover any damage
caused by a lightning hit but even if they dont, I think the risk of a
direct lightning hit is low enough that it isnt worth the bother to me
of unplugging a bunch of stuff.
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gull
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response 166 of 226:
|
May 14 18:27 UTC 2002 |
I guess for me it just got too complicated. Even if I unplug all that
stuff, I'd have to also unplug my stereo and VCR, since they're connected to
the computer as well. Plus I got sick of having to re-enter the channel
information in the VCR and reset the VCR and stereo clocks every time.
Power line hits aren't that common, and if one does happen I don't want to
be grabbing hold of a plug when it does. ;) I only know one person who had
a power line lightning strike damage equipment, and they were out in the
country. It hit their pole transformer and took out their answering machine
and VCR, and welded some light bulbs into their sockets out in the barn.
Their TV, oddly enough, was undamaged, and they're still using it.
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jp2
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response 167 of 226:
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May 14 19:07 UTC 2002 |
This response has been erased.
|
i
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response 168 of 226:
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May 14 23:59 UTC 2002 |
...or that the EM pulse of a nearby hit fries everything because the
circuits can't take that kind of power from their antennas.
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jp2
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response 169 of 226:
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May 15 00:05 UTC 2002 |
This response has been erased.
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scott
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response 170 of 226:
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May 15 03:03 UTC 2002 |
I don't worry about unplugging stuff during a storm. How much to unplug,
anyway? At my old office we had a very close lightning strike a couple
summers ago, and there was a fair amount of damage in network cards and
hubs... the strike was close enough to induce damaging currents in the network
cables!
At home I live in a metal house. Moo. ;)
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slynne
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response 171 of 226:
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May 15 14:21 UTC 2002 |
I used to live in a metal house and I never was sure what that would
mean during a storm. I avoided touching the walls during storms.
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keesan
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response 172 of 226:
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May 15 14:22 UTC 2002 |
Probably any lightning that struck would have gone straight through the walls
to ground, as they are a better conductor than you are. Current wiring codes
call for two separate grounds to the meter box (or is it the breaker panel?)
neither of which can be a wire hooked to the copper plumbing (which people
might remove by accident).
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aruba
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response 173 of 226:
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May 15 14:33 UTC 2002 |
A metal house should act as a Faraday cage and protect everything inside it
from a lightning strike.
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rcurl
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response 174 of 226:
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May 15 15:24 UTC 2002 |
I live in an aluminum sided home. I find this is a very imperfect
Faraday cage. It is, of course, punctured by windows and some doors,
and the roof is open (to EMR). Radio reception is generally possible
throughout the house, although there are 'hot' and 'cold' spots. One
important factor is that the siding is not intentionally grounded, and
probably makes imperfect contact between strips.
http://www.roberts.ezpublishing.com/croberts/light.htm has some views
of (alleged) lightning damage to parts of houses, including to aluminum
siding.
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