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pawelk1986
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09 Jun 2013, 1:55 pm

My mom ask me to turn-off computer because we have thunderstorm, that i can be struck be lighting trough computer :D
And computer maybe damaged.

When i tell her that she overacting, she tell me that she is electric by profession( thus shy work most of her career at office as logistic) I told my mom that our block had a lightning protection, so thunder storm can do not to us.



Thelibrarian
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09 Jun 2013, 2:07 pm

Your mother is right in the case of unplugging your computer before the thunderstorm arrives--both the power and the Internet line. I've lost two computers to lightning through my Internet line.



Sweetleaf
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09 Jun 2013, 3:16 pm

If the lightning gets too close I do I also unplug the internet box or whatever...its more interesting to watch the thunderstorm anyways.


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Spiderpig
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09 Jun 2013, 3:52 pm

It was more dangerous with CRTs.


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09 Jun 2013, 4:14 pm

"Lightning is a very d­angerous force that, yes, can even reach you indoors if you're in contact with the telephone or plumbing.
If lightning strikes the phone line outside your house, the strike will travel to every phone on the line -- and potentially to you if you are holding the phone. So, if you are indoors during a lightning storm, stay off the phone. If you must call someone, use a cordless or cell phone -- that way, you're not in contact with any wires that run outdoors.
Stay away from plumbing pipes like your bath tub or shower, as well. Lightning has the ability to strike a house or near a house and impart an electrical charge to the metal pipes used for plumbing. If you're touching those pipes or anything connected to those pipes, that electrical charge has a path to you. This threat is not as great as it used to be, because PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is often used for indoor plumbing these days. If you are not sure what your pipes are made of, wait it out.
:idea: And while you're at it, switch off your appliances and electronics before the storm hits. Such devices as your computer, television and air conditioner all provide potential pathways between the lightning and you."



TallyMan
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09 Jun 2013, 5:02 pm

One of my neighbours lost his TV and refrigerator due to a thunderstorm. I wouldn't rely on any so called building protection - unless they guarantee it works and will accept liability to replace your computer if it gets fried.

I had a narrow escape last year during a storm; the surge protector below my desk went WHACK and stopped my computer getting hit, thankfully, but normally when a storm approaches I unplug the power supply and modem. Lightning can be millions of volts and it doesn't play nicely with electrical circuits. I often pull the main breaker when a thunderstorm gets close, even if it means using candles for an hour or so. Better that than fried electrical / electronic appliances.

Besides, when thunderstorms are close, the power supply often blinks on and off and many appliances don't like that sort of behaviour. I lost a power supply unit on a desktop computer once when someone simply turned the power off then immediately back on again causing a surge. Flickering power supplies can cause similar surges in transformers and coils.

If in doubt, unplug all connections to the computer from outside.


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Thelibrarian
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09 Jun 2013, 5:12 pm

Spiderpig wrote:
It was more dangerous with CRTs.


I'm guessing CRT's getting taken out isn't that much of an issue anymore. But the first time I lost a computer to lightning, it blew my external speakers but didn't hurt anything else beside the computer itself. The second time I get hit, it took out my computer and external DVD drive, but nothing else.



Stargazer43
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09 Jun 2013, 5:48 pm

Wow, I never knew any of this. I always thought that if I had a surge protector everything in my house would be protected. Guess I'll live less dangerously next time a storm rolls in!



Spiderpig
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09 Jun 2013, 7:55 pm

Lightning isn’t very predictable.


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Thelibrarian
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09 Jun 2013, 8:11 pm

Spiderpig wrote:
Lightning isn’t very predictable.


It is deadly. Last year I had a big bull mesquite tree, almost two feet in diameter, and with wood harder than oak. It got hit by lightning and shattered into pieces suitable for the barbecue pit. It would've taken a big bulldozer probably twenty minutes to destroy that tree, and lightning did it in an instant.



Misslizard
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09 Jun 2013, 9:39 pm

I unplug everything.Lightning has zapped my modem twice.And since our phone co provides them you may have to wait for a new one.Usually because it has zapped everyone else's.
Lightning took out my hot water heater,several cordless phones,the weed eater charger and once when we were watching tv it shot a bolt of blue fire thru the DVR 8O The funny thing was it still worked but it took about five mnts to change a channel.It strikes so hard around here it rattles the windows in the house.The leftover storm from El Reno OK passed over here and I have never seen lightning like that.It was like the lights were on outside and someone flicked them off occasionally.If you are on a phone with a cord it can come thru the wires and zap you.


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MXH
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09 Jun 2013, 9:49 pm

E get thunderstorms daily so we got used to it, nothing is unplugged and whatnot



TallyMan
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10 Jun 2013, 2:16 am

MXH wrote:
E get thunderstorms daily so we got used to it, nothing is unplugged and whatnot


How dangerous lightning is to your appliances perhaps depends somewhat on how heavily populated the area where you live and exactly where in the distribution network a hit occurs. If a bolt of lightning hits a line supplying tens of thousands of homes then the surge is more likely to be dissipated than in rural areas where only a few houses take the full surge on their power line / phone line.


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zer0netgain
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10 Jun 2013, 7:29 am

Never had a problem in many years, but the risk is there. If a BAD thunderstorm starts, I will power off and disconnect the plug.

We also turn off the A/C as the surges from brownouts can burn out the compressor.



ruveyn
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10 Jun 2013, 9:09 am

Spiderpig wrote:
Lightning isn’t very predictable.


All the more reason to expect the worse.

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Max000
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10 Jun 2013, 3:09 pm

No, because we don't have thunderstorms in California. :mrgreen: At least any that need to be worried about.

It would probably be a good a idea though to disconnect the power cord and and modem wire during thunderstorms, just to be safe. Especially if you don't have a good serge protector.