What computer components or electronics have you lost due to electrical storms?

[Anubis]

nothing

same

 

[de8212]

Router (was literally smoking, I thought the house was on fire).
Motherboard (so I went ahead and rebuilt a whole new PC).
Cordless phone system.
Comcast DVR.
HDMI output on my Denon receiver.
HDMI Input on my Samsung LCD.


That was all within one hit.

 

[Wyndru]

Home: Before I had battery backup systems I lost a linksys router and an old 28k motorola modemsurfr.

Work: Last month we had a strange issue where a surge damaged an APC rack mounted UPS, then still managed to make it through and affect our cisco POE switch (only 1 of 5 switches in that closet). The strange thing is only 5 ports on the POE were damaged, and if you reload the switch they work fine again for a couple of days. Cisco is sending a replacement, but surges can do some strange things to equipment.

 

[westom]

In one month in 2001, I lost three modem surge suppressors and one modem when my computers were turned off.

Thereafter I learned my lesson, I disconnect from phone lines and power sources when I turn my computers off.

Your telco does the same disconnecting when every thunderstorm approaches? To protect their $multi-million switching computer. What? Your town has phone service during every thunderstorm? And they don't spend four days (no phone service) to replace that destroyed computer? How can that be?

Because telcos use 'whole house' protectors connected as short as possible to the only thing that does protection. Because telcos want protectors up to 50 meters separated from electronics. Separation is essential to making a protector more effective. And because telcos do not use plug-in protectors.

Plug-in protectors do not even claim protection in their numeric specs. Most will ignore this. Most will always believe advertising and hearsay from friends. Ignore facts. Rate quality by its price.

View protection numbers for a UPS? How does its hundreds of joules absorb surges that are hundreds of thousands of joules? It doesn't. They do not claim protection. They let a majority be manipulated by advertising and urban myths.

Either you have earthed a 'whole house' protector. Or only protection is that inside every appliance. All appliances have superior protection. Therefore a grossly undersized plug-in protector can fail on a surge too tiny to overwhelm protection already inside appliances. Many (who use observation without knowledge) then *know* a protector did all protection. Nonsense.

Best protection that works at an appliance is already inside appliances. Informed consumers must earth a rare and destructive surge that can overwhelm that protection. It occurs typically once every seven years. Protection means earthing, a 'whole house' protector, and about $1 per protected appliance. The best protection even used by every telco also costs that much less money.

Informed consumers need not power off or disconnect anything during a thunderstorm. How often does your telco disconnect during each thunderstorm? A solution proven by over 100 years of well proven science and experience is not widely advertised. Sold by much more responsible companies including Siemens, Intermatic, General Electric, ABB, Leviton, and Square D. An effective solution from Cutler-Hammer sells in Lowes and Home Depot for less than $50. Most of us are only educated by advertising. Therefore have plug-in protectors that do not even claim to provide protection. Foolishly assume nothing can protection from direct lightning strikes.

Nonsense. Read the spec numbers. A typical lightning strike is 20,000 amps. So a minimally sized 'whole house' protector (less than $50 in Lowes) is 50,000 amps. Direct lightning strikes must not even damage the protector. Real world protection has existed for over 100 years. Superior solutions locate a protector as short as possible (ie 'less than 10 feet') to single point earth ground. Increased separation between protector and appliances means increased protection. The superior soluton also costs tens or 100 times less money.

Most report no damage because protection inside all appliances is that good. Protection is even inside the furance, air conditioner, digital clocks, dimmer switches, and the dishwasher. Be concerned about a rare surge, maybe once every seven years, that can overwhelm that protection.

 

[MotionMan]

HP 4L Laserjet. The power kept going off and on, fried the board.

That printer was one of the best products I've ever owned. It was 16 years old and very cheap to use.

Those were probably the best series of printers ever.

I mourn your loss.

MotionMan

 

[Jeffg010]

56k modem in 97 or 98. It also blow out the auto garage door. I remember coming home from night turn and laying down on the couch to watch TV and the loudest boom I ever hear hit the house. I'm still kind of amazed that is all the got destroyed.

 

[Zedtom]

We had a lightning strike two weeks ago that took out a tree in my front yard. The power lines in our neighborhood are buried, but the electricity went off for a couple minutes. It knocked out our phone service and killed an answering machine and one phone.

There are five networked computers linked to a cable modem that had no damage. The tv's all survived. The phone service is a different line than the cable tv service.

 

[waggy]

a few diffrent modems over the years.
a TV
1 computer motherboard

all due to lightning over the years.

 

[MotionMan]

I've lost more electronics to earthquakes than lightening strikes.

MotionMan

 

[GeekDrew]

All kinds of stuff. A couple of TVs, at least one VCR, one computer, countless analog modems. That's just off the top of my head.

 

[Drekce]

I just had a bunch of stuff destroyed about two weeks ago (Central Florida). I have everything plugged in to good surge protectors, but failed to run my cable line through one...

Surge came through the cable line (I have direcTV for TV, so this was purely for internet), destroyed my cable modem, my router and two gigabit switches plugged into the router. It destroyed my Boxee Box, one of my DirecTV recievers (Cat5 is plugged into it for on-demand stuff) and a NIC in my server. Luckily my 360, PS3 and other computers weren't damaged.

I had to buy a new router, switches and NIC for my PC, but Boxee was still under warranty and was replaced. DirecTV is sending me a new reciever at no cost as well.

Lesson learned, surge protect ANY cable that comes into your home that plugs into electronics; not just power.

 

[Perknose]

HP 4L Laserjet. The power kept going off and on, fried the board.

That printer was one of the best products I've ever owned. It was 16 years old and very cheap to use.

Those were probably the best series of printers ever.

I mourn your loss.

MotionMan

Last of the really well built consumer and small enterprise level printers. :thumbsup:

 

[Ramma2]

Nothing personally, but working as a PC tech from 97 to 2000 I probably replaced modems damaged from electrical storms more than any other component.

 

[CZroe]

I just had a bunch of stuff destroyed about two weeks ago (Central Florida). I have everything plugged in to good surge protectors, but failed to run my cable line through one...

Surge came through the cable line (I have direcTV for TV, so this was purely for internet), destroyed my cable modem, my router and two gigabit switches plugged into the router. It destroyed my Boxee Box, one of my DirecTV recievers (Cat5 is plugged into it for on-demand stuff) and a NIC in my server. Luckily my 360, PS3 and other computers weren't damaged.

I had to buy a new router, switches and NIC for my PC, but Boxee was still under warranty and was replaced. DirecTV is sending me a new reciever at no cost as well.

Lesson learned, surge protect ANY cable that comes into your home that plugs into electronics; not just power.

Except that it usually kills your cable signal and causes issues.

 

[westom]

I just had a bunch of stuff destroyed about two weeks ago (Central Florida). I have everything plugged in to good surge protectors, but failed to run my cable line through one...

Your conclusions are classic of speculation without first learning some important facts. Your cable line must be connected to single point earth ground with a wire. No protector. That wire does more than any protector might do.

If your cable wire was not earthed, your installer has violated the National Electrical code.

A surge typically incoming on AC mains will go hunting destructively for earth. A best and destructive path to earth is via appliances connected to that earth cable. If a surge is coming on one wire, then it must be outgoing on some other wire at the exact same time. Otherwise damage does not happen. If a surge was incoming on cable, then what was the outgoing path to earth? If you cannot answer that, then you have no idea why damage occurred.

Most destructive surges are due to homeowners who do not earth a 'whole house' protection on AC mains. Expensive protectors close to those items can even make that damage easier. Do not even claim to protect from typically destructive surges. If in doubt, then post protector spec numbers that define protection from each type of surge. The most expensive protectors often do not claim any protection. Are recommended by hearsay or only because it is expensive. Informed homeowners instead earth a 'whole house' protector.

Your damage is classic when any wire enters a building without first connecting to earth ground. AC electric is three wires. All must have an earth connection. A most common reason for damage is no properly earthed 'whole house' protector in the breaker box or behind the electric meter. That surge was all but invited to go hunting destructively inside. It found a best connection to earth destructively via a router, modem, switches - if cable was properly earthed as required by the National Electrical code.

Damage and protection is always about how a surge connects to earth. The surge did not enter on cable, destroy some electronics, and stop. An electric current connected to earth destructively via those appliances when the homeowner did not properly earth every wire inside every incoming utility cable.

No soundbyte explains why damage happens. No protector blocks or absorbs surges. Not one. Best protection for the cable must be where that cable entered the building. Either a homeowner learned that earth does the protection. Or that surge goes hunting for earth destructively via appliances.

Ramma2 - did you know all telephone lines already have a 'whole house' protector installed for free? A best connection to earth is destructive via a modem and that existing 'whole house' protector. Damage because a homeowner all but invited a surge inside to go hunting destructively for earth. Why does a surge bypass one of the best protectors in every house - a telco 'installed for free' and 'required by Federal regulations' protector? It doesn't.

 

[Doppel]

hard drive

 

[squirrel dog]

modern home with modern wiring with Strike Safe(worthless) from local power company supposed to protect whole house,along with surge protection on all electronics,including central air/heat.Had power surge during storm this year(07/07/2011)burnt controller board for central air($500.00)burnt 50"panasonic plasma,it's ruined,and took out a bucket full of surge protectors.Although Strike Safe's own website advises "$50,000 worth of protection"after further review,they declined to reimburse,as this was an "Act of God".Tv is under n extended warrenty,hopefully they will honor it.

 

[marvdmartian]

Never lost anything to a lightning strike, but then again, I always use an uninterruptable power supply, or at the very least, a surge protector. UPS's are especially nice to use if your power is finicky, and the voltage tends to meander all over the place.

Hell, I've lost more computer equipment to crappy Antec power supplies than I have to lightning!

 

[westom]

Although Strike Safe's own website advises "$50,000 worth of protection"after further review,they declined to reimburse,as this was an "Act of God".Tv is under n extended warrenty,hopefully they will honor it.

No protector does protection. That is how the naive are manipulated. Most want solutions in a magic box. The protector is simple science. Only effective if it makes a short (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection to earth. If you did not inspect, upgrade, and enhance the earthing, then you still had no protection.

Earthing is the art.

No protector ever does protection. Not one. Either a protector connects short to what does all protection (therefore called effective). Or protection does not exist.

Any protector recommended because of its warranty is probably a scam. Most protectors with big buck warranties do not even claim protection. And come with so many exemptions that its warranty will not be honored.

No protector does protection - as defined by details in previous posts.

 

[KeithTalent]

Flux capacitor and a couple of lamps.

KT

 

[ch33zw1z]

1 Mouse + keyboard usb port it was plugged into.

Tree fell on a power line about 2 miles from my house, due to lightning hitting the tree. My bro-in-law's hand was on the mouse, he said it hurt some but not much, more unexpected.

 

[mmntech]

Nothing, knock on wood. We don't get sever electrical storms in these parts very often.

 

[Minerva]

Just HIGH SCORE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dcf7qiUlyY&

 

[Drekce]

Your conclusions are classic of speculation without first learning some important facts. Your cable line must be connected to single point earth ground with a wire. No protector. That wire does more than any protector might do.

If your cable wire was not earthed, your installer has violated the National Electrical code.

A surge typically incoming on AC mains will go hunting destructively for earth. A best and destructive path to earth is via appliances connected to that earth cable. If a surge is coming on one wire, then it must be outgoing on some other wire at the exact same time. Otherwise damage does not happen. If a surge was incoming on cable, then what was the outgoing path to earth? If you cannot answer that, then you have no idea why damage occurred.

Most destructive surges are due to homeowners who do not earth a 'whole house' protection on AC mains. Expensive protectors close to those items can even make that damage easier. Do not even claim to protect from typically destructive surges. If in doubt, then post protector spec numbers that define protection from each type of surge. The most expensive protectors often do not claim any protection. Are recommended by hearsay or only because it is expensive. Informed homeowners instead earth a 'whole house' protector.

Your damage is classic when any wire enters a building without first connecting to earth ground. AC electric is three wires. All must have an earth connection. A most common reason for damage is no properly earthed 'whole house' protector in the breaker box or behind the electric meter. That surge was all but invited to go hunting destructively inside. It found a best connection to earth destructively via a router, modem, switches - if cable was properly earthed as required by the National Electrical code.

Damage and protection is always about how a surge connects to earth. The surge did not enter on cable, destroy some electronics, and stop. An electric current connected to earth destructively via those appliances when the homeowner did not properly earth every wire inside every incoming utility cable.

No soundbyte explains why damage happens. No protector blocks or absorbs surges. Not one. Best protection for the cable must be where that cable entered the building. Either a homeowner learned that earth does the protection. Or that surge goes hunting for earth destructively via appliances.

Ramma2 - did you know all telephone lines already have a 'whole house' protector installed for free? A best connection to earth is destructive via a modem and that existing 'whole house' protector. Damage because a homeowner all but invited a surge inside to go hunting destructively for earth. Why does a surge bypass one of the best protectors in every house - a telco 'installed for free' and 'required by Federal regulations' protector? It doesn't.

Speculation? Only things directly connected by wire to the cable line were damaged. The component damaged on all of the devices was the NIC (Boxee, Computer, DirecTV). This isn't speculation, this is fact. If you are telling me that the electricity that fried everything came through a medium other than the coax cable then how come no other devices plugged in on the same power strip were damaged? The power strip's surge protection wasn't even tripped.

 

[nageov3t]

I'm pretty sure I lost a modem+router/onboard nic.

I came home from work one day after there'd been a storm that afternoon and my router was totally DOA as was the nic on my motherboard. lightning is the only explanation I can think of.

or maybe aliens.