Page 1 of Thunderstorms

I`m sure I`ve seen advice somewhere that you should unplug the aerial and power leads to your TV and AV equipment during an electrical storm?

I must admit I don`t usually bother - but should I? What do other people do?

Probably not worth doing it IMO. I would have thought it a bit too much effort for such an unlikely scenario of them becoming damaged.

Mind you on a similar note, phonelines can be a problem. My last computer was knackered following an eletrical storm after a surge of power went down the line, blew up the internal modem and burnt out the surrounding components as a result.

Rich

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I treated myself to a Belkin Powersurge extension lead, which includes TV coax (for the ariel) and Phone sockets for the computer (and if I had sky digital the digi box). was 40 quid but nothing compared to a 32 inch TV, a 656 pioneer DVD, and the amplifier. Plus it has insurance if it don`t work.

My main TV/Hi-Fi equip has remained plugged in since I moved in to my house 9 years ago. Is it advisable to unplug equip during thunderstorm? - Yes. Is thunder ever likely to strike your house? - No. Would I cry like a baby if it happened and all my elec stuff went up in smoke? - Yes.
I suppose thats why god invented insurance.
Pete

"Is thunder ever likely to strike your house? - No"

Huh ? ;-)

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Moderator
DVD Reviewer

I used to work for a high street tv rental company. After a storm we always got tons of calls from people whose tv/vcr/sky suddenly broke.
I always remove phone, power and aerial leads when there is a storm due. Oh, and we found that quite a few customers who were insured, weren`t covered against lightning damage.

just something to consider.

Lightning will usually go for the highest point of the house and thats where most people put their TV aerials. Zap!!!!

To minimise the risk of a strike on the aerial you can fit it futher down on the house wall or garden wall.

I fitted mine on the house wall just above the flat roof of my houses enterance porch, thats roughly just below 1st floor window height and its well back so it does not spoil the look of the house.

You can do the same with your Sky dish and keep it lower down.

Because we live in a valley and a bungalow I`m just about to put a 3m pole up above the house to carry a TV aerial, I`m planning to ground it with its own earth rod. We`ve lost modems and fax switches to thunderstorms on BT before, although now on cable we now have surge strips on everything important.

Dave

I`ve never had any problems with Equipment but the lights in my house always flicker. I have just brought from Dabs.com a great Surge Protector for £11.75 (including Vat and Delivery). They have 8 sockets , BT point and TV point and although they are called Dabs value they are made by Belkin.
Their stock code is 705-010-0020.

Over the weekend we had a thunderstorm and the following has happened

Our alarm no longer works (the keypad has locked up)

Modem, connected to a USB hub, with a scanner and a printer on - the hub is dead, the modem and the scanner - I think the printer has survived but I didn`t check it.

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