# House struck by lightning



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Last night I wanted to watch Star Trek, my wife and kids were gone and I had some peaceful time without interruptions, this was the first movie with Chris Pine as Captain and we got hit hard by the outgoing weather of Typhoon Inday. I heard the lightening but was really into the movie so I didn't unplug our electronic items and sure enough, the house got hit hard next, so hard that my ears hurt and torrential rain, the TV was fine but right after the strike no sound so I went to unplug the amplified speakers (new set of amplified speakers) and the plug was hot and I smelled something had burned.

Sure enough, I had an In-law check it out, two of the diodes were fried on the circuit board and a wire was hanging loose inside the amplifier speaker, he's having it looked at to see what it'll cost, the amplified speakers ran me 5,000.


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## grahamw57 (May 27, 2018)

Lost my quite new TV in similar circs a couple of years ago...and the PLDT router...and blew something in the microwave (which I've since fixed myself).
I now have separate little 'Power On Delay' boxes by 'Innovatronix' (from Lazada) on every circuit and extension lead. Also work each time power is cut during brown-outs, so fridges and other sensitive items are given a buffer, and a 6 minute delay before being restarted...no matter how brief the outage. Touch wood. Nothing broken since.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

I put in a whole house surge arrester in the fuse board, if triggered it will take out the sockets breaker.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Good move Gary, from my lowly experience that works well if the power supply is hit by lightning or massive surges but I had an instance a couple of months ago when a lightning strike hit in front of our house,,,, on the beach (power comes in from the back/road side some 70 to 100 meters from lightning). Took out my Polk sound bar, a thousand bucks thankyou and a HDMI port in my 65 inch TV, Television still fine less one HDMI port and only the sound bar died as the sub woofer and wireless back speakers are still working, tested in the bedroom system. Now these things were all plugged into a surge board with its own breaker while other things weren't and they weren't affected, go figure.

God moves in mysterious ways.

Cheers, Steve.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Gary I'll do some research on the surge arrester in the fuse board area and see what it'll run me and also the surge delay units for the fridge and AC unit

I got some feedback today on my amplified speaker, it needs a new circuit board and with labor, it's going to cost 1000 pesos. Also, there's an internal fuse but it didn't burn up or do its job, it's a really thin-wired fuse.

Steve, can the Polk sound bar be repaired?


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Mark wish me luck, I have not found a decent electronics technician here in 3 or 4 years. I have 2 dead Steinman 12 inch powered sub woofers as well as a dead amp, no one that We have talked to so far wants to know.
Always Samsung technicians twice now over the years for tv faults, all under warranty. Polk say my 4 year old system is out of manufacture/defunct even though my model/system is still advertised on their international website for sale.
I will get to it eventually but at the moment have a building project happening with 4 guys today,,,,,, The day of rest and tomorrow there will be 8 to 9 workers, my precious sound system is on the back burner ATM.

Sorry to go off topic but.

I need to focus, example and going off topic but the lead mason who knows the scope of my works here gave me a buy list to order tomorrow,,,,,, I took a quick look and my thoughts were that it was shy,,,,,, sure he is trying to save bucks but in the scheme of things and the amount of work I told him to double the order minimum as he is only considering a 30 Meter fence and not the other 60 plus meters of garage and fences, pump house etc.

Cheers, Steve.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

bigpearl said:


> Mark wish me luck, I have not found a decent electronics technician here in 3 or 4 years. I have 2 dead Steinman 12 inch powered sub woofers as well as a dead amp, no one that We have talked to so far wants to know.
> Always Samsung technicians twice now over the years for tv faults, all under warranty. Polk say my 4 year old system is out of manufacture/defunct even though my model/system is still advertised on their international website for sale.
> I will get to it eventually but at the moment have a building project happening with 4 guys today,,,,,, The day of rest and tomorrow there will be 8 to 9 workers, my precious sound system is on the back burner ATM.
> 
> ...


Steve, not having enough materials will only delay the process so good idea to double up on the goods.

I'm starting to find decent repair technicians or spots that specialize in repairs, they can order new circuit boards or rebuild stereo systems.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

I used this one. similar available from Lazada etc


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Not sure Gary, I don't have surge protection on my main board, my main board, some 18 breakers and full but as said even my surge protector did nothing for the sound bar and only one HDMI port on the tv. All else no problem. 
I think the main issue here is 2 hot wires and no earth/grounding. My A/C units are grounded onto rebar in the walls, go work that one out for safety and the recently completed bunker house for the workers with 6 led light fittings glow when turned off, even at 4 in the morning unless I turn the breaker off. Asked the electrician that wired it up and he blamed the light fittings even though I have the same in the house and no problems.

I will add that my living room with the affected equipment was very close to the lightning strike as opposed to the main supply, we didn't even lose power, lightning strike no sound but Cignal and the tv were fine. No sound bar and a dead HDMI port.

Welcome to the Philippines and then some. Sorry for the rant.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

bigpearl said:


> Not sure Gary, I don't have surge protection on my main board, my main board, some 18 breakers and full but as said even my surge protector did nothing for the sound bar and only one HDMI port on the tv. All else no problem.
> I think the main issue here is 2 hot wires and no earth/grounding. My A/C units are grounded onto rebar in the walls, go work that one out for safety and the recently completed bunker house for the workers with 6 led light fittings glow when turned off, even at 4 in the morning unless I turn the breaker off. Asked the electrician that wired it up and he blamed the light fittings even though I have the same in the house and no problems.
> 
> I will add that my living room with the affected equipment was very close to the lightning strike as opposed to the main supply, we didn't even lose power, lightning strike no sound but Cignal and the tv were fine. No sound bar and a dead HDMI port.
> ...


I had a bulb glowing in the sister in laws house. Turned out the electricity company had reversed the hot and ground so the switches and breaker w were in the neutral leg.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Just an addition about whole house surge protection, you need a ground (protective earth) for it to function correctly, all the houses I've wired have a ground stake and three wire systems.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Yeah, welcome to the Philippines and existing wiring Gary, Very different for us if we build a new house as you have but expensive to upgrade with an earth as per western standards.
I wonder how the/a solar system off grid will stack up compared to what we suffer now on grid with lightning strikes.
No one here cares even after they take your Pesos. 8 or 9 months later with a new roof on the house I'm still waiting for them to fix the mistakes.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

bigpearl said:


> Yeah, welcome to the Philippines and existing wiring Gary, Very different for us if we build a new house as you have but expensive to upgrade with an earth as per western standards.
> I wonder how the/a solar system off grid will stack up compared to what we suffer now on grid with lightning strikes.
> No one here cares even after they take your Pesos. 8 or 9 months later with a new roof on the house I'm still waiting for them to fix the mistakes.
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


You just need an adjacent ground stake connected to the PE terminal of the surge arrester.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

The PE terminal?

Cheers, Steve.


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

Gary D said:


> I used this one. similar available from Lazada etc
> 
> 
> View attachment 102198


 Them looking same at Lazada seem to cheap to be of type ONE covering whole house/appartment. Does such cover whole house or how many did you need to buy?
((Back when I checken several years ago, one covering whole did cost around 1500 usd.))


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Lunkan said:


> Them looking same at Lazada seem to cheap to be of type ONE covering whole house/appartment. Does such cover whole house or how many did you need to buy?
> ((Back when I checken several years ago, one covering whole did cost around 1500 usd.))


I paid about $30 for mine. Mine is fitted to limit the surge current by being placed after an mcb. As I retro fitted mine I've used the sockets mcb to limit the current. This will disconnect the sockets once the size of the surge being passed to ground exceeds the socket mcb rating. This also prevents the surge arrester being blown to sh!t.


bigpearl said:


> The PE terminal?
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


Protective Earth, ( Ground)


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

Gary D said:


> I paid about $30 for mine. Mine is fitted to limit the surge current by being placed after an mcb. As I retro fitted mine I've used the sockets mcb to limit the current. This will disconnect the sockets once the size of the surge being passed to ground exceeds the socket mcb rating. This also prevents the surge arrester being blown to sh!t.


 Protect against lightning too?


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Lunkan said:


> Protect against lightning too?


Lightning is usually a different device, a spark gap is usually used whereas these are probably a vdr.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Suppose that is the ultimate question Lunkan and only time will tell.
Australia all power outlets/supplies by law in residential domiciles have a or more 6MM2 earth lines running to ground stake/stakes and ELCB's and at least one RCD depending on power loads, not lights or fittings because apparently no fool is stupid enough to stick their fingers in a light socket.

As for surge arrestors? I give the validity of the manufactures claims little credence to none given mine appeared not to work. Purchased in Australia 10 or more years ago but probably manufactured in our favourite country.

I monitor the weather map daily ( nothing better to do) and if a storm is in the area I now shut down the power breakers but leave the light circuits on until the storm has passed. 
Surge protectors didn't work for me but as said I suppose it depends on where the lightning hits. 

In the mean time? [email protected] happens.

Cheers, Steve.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Gary D said:


> Lightning is usually a different device, a spark gap is usually used whereas these are probably a vdr.


Yep, agree and several million volts jump that gap/switch mechanism easily. as opposed to 220 volts.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

I guess it depends on how you use it. If your house gets a direct hit probably nothing will save you. The idea around a surge arrester is to shunt the over voltage to ground. On it's own a surge arrester would be a one shot device as if the spike is big enought the connection to the vdr melts and lets the indicator flag flip from green to red, time for a new one. If the surge arrester is placed after an mcb, ideally at the input of your fuse board, it will shunt the spike until the mcb opens, careful choice of mcb is important as the surge arrester could fail first.
I guess steve if you haven't got a ground connection the surge arrester had nowhere to shunt the power.


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Yep, hear you Gary, no earths here only crossed fingers. Point from my perspective, surge guards aside, nothing else in the house was affected aside from my sound bar (part of the system) and 1 HDHI port on my tv. The gaming desktop and 36 inch screen, the printer, the charger for the Dyson vac, the charger for the Makita batteries and other stuff never got touched, 2 meters away in the office next to the lounge room.
As said, God chooses what he wants.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

Gary D said:


> Lightning is usually a different device, a spark gap is usually used whereas these are probably a vdr.


 ok. 
I have used low cost things for just one socket and it saved my fax and desktop against a close hit which burned the protection device.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Lunkan said:


> ok.
> I have used low cost things for just one socket and it saved my fax and desktop against a close hit which burned the protection device.


Could you share what you used Lunkan or even photo?


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

M.C.A. said:


> Could you share what you used Lunkan or even photo?


 It break when hit so thrown away :
but similat to this. Around 20 USD each nowadays


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Update on my speakers that got damaged by the Lightening strike, we got those back today, they had to repair or fix one of the circuit boards and the power unit wasn't working very well the speakers weren't very loud (we may have had this problem before the strike) and so they also changed the power unit out so an additional 700 pesos, the total cost with labor was 1,700 pesos the speakers cost us 5,500 new last year.

I bought the speakers mainly to amplify the TV or Movie sound so they aren't quality, the brand name is Lexing 1800 watts but they really do manage to put out the sound, it also has the blue tooth and USB /flash drive connection.

Going to continue where I left off with the Star Trek first movie (Chris Pine) they were about to come out of warp drive Lol... Kirk had the numb tongue and big hands Lol...


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

Beam me up Scotty. 

Cheers, Steve.


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## grahamw57 (May 27, 2018)

Post deleted by author. (I thought you said Star Wars)
.


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