In surge protectors we trust!

Sheep

Sheep

Audioholic Warlord
Hello again, little story for you.

This last sunday morning, around 2:00AM (I work afternoon shift, so I am usually up then) We had a power outtage. Not any ordinary power outtage, but a giant surge.

My computer shut off, and my DPS-12s front lights blinked, and then remained off.

"Power outtage" I said to myself. Working my way upstairs, I found a lighter and some candles and began to create a little light. The power came back the next day, and things were off, that shouldn't be.

Turns out, a car crashed and took out 2 power poles, and a transformer. Apparently the crash was really bad, with live wires on the ground etc etc.

After trying to phone someone, we realised that there were problems. The phones were shot, as was the dishwasher. All said and done, my parents TV (same as mine) was toast, along with phones, toaster (PUN!), dishwasher, upstairs computer, and some lights.

What WASN'T dead was my stereo and computer. Why? A couple cheap, 25 dollar surge protectors. I don't know about you guys, but if you don't have one, get one. Protect your investement. Besides, whats another 50 bucks? :)

SheepStar
 
Tomorrow

Tomorrow

Audioholic Ninja
That's why we installed a whole house surge protector. It's right there at the top of the circuit breaker panel! :) And yes, we use double protection on the computers and a/v gear.
 
majorloser

majorloser

Moderator
rjbudz said:
That's why we installed a whole house surge protector. It's right there at the top of the circuit breaker panel! :) And yes, we use double protection on the computers and a/v gear.
Best investment you'll ever make! They protect L-L, L-G, L-N and N-G (even though they are bonded at the panel). Make sure no matter what you buy it has a UL 1449 rating of 330V. This is the best rating they can get.

I'd also suggest adding a UPS with auto voltage regulation (AVR). A few buck can save a bundle in the long run.

EDIT: here's the brand I use at work http://www.leaintl.com/
 
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mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
Sheep said:
What WASN'T dead was my stereo and computer. Why? A couple cheap, 25 dollar surge protectors. I don't know about you guys, but if you don't have one, get one. Protect your investement. Besides, whats another 50 bucks? :)

SheepStar

I bet you heard an audible difference with those babies, right:D
 
B

Buckeye_Nut

Audioholic Field Marshall
My house took a direct lighening hit a few years ago. Not a single item plugged into our walls was damaged inside our home. Of course, we needed to repair a large hole in our roof and repair the fire damage, but that's besides the point.......LOL Our roof went a'blazing away!! It struck at about 130AM and pretty much woke up the entire neighborhood. We didnt even know our house was on fire. Thankfully, one of the 'awakened' neighbors looked out their window and spotted the fire, and came to our house in a driving rain to tell us. The fire was burning directly above our master bedroom, and both of our kids were in bed with us because the lighening scared the crap out of them.

An interesting sidenote, as the parade of neighbors stopped by after the incident to gawk and watch as the men replaced a portion of our roof, several neighbors mentioned to us that the very same lighening blast fried 'THEIR' electronics........LOL
 
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Daz3d&Confus3d

Daz3d&Confus3d

Full Audioholic
Did you give your parents a lecture sheep or did you think you better wait for a more opportune time?....lol
 
Sheep

Sheep

Audioholic Warlord
Daz3d&Confus3d said:
Did you give your parents a lecture sheep or did you think you better wait for a more opportune time?....lol
Its a mixed blessing. I DID lecture them on why this can happen, but at the same time, they can get a new TV, for FREE! :D

SheepStar
 
Daz3d&Confus3d

Daz3d&Confus3d

Full Audioholic
Yeah...but dont they have some sort of deductable they have to play on their insurance?
 
Sheep

Sheep

Audioholic Warlord
Daz3d&Confus3d said:
Yeah...but dont they have some sort of deductable they have to play on their insurance?
Yep. Still less than a new TV.

SheepStar
 
majorloser

majorloser

Moderator
Sheep said:
Its a mixed blessing. I DID lecture them on why this can happen, but at the same time, they can get a new TV, for FREE! :D

SheepStar
With insurance companies, nothing is free.
 
Sheep

Sheep

Audioholic Warlord
majorloser said:
With insurance companies, nothing is free.
This is CAR insurance. ICBC doesn't skimp with reparations.

SheepStar
 
Dan

Dan

Audioholic Chief
Buckeye_Nut said:
My house took a direct lighening hit a few years ago. Not a single item plugged into our walls was damaged inside our home. Of course, we needed to repair a large hole in our roof and repair the fire damage, but that's besides the point.......LOL Our roof went a'blazing away!! It struck at about 130AM and pretty much woke up the entire neighborhood. We didnt even know our house was on fire. Thankfully, one of the 'awakened' neighbors looked out their window and spotted the fire, and came to our house in a driving rain to tell us. The fire was burning directly above our master bedroom, and both of our kids were in bed with us because the lighening scared the crap out of them.

An interesting sidenote, as the parade of neighbors stopped by after the incident to gawk and watch as the men replaced a portion of our roof, several neighbors mentioned to us that the very same lighening blast fried 'THEIR' electronics........LOL
Last summer a house about six away from ours was hit by lightning and he didn't know it either. It was 8:00 at night and the owner wide awake. I have also heard of other stories of this happening too Buckeye. The strike near me was more serious, 5 alarms, 3/4 ths of the house destroyed. It was last June 30 and the owners still haven't moved back in. I think the simple answer is a smoke detector in the attic if you live in areas with a lot of thunderstorms like here. Funny thing is when I called my insurance company and asked about a discount if I installed a lightning arrestor they said no dice. They discount antilock brakes air bags and car alarms which virtually everyone now has but won't help you prevent a fire which costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.
 
B

Buckeye_Nut

Audioholic Field Marshall
We have an upstairs master with cathedral ceilings. There is no attic above the room, but there are a few enclosed air gaps in spots.

It's amazing how lightening works in mysterious ways. We get nailed with a direct hit, and several others had their electroncs get fried, but not ours?

It left a doozy of an exit wound too. It blew a friggin hole the size of a fist in the cement along the back of the house low near the foundation. The hole was only about 12" above the ground, and I found concrete chunks about 40 feet away in the backyard. Apparently it followed some rebar and went out the back.

The funny thing is that an exit mark never occured to me. When the contractors arrived shortly after to survey the house, they asked me where the exit was so they could fix it. I was like.......HUH? What exit?
LOL

We took a look around, and sure enough......we found it easy enough.
 
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