Need Electrical Help After Storm - Advice Needed

[Evo]

Evo, there should be internal fuses that protect most major appliances.

The problem with the microwave is odd, it is on and appears fine, until you press start, then it won't start. For the washer, I have to call a repairman, I have to be home (just started my new job, so that won't be possible in the near future) and it cost $$$. This is adding up to be one expensive lightning hit.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Evo, your problem is that you don't understand electricity:

Electrons are like zoobies: they are covered with hair. Except electrons have hair that is infinitly long. (Physicists refer to the electron's hair as "field lines". But they're just trying to be fancy.) Their hair grows uniformly over their whole, round little bodies and sticks out straight in all directions. Einstein's head - electron, just about the same thing.

Their hair is luxurious and shiney, but they never get to show it off because life, for an electron, is just one long bad hair day: there is always some other electron around whose hair is bumping into theirs. The hair sticking out in all directions is always pushing against the hair of other electrons.

The result is that they are all always in a very negative mood. Physicists say they are "negatively charged" but who wouldn't be, all packed in with your hair bumping into everyone elses hair? Anyway, they are all always trying to get away from each other. Each electron is always trying to get as far away from all the other electrons as he can.

Now your problem seems to be that a bunch of them all decided to move into your house at once.

This wouldn't have happened if your house wasn't electron underpopulated in the first place. I suggest you buy a couple gross of electron decoys and spread them around so the real electrons will think you're actually electron overpopulated, and won't want to go there.

As a matter of fact, I whittle electron decoys in my spare time here at the zoobie brush shelter, and can sell you a couple gross of them at a really reasonable price, say $3000.00. That's about 40% less than the commercially made ones, and mine are beautifully handcrafted.

 

[Moonbear]

Evo, your problem is that you don't understand electricity:

Electrons are like zoobies: they are covered with hair. Except electrons have hair that is infinitly long. (Physicists refer to the electron's hair as "field lines". But they're just trying to be fancy.) Their hair grows uniformly over their whole, round little bodies and sticks out straight in all directions. Einstein's head - electron, just about the same thing.

Their hair is luxurious and shiney, but they never get to show it off because life, for an electron, is just one long bad hair day: there is always some other electron around whose hair is bumping into theirs. The hair sticking out in all directions is always pushing against the hair of other electrons.

The result is that they are all always in a very negative mood. Physicists say they are "negatively charged" but who wouldn't be, all packed in with your hair bumping into everyone elses hair? Anyway, they are all always trying to get away from each other. Each electron is always trying to get as far away from all the other electrons as he can.

Now your problem seems to be that a bunch of them all decided to move into your house at once.

This wouldn't have happened if your house wasn't electron underpopulated in the first place. I suggest you buy a couple gross of electron decoys and spread them around so the real electrons will think you're actually electron overpopulated, and won't want to go there.

As a matter of fact, I whittle electron decoys in my spare time here at the zoobie brush shelter, and can sell you a couple gross of them at a really reasonable price, say $3000.00. That's about 40% less than the commercially made ones, and mine are beautifully handcrafted.

I don't know, Evo, I think you should request a demo model before buying electron decoys in bulk. Afterall, while we all love Zoobie, we really don't know how good his whittling skills are. He might say they're all beautifully handcrafted electron decoys, and then you'll get them and discover they all look like proton decoys, and before you know it, more electrons than ever before will be flooding into your house attempting to mate with the proton decoys. There's no telling what they'll do when they realize they're only decoys!

 

[Chronos]

Having been victimized by lightning strikes a few times [including one I took rather personally], I can attest it is a force of evil. Ivan, however, offered a useful suggestion. Most electrically powered devices have an internal fuse. - usually near where the power cord enters the case. A fairly simple continuity check with an ohmmeter on both sides of the fuse might save you a few $$. Alternatively, you could probably contract the services of a competent electrician for a nominal fee + incentive bonus for repaired devices. An aside, do not [as some morons do] forget to run your phone lines through a surge protector. Fortunately, I only lost a cheesy, dialup modem... and my beloved, pricey 21" computer monitor. And yes, if you must ask, my eyes got red, puffy and moist. But my attorney assured me a crying charge would never fly in court. She said something about a landmark case involving electrostatically aroused dust mites.

 

[Astronuc]

The problem with the microwave is odd, it is on and appears fine, until you press start, then it won't start. For the washer, I have to call a repairman, I have to be home (just started my new job, so that won't be possible in the near future) and it cost $$$. This is adding up to be one expensive lightning hit.

I think modern digital electronics can get fried before a fuse has time to melt.

Our kitchen has GFI - Ground Fault Interrupters - which are required by code. They have tripped whenever a current surge occurred.

As for understanding grounding - see The Ground Wire

Please have the grounding of the main box checked - I wonder if your house received a current surge through the cable or power lines or both.

Regarding the new job:

GO EVO!

 

[BobG]

Store bought surge protectors are next to worthless. A quality industrial device for the same electrical load may cost $500 - $1000. But, sometimes the power strips are better than nothing.

Depends if you're buying a power strip or a surge protector. Admittedly, even if you buy a true surge protector from the local Target or Walmart, I wouldn't want to depend on one to protect against a lightning strike. But they do work very well to protect against poorly regulated electricity - probably rarely come into play in a modern city, but valuable if your area doesn't have a good electrical infrastructure.

I managed to toast a surge protector while I was in Italy. I had a transformer to convert from the 220-50 to 110-60 (the little pocket plug adaptors just don't work for CD players, computers, etc). We also had some pretty unpredictable electricity. Came 'home' and all the lights looked like they had 10 Watt bulbs. Evidently, that put quite a strain on the transformer because when they fixed the electricity and full power came back, the transformer and the surge protector were both fried. The inside of a toasted surge protector is a pretty awesome sight - especially when all the appliances connected to it were unharmed.

 

[Monique]

I always unplug electrical devices when a thunderstorm is near or when I'm out for a few days, even though they are plugged into surge protectors. Reading all this I'm glad I do

I hope you are able to save some of the appliances by getting someone to fix them

 

[Clausius2]

I wish my dad was still alive, he could explain this.
.

Have you thought in looking for a cute boyfriend expertise in electricity and housing arrangement stuffs??

 

[hypatia]

I think I'm going to try and get of the habit of what Monique does. At least for the more expensive items.
I'm lucky enough to have a elder neighbor lady, who will come sit and wait for the cable guy for me.

 

[Moonbear]

I always unplug electrical devices when a thunderstorm is near or when I'm out for a few days, even though they are plugged into surge protectors. Reading all this I'm glad I do

I don't do this with everything, but definitely the expensive stuff. Not that I own much expensive stuff. Pretty much as long as my computer is disconnected, I'm okay (I have a laptop with a spare battery, so can work for about 8 hours without needing to plug it in; that covers all the usual summertime, late day thunderstorms). I take my chances that I'll fry my airport, but that's in the price range where I won't sit and cry if I have to replace it. Even with surge protectors, I replace the one in my home office every few years (the one the printer/fax and scanner are plugged into, and I run a phone cord through if I ever need to connect direct my modem rather than via wireless). The old one gets used the way I'd use a power strip, for wherever I need to plug in some extra lamps, etc. I think they are only guaranteed for a certain amount of time, so I replace them every so often. I also have a small one that has just one outlet on it and a phone jack, which I use for when I travel. I don't know if it is truly reliable, but I figure it's better than nothing when on the road.

 

[Evo]

I don't know, Evo, I think you should request a demo model before buying electron decoys in bulk.

I already ordered 2 dozen of zooby's electron decoys. Per the instructions on his website, I listed all of my credit card numbers, debit card pin number, social security and driver's license numbers and fed ex'd a book of blank checks to the PO Box he listed. I can't wait to get my electron decoys.

He might say they're all beautifully handcrafted electron decoys, and then you'll get them and discover they all look like proton decoys, and before you know it, more electrons than ever before will be flooding into your house attempting to mate with the proton decoys.

Zooby, these come with a "money back guarantee"...right?

Clausius, you are welcome to stop by and help with repairs.

Astronuc - I have GFI also, and the outlets on those are ok.

Chronos - Good suggestions!

Monique and hypatia, unplugging is a very good idea. I often do that. Unfortunately this storm moved in quickly and the lightning strike was at the very beginning just as a few rain drops started.

 

[Evo]

Well crud. I bought a new ethernet cord and the cord is fine, it appears that the ethernet card itself is fried.

 

[Astronuc]

Well crud. I bought a new ethernet cord and the cord is fine, it appears that the ethernet card itself is fried.

You could go to the start menu, run . . . cmd, and then type in "ipconfig" or "ipconfig /all", and see if you get any info or an error. I am not sure what error you would get if your card is fried.

Alternatively the system manager should tell you if your card is working properly.

 

[hypatia]

poor Evo..

"It just goes to show, its aways something"
Roseanna Roseannadanna