Leaving Amps on 24/7

Systems

RuSsMaN wrote: »

Lightning is typically between 20,000 and 2,000,000 volts at anywhere from 10,000 up to 200,000 amps.

It can't be stopped by off the shelf 'protectors'.

Your link is talking about interior surges IN the building, ie its own devices failing. It has no talk about good ole mother nature.

Cheers,
Russ

Yep, the best insurance and only 100% fail safe method is to pull the plug.

unbridled_id

Who makes this? Got a link?
__________________

www.pricewheeler.com

unbridled_id

Lightning is typically between 20,000 and 2,000,000 volts at anywhere from 10,000 up to 200,000 amps.

Wow, yes, so if lightning hits my house (that will be a problem enough on it's own), your saying that 200,000 amps is going to run through 12 g wire to my system? If if destroys the breakers how can it travel beyond that point? Educate me Russ because I don't quite get it. Do you mean a direct hit on my equipment, if that is the case then I totally agree, no surge protector, not even my brickwall will help.

TN_Polk_Lover

The lightning can enter through the main electrical service entrance and jump right across the circuit breakers and into the rest of your house wiring. With voltages that high, it doesn't take much for it to jump. You may not even be getting the full jolt. Much of the jolt will bleed off to ground through the grounding that your electrical system has. But there can be enough left over through the rest of your wiring that it can certainly fry any type of surge protector.

Early B.

OK, but what about when the power goes out? In my sub-division the power goes out frequently, ususally during storms due to trees falling on power lines. Is there any risk of having an amp plugged directly into the wall and OFF, but a blackout somehow ruining my amp?

Thanks.

WilliamM2

Is there any risk of having an amp plugged directly into the wall and OFF, but a blackout somehow ruining my amp?

There is some risk when the power comes back on-line. The best protection against that is whole house surge protection. Call your utility company for more info, but mine will install them for free when you purchase the unit. About $500 last time I checked.

madmax

When the power goes out you can also get a really big spike. As for lightning, it is a VERY quick pulse which can get through the breakers for a long time at a very high voltage before they trip. We are talking microseconds of a very high voltage. No device works very well with something as quick as lightning. Often times even though the protection devices blow it is too late.
madmax

ben62670

WilliamM2 wrote: »

There is some risk when the power comes back on-line. The best protection against that is whole house surge protection. Call your utility company for more info, but mine will install them for free when you purchase the unit. About $500 last time I checked.

These do work very well, and like he stated your whole house is covered. These devices are designed to take the hit if lightning strikes more so than a surge when the power comes back on. Power surges from the power coming back on are very rare, and when they do happen they are typically not high enough to cause a problem.

TN_Polk_Lover

I guess it would depend alot on what type of wiring your area has. I would assume if you are in a subdivision with underground wiring, your chance of damage from lightning would be less than an area with above ground wiring.

I remember when I was a boy going to visit my grandfather who lived in a small farm community in Southern Alabama. I guess because the wiring on the poles was pretty tall and the houses were kind of few and far between, there was much more likelihood of lightning hitting the power lines. I remember that my grandfather was all the time having to replace the heating element in his electric hot water heater, or one of the burner elements on the stove, because the lightning would sometimes zap them. Funny thing though, his old Philco B&W tv survived everytime.

MSALLA

RuSsMaN wrote: »

Lightning is typically between 20,000 and 2,000,000 volts at anywhere from 10,000 up to 200,000 amps.

It can't be stopped by off the shelf 'protectors'.

Your link is talking about interior surges IN the building, ie its own devices failing. It has no talk about good ole mother nature.

Cheers,
Russ

When I was a teenager lightning hit the backyard transformer. It fried EVERYTHING. TV's, stereos, surge protectors, the fridge,you name it. Nothing is safe from a lightning hit.

hearingimpared

Yes NOTHING can protect from a lightening strike. One thing I would like to make clear is I keep my gear always powered up, when a storm is brewing I unplug the whole kit and kaboodle and move the wires a few feet from the wall until it is all clear.

wingnut4772

hearingimpared wrote: »

Yes NOTHING can protect from a lightening strike. One thing I would like to make clear is I keep my gear always powered up, when a storm is brewing I unplug the who kit and kaboodle and move the wires a few feet from the wall until it is all clear.

But what if you are not home...? I always worried about that and I always left my amps on.

treitz3

RuSsMaN wrote: »

Off, unplugged if there is a chance of threatening weather.

There isn't a surge box out there that will stop a direct hit. NOT one. It will run straight through fuses and breakers, and cook everything in the path.

I even make sure the cord is at least a foot away from the outlet, that kind of voltage can jump.

True. Fact. Deal with it.

Mother nature doesn't care about electronics.

RuSsMaN

unbridled_id wrote: »

If if destroys the breakers how can it travel beyond that point?

It will happen so fast, the breaker might not even trip, just fry to a crisp. If it does trip, it will jump right across it and keep right on going. It doesn't have to start at the breaker box either, a nice bolt through your roof into your attic - maybe it will start with your a/c unit or furnace - maybe it jump down through your satellite or cable tv wiring.

It's powerful enough, all it wants to do is get to ground, and in-house electrical, and other wiring is a nice pathway.

Cheers,
Russ

ben62670

I heard if you stand on your roof with a golf club during thunderstorms (Caddy Shack style) that you can defer the energy from lightning bolts away from your equipment.

billbillw

Boy, I'm glad I have lots of tall trees around me! Hopefully they will present a better path to ground than my rooftop antenna.

I never bother to unplug my gear. Its too hard to get behind it all! I mean my HT system wires can only be reached by crawling through a cubby hole. My 2 ch system I'd have to carefully move the 130lb Mirage from the one side, get down on my hands and knees, and then do my best stretch armstrong impression to reach the outlets!

All this when I'm trying to get my family into our designated saferoom. Not going to happen! If it all goes in a blaze of lighting glory, so be it. That would be God's way of telling me spend more time with my family or do more community work.

engtaz

ben too funny

engtaz

wingnut4772

billbillw wrote: »

My 2 ch system I'd have to carefully move the 130lb Mirage from the one side, get down on my hands and knees, and then do my best stretch armstrong impression to reach the outlets!

Must......reach.....power cords.

ben62670

wingnut4772 wrote: »

Must......reach.....power cords.

Is that an original stretch Armstrong?

wingnut4772

ben62670 wrote: »

Is that an original stretch Armstrong?

I guess so. I just found the pic online. I used to have one as a kid though. (as the train flies of the tracks):p

ben62670

If you stretch them to far they tear, and there was some sort of goo inside. I don't remember what it looked like, but it didn't taste to good. Anyway they gave you band aides with the toy:)

billbillw

wingnut4772 wrote: »

Must......reach.....power cords.

I don't care who U are, tha't FUNNY! (in my best Larry voice)

dorokusai

ben62670 wrote: »

Is that an original stretch Armstrong?

No, that's Trey at his first Polkfest.

I-SIG

unbridled_id wrote: »

Lightning is typically between 20,000 and 2,000,000 volts at anywhere from 10,000 up to 200,000 amps.

Wow, yes, so if lightning hits my house (that will be a problem enough on it's own), your saying that 200,000 amps is going to run through 12 g wire to my system? If if destroys the breakers how can it travel beyond that point? Educate me Russ because I don't quite get it. Do you mean a direct hit on my equipment, if that is the case then I totally agree, no surge protector, not even my brickwall will help.

On a typical 12.47kV power distribution system even a vicinity strike can cause the voltage to spike to 38kV in a few hundredths of a millisecond. (10^-5)

What does this mean to you? Even lightning arrestors, relays, and other equipment designed withstand these voltages and look for these events can only react in a few cycles (1/60 to 1/20 of a second).

Therefore, yes, your breaker in the box may disintegrate it is still going to allow a massive spike in voltage and amperage through before it lets go. Even melting plastic and metal won't give that quickly short of a nuclear blast.

Wes

I-SIG

WilliamM2 wrote: »

There is some risk when the power comes back on-line. The best protection against that is whole house surge protection. Call your utility company for more info, but mine will install them for free when you purchase the unit. About $500 last time I checked.

Correct, especially if the power has been off for a few hours or more. It's what we call "cold load pick-up" and it can be a ****. It is much less of a problem if the break or recloser simply operates a time or two to clear the fault but there will still be a small spike and some transients from lots of equipment getting re-energized after being a 1/3-3 seconds.

Wes

ben62670

I have seen the whole house protectors as described above take the hit, and prevent the rest of the house from receiving damage. That being said the ground wire isn't/can't be protected by such a device. Power can still travel through the ground wires and destroy electronics, and appliances. But protecting the whole house is still the best bet. Unless you get a direct hit you will be covered.

hearingimpared

wingnut4772 wrote: »

But what if you are not home...? I always worried about that and I always left my amps on.

If I'm leaving for any length of time I always check the weather forcast. If there is the slightest hint of rain off everything goes and plugs pulled 2 ch rig, tvs, PCs, etc.