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Lightning Damage

  • 19-06-2023 3:21pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 997 ✭✭✭Peppa Cig


    Lightning over the weekend caused significant damage on the electrical supply. Couple of sockets blown off wall in garage. One socket has scorch mark. Following items no longer working:

    Electric gates

    Robot Mower

    Car battery charger

    Mains electric fence unit

    etc.

    Some sockets had a surge device on them but clearly useless.

    is surge protection at the Mains “consumer unit” a thing/possible?

    Is that a solution or is plugging devices out the only protection against lightning?

    Thanks

    Post edited by Peppa Cig on


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 807 ✭✭✭CreadanLady


    All those are toast. Scrap the lot.

    The MFV Creadan Lady is a mussel dredger from Dunmore East.



  • Posts: 0 Alijah Moldy Belt


    A properly set-up lightning conductor system is the only thing to help prevent this type of thing. Few private houses have them, apartment blocks in my estate do though. As our climate changes towards more lightning strikes these systems will be ever more sought after. There’s one company in Dublin 15 providing a risk assessment, installation & testing service.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 997 ✭✭✭Peppa Cig


    or replace the “circuit” boards (hopefully)?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 997 ✭✭✭Peppa Cig


    .s



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,171 ✭✭✭The Continental Op


    Any insurance? Your normally covered for Lightening damage. I've written a few reports for Insurance companies stating that computers were damaged by lightening or individual components were damaged. In the worse cases like the OP's its easy enough to take pictures of the damage to show it was lightening.

    Wake me up when it's all over.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,957 ✭✭✭kirk.


    I think type 2 spds are standard now in new houses

    Type 1 or 1+2 if there's overhead lines at risk of lightning strikes

    Can't say as I know too much



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,957 ✭✭✭kirk.


    Bit of information there

    I'd assume for domestic only concerned with SPDs fitted at board unless there's a specific risk of strike to the building itself

    Was it just the supply cables hit , are they overhead



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 155 ✭✭windowcills


    Did ya try new psu in lawmmower, should be cheap enough



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,957 ✭✭✭kirk.


    Maybe a few items repairable ?

    Would be important to get a REC straightaway to check wiring imo



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,373 ✭✭✭iwillhtfu


    Was the damage isolated to the garage and if so I wonder would be that there was no earth rod installed there?

    Those items you've listed should have a glass fuse on board so you may get away with a few fuses. If you go down the PCB route price it all up before starting as you may find it's cheaper to replace and claim on insurance.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 807 ✭✭✭CreadanLady


    Replace the lot and claim off insurance. Less hassle than fiddling around with PSUs and fuses and circuit boards. Might get going but might be troublesome.

    Be done with it and replace. Surely better things to be doing than fiddling with the innards of things.

    The MFV Creadan Lady is a mussel dredger from Dunmore East.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,957 ✭✭✭kirk.


    Unless you can repair after claiming

    I presume there isn't any fraud involved in that ?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 807 ✭✭✭CreadanLady


    I know yeah, but why would you be bothered with buying parts and spending hours and hours fiddling around with the insides of things, when after all that it still might not work.

    The MFV Creadan Lady is a mussel dredger from Dunmore East.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,957 ✭✭✭kirk.


    You wouldn't spend hours and hours

    You'd diagnose and repair or else scrap as you advised



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 997 ✭✭✭Peppa Cig


    Not sure - I guess surge via supply cables. Rural location - no overhead supply cables just ESB pole with our supply out front.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 997 ✭✭✭Peppa Cig


    Not sure - I guess surge via supply cables. Rural location - no overhead supply cables just ESB pole with our supply out front.

    thanks



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 997 ✭✭✭Peppa Cig




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 997 ✭✭✭Peppa Cig


    95% related to garage power supply.

    I don’t think garage has its own earth rod. Feed to detached garage is from house consumer unit so it would be earthed to the main earth rod for house.

    Should garage have its own earth rod?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,957 ✭✭✭kirk.


    Probably type 1 and type 2 combination at the boards starting with type 1 , from my cursory understanding

    Type 3 then is closer to specific items of electronic equipment if needed then afaik

    I would talk to a company that works in the field and get the wiring checked



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,373 ✭✭✭iwillhtfu


    I would suggest yes but can't be sure if it is a requirement. The lightning strike will look for the quickest path to ground so likely the reason for sockets being damaged etc as it travelled it's path. I'd have said an earth rod would've minimised the damage at least.

    I'd take a look at internal fuses before going buying expensive parts.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 997 ✭✭✭Peppa Cig


    Never made an insurance claim before so rang then to see the story.

    Have always had building and contents insurance but they said the optional “Accidental Damage” cover would be required to cover the items above :(

    I queried it as policy states cover for “Storm Damage” and it was a “Thunderstorm” that caused damage!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,957 ✭✭✭kirk.


    Id say you're talking nonsense as usual checking fuses and garage earth rods

    Type 2 spd is 30 euro



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,171 ✭✭✭The Continental Op


    Phone again its not accidental damage. I suspect your outdoor stuff won't be covered but anything plugged in inside should be along with the house wiring.

    Wake me up when it's all over.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,333 ✭✭✭Antenna


    You say you have an electric fence unit

    I would suspect the jolt entered via the electric fence wire. It will of course jump over to the mains inside the fence unit.

    One of these may have prevented or lessened the damage


    Any other damage to what you list above? Cordless phone base units are very high risk of being blown (or anything connected to both a phone line and mains) though maybe this doesn't apply to you. Its advisable to plug them out in a lightning storm if you can.

    Post edited by Antenna on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,171 ✭✭✭The Continental Op


    If thats the case don't tell the insurance company as that might bandjax any claim.

    Wake me up when it's all over.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,373 ✭✭✭iwillhtfu


    I can't say you're as memorable to me but you know what they say about opinions and all that.

    Good luck OP hopefully you manage to diagnose and prevent from happening again.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 997 ✭✭✭Peppa Cig


    Thanks! That would make sense.

    Biggest visual impact was the fencer “exploded” off the wall.

    The next biggest impact was the socket next to the fencer with socket plug blown out.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,715 ✭✭✭10-10-20


    fencer, no. "Auxiliary power supply" blew off the wall. Right. 😉



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,567 ✭✭✭Risteard81


    To prevent against direct lightning strike you would need a Type 1 SPD at the origin of the installation, and then cascading Type 2 and Type 3 SPDs. You would also need an LPS if you have a Type 1 SPD.

    A Type 2 SPD in the DBs with an Earth rod isn't going to do anything to protect against direct lightning strikes. It's more to do with switching surges in the network.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,957 ✭✭✭kirk.


    Would be important to be getting a rec out here obviously after this



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,603 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    Several million volts can flow from a lightning strike! So no amount of equipment can guarantee absolute protection from a direct (or near direct) strike. However, installing SPD's and implementing other measures can reduce the impact. Adequate grounding and bonding systems help minimize the potential for damage and will reduce the risk of electric shock.

    According to IS10101 when wiring a domestic installation SPD's must be installed unless a risk assessment is generated that states that they are not necessary. Due to the fact that these devices are relatively cheap I don't expect that many will generate a RA to avoid installing SPD's.

    Depending on the outcome of a Risk Assessment larger installations (not domestic) may have external lightning protection systems installed, these would be certified to EN 62305 (Protection against lightning). These systems typically include "air terminations" (lightning rods), multiple "down conductors", and grounding systems to intercept the lightning strike and provide a controlled path for the lightning current to flow (less) harmlessly into the ground.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 155 ✭✭windowcills


    I dont feel like i really "own" something until i have fixed it in someway



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,715 ✭✭✭10-10-20


    Well I have it first-hand here now. Lightening strike very close to the house yesterday appears to have come though the Virgin Media cable and into the house, crossed over to my ethernet network and took out the VM box, attached TV, routers and switches and network cards on some systems. So effectively many of the devices which had a potential between the wired ethernet and the AC was damaged. No AC devices which were standalone (without an ethernet cable) were affected. 😫 No SPD on the AC mains-in was going to prevent that. One other person has a damaged Sky box, that's all of the other damage that I know of.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,171 ✭✭✭The Continental Op


    Has anyone any experience of lightning hitting external ethernet cables? Luckily while I've installed a good few outside I've never had a lightning strike, even used properly earth In Line Surge Protectors like these however no idea if they actually work. I've read a few reports of them not working but did they reduce inevitable damage or do no good at all, were they even installed correctly? Problem is most of the affordable ones have the made in china look about them that always leads to questions.

    I'd be a little dubious of ANY SPD protecting from a direct hit. I've seen a coms tower that got hit and you could see where the cables were in the ground by the trench blown out and burnt grass from the strike. I also seen trees vaporised by lightning strikes (missed one by a couple of minutes it left timber thrown 100 meters or more from the strike). However I'm sort of prepared to believe an SPD device might help except in a worse case scenario and might also help in a worse case by preventing more damage?

    Wake me up when it's all over.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,333 ✭✭✭Antenna



    it would be a big advantage of a changeover to fibre-to-the-home. The fibre cable is going to be non-conductive of electricity with the benefit that this cannot happen!



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,715 ✭✭✭10-10-20


    True, and it's making me think about fibre between my switches too.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,898 ✭✭✭CelticRambler


    I'm in a different part of the world (as you know!) and the main board is fitted with a surgeprotector that gets regular exercise. A couple of weeks ago, a very local strike sent a surge through the power cables and tripped the main supply switch, so there was no external feed to the house. A few minutes later, while I was still using a mouse connected to the laptop (on battery, but still plugged into the wall socket) an even localler strike sent a shock up my arm and tripped the main switch for the rail on which that circuit hangs.

    I assume it can only have been caused by an induced current in the in-house cables as the lightning passed overhead, seeing as the laptop was effectively offline in every other respect. If 60cm stone walls can't protect against that, I reckon an outdoor ethernet cable would be just as vulnerable (although possibly more likely to melt first?)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,957 ✭✭✭kirk.


    From the farming forum

    I presume you'd need type 1 spd at the shed board to prevent lightning damage coming in on the fence wiring .That's if you're not using the above.

    The literature only shows SPD1 at the origin assuming lightning strike coming in on the supply side



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