Randella said:
...
What had happend was lightning had caused a power surge and my neighbor
didn't realize that if you turn off the surge protector that it no
longer functions as a surge protector....
Needless to say that yes the power supply is ruined... However the
original motherboard is burnt through as well.
...
Turning off surge protector does not eliminate a protector function.
If power switch disconnected protection, then it also disconnected
computer. Disconnected protection remains connected to disconnected
computer. Where did that power strip myth come from?
Appreciate what a shunt mode protector does. It shunts. To be
effective, a protector makes a short connection to earth. That is
what an effective 'whole house' protector does. Effective protectors
have that essential and dedicated earth grounding wire.
Plug-in protectors don't even claim protection in numerical
specifications. Don't take my word for it. If a plug-in protector
claimed protection from typically destructive surges, then it would
list numbers for each type of surge. Instead it claims protection from
a vague surge hoping you will assume that 'vague' applies to all types
of transients.
Effective protectors make a short connection to earth. Let's look at
that circuit from lightning's perspective. What does lightning seek?
Earth. Lightning enters a building because a 'whole house' protector
did not provide a 'less than 10 foot' connection to earth. It arrives
at plug-in protector and computer on black 'hot' wire. What does a
plug-in protector do? Does it somehow block lightning? No. It shunts.
It connects that surge to all other wires - white and green. Now that
surge has more wires to find earth ground, destructively, via computer.
Adjacent protector has simply provided lightning with more destructive
paths.
Why does lightning damage electronics? Because lightning seeks earth
ground as Franklin demonstrated in 1752. Computer is in a destructive
path from cloud to earth. First lightning flows through everything in
that path. Only then does something in that path fail. You have
computer damage because a plug-in protector was too close to
transistors and too far from earth ground. Plug-in protector does not
even claim to protect from that type of transient - see its numerical
specs. That shunt mode protector had no short path to earth ... to
shunt (connect, divert) lightning into. Manufacturer will not even
discuss earthing.
Did you think that a plug-in protector would stop what 3 miles of
sky could not? They hope you assume that myth. No protector is
effective at stopping, blocking, or absorbing surges. As Ben Franklin
demonstrated in 1752: protection is about earthing (shunting,
diverting, connecting) before lightning can enter a building.
How to identify an ineffective (and overhyped) protector? 1) It has no
dedicated wire for making a 'less than 10 foot' connection to earth.
2) Manufacturer avoids all discussion about earthing.
Meanwhile all appliances already have effective protection.
Protection in your computer that was overwhelmed because lightning is
not earthed where all utilities enter the building. Protection
techniques even demonstrated on 1930s Empire State Building where 25
direct strikes occur annually. They also don't use ineffective plug-in
protectors. Effective protection techniques are that old and that well
understood.
Your phone line already has a 'whole house' protector installs by
telco, for free, because it is so effective and so inexpensive. As
effective as an earth ground that was provided by builder. Same earth
ground should connect direct to cable TV wire - no protector required.
Cable TV also makes a 'less than 10 foot' connection before entering
building. AC electric - the most common source of destructive
transients - requires a 'whole house' protector for earthing..
Effective protector is from responsible companies such as GE, Square
D, Intermatic, Cutler-Hammer, Polyphaser, Leviton, and Siemens. Notice
these are major names for electrical equipment. Not listed are
Tripplite, Isobar, Belkin, and APC. Effective 'whole house'
protectors are sold in Home Depot, Lowes, and electrical supply houses.
If your building does not meet post 1990 National Electrical Code
(NEC), then minimally acceptable and essential earthing probably does
not exist. No earth ground means no effective protection.
Building's earthing must be inspected AND may need to be upgraded.
This is an abridged introduction to effective computer protection.
IOW fix the computer. Then fix reason for damage. Plug-in protectors
can even contribute to damage of a powered off computer. Surge that
was not earthed at the building entrance was simply provided a
destructive path through an adjacent computer by an adjacent power
strip protector. Effective protector is distant from computer AND as
close to single point earth ground as is possible - which is why
effective protectors have that dedicated earthing wire.
One final point. Above discusses secondary protection. Your primary
protection also should be inspected:
http://www.tvtower.com/fpl.html
Good luck fixing the problem AND eliminating reasons for that damage.
Protection is only as effective as its earth ground. Earth ground is
THE most critical component for lightning protection. Earthing is what
ineffective protectors will not even discuss. But then you have
already demonstrated how ineffective plug-in protectors are. Your
protector only did what the manufacturer specs claimed. Therefore you
suffered damage.
