lightning strike and the TV

addiebee · May 1, 2010

We had a hum-dinger of a thunderstorm move through here around 6 am. I am 99 percent sure that a bolt of lighting either hit the house or the lines going into the house with the expected reaction by the electrical appliances. Everything seems fine - except the old TV in the livingroom. It will click on - but the screen won't light up. It was on a surge strip... but I am wondering if a surge of power knocked out the tube. Anyone have any insights?

This set is at least 20 years old - has a built-in VCR player!

Looks like I am going TV shopping today. Mom gave me the OK to buy a new one.

farleyv · May 1, 2010

Oh Man! I hate storms, well lightening. We always unplugged the television growing up. My parents didn't like storms, and they passed that on to me. Lucky me.

I can remember lightening striking so close, it made the phone ring!

ruthyb · May 1, 2010

oh my goodness, lucky it was just the tv, it does sound like the tube has gone. I think we are due some thunderstorms over the weekend sometime, hope they aren't that bad. x

addiebee · May 1, 2010

I tried one more thing - I unplugged the TV and waited a few minutes and then plugged it back in. Now it works. Maybe it just needed to be reset. Whew!!!

A new TV big enough for that room would be $$$$$$$!!!!!

pushylady · May 1, 2010

Oh good, I/m glad it works again! That'll save you a small fortune for a new one.
We had a thunderstorm here this morning too, around 8am. Probably the same one rolling in from Michigan! It took the power out too, which often happens around here.

momofmany · May 1, 2010

I had a microwave burn out from a close lightning strike one time. It's one of the few things that isn't on a power strip in my house.

Not to make anyone paranoid, but if there is a strong lightning storm in your area, stay away from anything that is plugged into an electrical outlet. A man who lives a few miles down the road from me was sitting in his living room next to his phone (the kind that rests in a cradle that is plugged into the wall). Lightning struck a tree in his yard and the bolt continued up into his house, through his wiring, and struck him while he sat on his sofa. He was out of work for about 4 months recovering from it.

catlover19 · May 1, 2010

We had a storm here this morning too. They are calling for storms all day today. At my parents old house, we had lightning hit the house and burn out the lightbulbs. It was a loud scary bang.

chinacat · May 1, 2010

When I was a kid lightening struck our tv aerial. It blew all the fuses in our house & next door (it was a semi-detached house). The tv and video weren't switched on but were plugged in. The plugs were blown into pieces and, needless to say, the tv and video no longer worked. The was a huge scorch mark where it earthed between the cooker and the freezer. If there's a bad thunderstorm (luckily we don't get many) I always unplug things just in case. When I first met my husband he thought I was nuts going round switching everything off & unplugging it!!

strange_wings · May 1, 2010

Your smaller strips, and sometimes even the larger expensive ones, won't do much if you get a close enough hit. Also, if your cable is not routed through it tvs can get fried that way.

butzie · May 1, 2010

Gee! In the Catskills before cable was available, you had to unplug the TV from the outlet or the lightning could blow out the tube. The antenna sat up the hill behind the house a fair bit.

That wasn't the only worry for the poor TV. A squirrel electrocuted himself by eating the wire. Poof! TV needed something.

Now there is cable. Haven't had anything hit it or eat it yet!

babz · May 1, 2010

WARNING do NOT read if your eating.......

One time we had a severe lightening storm and a tree in the back yard was hit and we heard a loud boom! We new something wasn't right when all of a sudden the smell of poop filled the house.

Yes, I said poop! Well, what had happened was that the lightening hit the tree and traveled underground and came up and out of our septic tank! The cement lid, earth and poop exploded into the air and all over the side of the house. We could smell it so bad because the explosion forced the gases to come up through the pipes at a high rate of speed.

So that's my icky story! I still can't get the image out of my mind! It's burned in!

catsknowme · May 1, 2010

Originally Posted by BABZ

WARNING do NOT read if your eating.......

One time we had a severe lightening storm and a tree in the back yard was hit and we heard a loud boom! We new something wasn't right when all of a sudden the smell of poop filled the house.

Yes, I said poop! Well, what had happened was that the lightening hit the tree and traveled underground and came up and out of our septic tank! The cement lid, earth and poop exploded into the air and all over the side of the house. We could smell it so bad because the explosion forced the gases to come up through the pipes at a high rate of speed.

So that's my icky story! I still can't get the image out of my mind! It's burned in!

That is gross, but also a CLASSIC - that should be one for the family memoirs. We have septic tanks in our area, so it's easy for me to imagine....It makes sense, too, because all that leech would surely have attracted the electricity.
What a disaster, though - losing your sewer system

Not to mention the smell

ebrillblaiddes · May 1, 2010

Originally Posted by Momofmany

A man who lives a few miles down the road from me was sitting in his living room next to his phone (the kind that rests in a cradle that is plugged into the wall). Lightning struck a tree in his yard and the bolt continued up into his house, through his wiring, and struck him while he sat on his sofa. He was out of work for about 4 months recovering from it.

Yeah, but he has a heck of a story to tell forever...I mean, that's the kind of story that gets you on TV...so he just might come out ahead in that one...

trouts mom · May 2, 2010

Oh good that it works again!

pushylady · May 2, 2010

Originally Posted by BABZ

WARNING do NOT read if your eating.......

One time we had a severe lightening storm and a tree in the back yard was hit and we heard a loud boom! We new something wasn't right when all of a sudden the smell of poop filled the house.

Yes, I said poop! Well, what had happened was that the lightening hit the tree and traveled underground and came up and out of our septic tank! The cement lid, earth and poop exploded into the air and all over the side of the house. We could smell it so bad because the explosion forced the gases to come up through the pipes at a high rate of speed.

So that's my icky story! I still can't get the image out of my mind! It's burned in!

OMG1

oh boy that is so gross!

But funny too! Eewwww, who was the lucky person who had to clean that off?

bellaandme · May 3, 2010

When I was a teenager there was a bolt of lightning that hit our TV and started a fire. Thank God we were home and didn't lose anything (except the TV). So I always unplug it when it storms--lesson learned

momofmany · May 3, 2010

Originally Posted by ebrillblaiddes

Yeah, but he has a heck of a story to tell forever...I mean, that's the kind of story that gets you on TV...so he just might come out ahead in that one...

He did make it on TV but he didn't come out ahead at all. He used to be very athletic and those days are gone for him.

lightning strike and the TV

addiebee

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farleyv

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ruthyb

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addiebee

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pushylady

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momofmany

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catlover19

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chinacat

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strange_wings

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butzie

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babz

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catsknowme

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ebrillblaiddes

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trouts mom

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pushylady

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bellaandme

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momofmany

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