What to do in thunderstorms - PEA issues guidelines

[Thailand]

Thunderstorms are OK, it's the lightning that causes the problems.

[holy cow cm]

8 hours ago, Thujone said:

Well you learn something every day.

I've never heard of anybody having stuff blown up during lightning strikes.

I've never heard of anybody unplugging during a storm.

 

Mme Thujone believes that if somebody says they have had good luck and something has never happened to them, then it will soon happen to them. It's a semi-mystical belief.

 

So I'd better put in an order for a new fridge...

Believe it or not. It is true.

[Litlos]

The bit about the mobile phone is a carryover from do not use a corded phone, which is perfectly sensible, do not use mobile phone makes no sense.

For the whole of house surge arrestors I can vouch for them doing their job, I have lost nothing in 5 years. I have 3phase power so procured 4ea of the surge arrestors, bought a 4 slot din mount box from Wadsadu and wired one arrestor to each phase and one to neutral. It is extremely important the drain wires of these are wired to a good reliable earth using at least 4mm cable, the spec says 2.5mm from memory, but I always go a size bigger on this sort of thing.

The ones I got I procured locally, paste" 4P LT1‑65 Surge Protector 65ka" into Lazada and there they are, though supplied from China. I intended to get some from Australia, but these one are doing the job.

ELCB may not protect you from lightning, they are designed to protect you from current flowing through you to earth. The term ELCB is an old term as well for the generation 1 devices, I think we are at generation 3 or 4 now and they are referred to as RCBO's

 

Cheers

[trainman34014]

18 hours ago, bluesofa said:

If I had a Baht for every blackout since I started keep track in October 2013, I'd have 90 Baht (seriously).

 

About the same here since 2016.

Edited May 2, 2021 by trainman34014

[scubascuba3]

After the last storm i had a TV and fan start behaving strangely, maybe I'll do the unplug advice

Edited May 2, 2021 by scubascuba3

[Thujone]

3 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

Believe it or not. It is true.

I'm not doubting your word in the slightest.

It's just new to me.

[holy cow cm]

1 hour ago, Thujone said:

I'm not doubting your word in the slightest.

It's just new to me.

Yeah, my first TV that got fried shocked me too. 

[snowgard]

Last week a lightning strike damaged 1 aircon, 1 UPS, 5 LED Lights, 2 IP cameras and a mobile phone charger in my home. 

Now I ordered on Lazada some lightning strike protection devices and I will install it in the next days.

 

I hope this will protect my home better.

1. Surge Protection Device (SPD)
2. Over Voltage Protection (SVP)

[Pilotman]

On 5/1/2021 at 1:51 PM, Bluespunk said:

besides what’s life without a little risk. 

Ending soon ????

[Kiujunn]

How and where to get a lightning rod?

Nobody in the village has one. They are scared to death of thunderstorms but don't want a lightning rod ( they know ehat it is).

 

Any experiences?

 

[Lacessit]

On 5/1/2021 at 1:40 PM, Mr Meeseeks said:

I'd avoid golf.

 

I keep a 1-iron in my golf bag, hold it up if I'm caught in a thunderstorm. According to Lee Trevino, not even God can hit a 1-iron.

 

[Bluespunk]

16 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Ending soon ????

And yet here I stand. 

[johng]

Some more sage advise ( tested by the Mythbusters too)

 

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by johng

[Pilotman]

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

And yet here I stand. 

for the moment 

[PGSan]

On 5/1/2021 at 6:51 PM, bluesofa said:

If I had a Baht for every blackout since I started keep track in October 2013, I'd have 90 Baht (seriously).

 

That is only an average of about one per month, is it not?  That is very low so it seems that you are doing very well compared to most of us.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

for the moment 

Yep and after 50 plus years of watching lightning from windows and balconies, I feel for a good time yet...

[holy cow cm]

16 hours ago, Kiujunn said:

How and where to get a lightning rod?

Nobody in the village has one. They are scared to death of thunderstorms but don't want a lightning rod ( they know ehat it is).

 

Any experiences?

 

The problem is the lightening hits power poles and then send the current through the lines into your home like a tsunami of electricity.

[holy cow cm]

Last night CM later night where I am had a big electrical rain storm. Ran down stairs and unplugged lap top (irreplaceable), tv's and some other items. Had a close strike or two. 

[Mike k]

38 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Last night CM later night where I am had a big electrical rain storm. Ran down stairs and unplugged lap top (irreplaceable), tv's and some other items. Had a close strike or two. 

I'm like you my laptop is irreplaceable I keep it unplugged 

[holy cow cm]

1 minute ago, Mike k said:

I'm like you my laptop is irreplaceable I keep it unplugged 

Yep. I don't keep everything or most things in a cloud as don't trust it. So I download most all important things of sensitive info onto a USB plug. In a way I still stay semi old school. Bottom line is laptop is unplugged with the monitor to avoid a potential problem. 

[Kiujunn]

52 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

The problem is the lightening hits power poles and then send the current through the lines into your home like a tsunami of electricity.

I understand this. 

But can't lightning ever hit the house?  Won't that be a problem? 

[holy cow cm]

1 minute ago, Kiujunn said:

I understand this. 

But can't lightning ever hit the house?  Won't that be a problem? 

Yes anything is possible but I would gather more very unlikely. All of my blown fried items occurred from power lines being hit. Guess that is the least path of resistance that attracts the strike.