Trump's policies would jeopardize Social Security, report finds.

[brianthainess]

Yesterday afternoon, there I was just trying to get my 'power nap'...the whole room suddenly flashed blue with an immediate massive BOOM ! of Thunder, beep beep off goes the A/C, light still on, louver still open,  I re-started it again after a few minuets, beep beep off it goes again, I tried it on all settings no cold air, turned it off/on at the mains , re-start same same, I looked at the unit outside it was not working at all. The inside unit will run on 'Fan' only but that's it, the A/C guys can't make till late afternoon today if at all today. So I was just wondering what could be stuffed, at this moment in time I'm thinking the motor's magnet has been shot from the lightning's magnetic force ?? R/C didn't trip, and there was a 'clack' in my ceiling space when it first happened. Any Thoughts ???

Oh and when I opened my laptop after, there was strong storm warning for my area that I have never seen appear before.

Edited October 15 by brianthainess

[Puccini]

Quote

Lightening strike v Air Con

 

Given the choice between a lightening strike and an air conditioner, I take the air conditioner.

[HappyExpat57]

I recently took a trip to Pattaya when lightning hit at or near the hotel I was staying at. Though there were no signs of burning, the power supply to the laptop died, the usb-c to HDMI cable died, and I had to rebuild the laptop. Sh!t happens.

[degrub]

At the very least the ground/earth ( and probably Neutral) potentials were elevated as the earth absorbed the 30-60,000 amps of current nearby. Computer controller boards and their power supplies usually have very limited resistance to an elevated earth voltage. Solid state inverter units are another example.  A surge protector on the power input to the device can help. Lots of possibilities with a close strike. If some of the current passed along over the outer surface of the building, then all bets are off , particularly anything on the balcony. And you do get a magnetic field effect from that amount of current nearby. Structural steel can be magnetized by a hit and cause deflection of a compass when held close by. You can get similar effect from an arc welder, or so i am told 😉.

 

So what did the techs find ?

[brianthainess]

On 10/16/2024 at 5:41 AM, degrub said:

At the very least the ground/earth ( and probably Neutral) potentials were elevated as the earth absorbed the 30-60,000 amps of current nearby. Computer controller boards and their power supplies usually have very limited resistance to an elevated earth voltage. Solid state inverter units are another example.  A surge protector on the power input to the device can help. Lots of possibilities with a close strike. If some of the current passed along over the outer surface of the building, then all bets are off , particularly anything on the balcony. And you do get a magnetic field effect from that amount of current nearby. Structural steel can be magnetized by a hit and cause deflection of a compass when held close by. You can get similar effect from an arc welder, or so i am told 😉.

 

So what did the techs find ?

Well I eventually got someone to come out and check it after the long weekend, (2 were not answering my calls), and they found this. It is expensive IMO at 3.5+K plus he wants 1k labour charge, he has said that includes an earth ?? although the whole unit is earthed to my house system. But it's cheaper than buying a new A/C. I don't see what an 'extra' earth will achieve. I've been without A/C now for eight days and still no word on when it will be repaired, and he took a 2k deposit now sitting in 30.5 degrees with 2 fans directed straight at me, 🥵

[simon43]

On 10/15/2024 at 10:26 AM, brianthainess said:

... So I was just wondering what could be stuffed, at this moment in time I'm thinking the motor's magnet has been shot from the lightning's magnetic force ??...

Lightning is a static electricity discharge and static electricity has no magnetic component 🙂

[Yellowtail]

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

Well I eventually got someone to come out and check it after the long weekend, (2 were not answering my calls), and they found this. It is expensive IMO at 3.5+K plus he wants 1k labour charge, he has said that includes an earth ?? although the whole unit is earthed to my house system. But it's cheaper than buying a new A/C. I don't see what an 'extra' earth will achieve. I've been without A/C now for eight days and still no word on when it will be repaired, and he took a 2k deposit now sitting in 30.5 degrees with 2 fans directed straight at me, 🥵

It could be having a separate earth would keep it from being fried with the next strike.

 

If the lightning likely did not hit the AC, but the house, it could be that the earth tied to the house is what smoked it...

[johng]

It certainly looks smoked !  probably could have found a replacement online (lazada or shopee) that would have arrived faster than 8 days

but there unfortunately may be other components smoked too.

[Yellowtail]

25 minutes ago, johng said:

It certainly looks smoked !  probably could have found a replacement online (lazada or shopee) that would have arrived faster than 8 days

but there unfortunately may be other components smoked too.

But Lazada would not come out and figure out what was wrong. 

 

I would have just taken the board to my FIL and he would have fixed the board with a B20 part. 

[connda]

My bets are the Lightening Strike won! 

Hope ya'll are safe and unharmed.  Sorry to hear about the untimely demise of the Aircon. 

[Fruit Trader]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

Lightning is a static electricity discharge and static electricity has no magnetic component 🙂

 

Lightning is a varying electric current and does exactly what we expect from varying electric currents, it produces EM waves. These waves can be detected many kilometres from the source.

Inverter type air conditioners that are not correctly grounded will be more susceptible to damage from spikes on the supply line. Its quite common for Thai installers to not ground outdoor units which later gets picked up during warranty claims.  

Edited 58 minutes ago by Fruit Trader