On Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 12:00:30 PM UTC-4, westom wrote:
On Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 8:57:36 AM UTC-4, trader_4 wrote:
The most probative thing here is that the TVs and a PC are the only
things listed as damaged. Those are appliances that don't just
have a connection to AC, they are also connected to cable,
phone, antenna, etc. The first question is, did those other
TV/PC connections run through those plug-in surge protectors,
ie, there were designed to also protect coax, phone, etc and
were connected that way? If not, there's your answer.

Obviously trader_4 does not read his citations. Cable, phone, and antenna are required have (even by safety codes for human safety) surge protection.. It is installed for free. Of course, that protection is only as effective as an earth ground that a homeowner must provide.


I read and understand the citation. Here is the relevant section:

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_lhm/IEEE_Guide.pdf

5. MULTI-PORT POINT-OF-USE (PLUG-IN) PROTECTORS
Multi-port point-of-use protectors (also called plug-in protectors) normally
consist of an AC protector and one or more signal-line protectors, in a single
assembly, designed to be installed near equipment that connects to both AC and
signal lines.
These protectors serve three purposes:

1) The AC protectors normally have lower effective surge limiting voltage
than the panel protectors described in Section 2, and also might protect
against sustained AC overvoltage (Section 5.1).

2) The signal line protectors normally have lower surge limiting voltage
than the primary signal protectors described in Section 3, and might also

3) The grounds for all the protectors are connected (bonded) so that intersystem
voltages are minimized. As stated above, under lightning
conditions, large voltages can be developed between, e.g., phone, CATV
and AC grounds, and these voltage differences are frequently the cause
of lightning damage (Section 5.3).

An additional feature of the point-of-use protectors, if they are properly used (see
Section 6), is that all surge currents which come in from AC wiring and signal
connections (both active wires and grounds) are disposed of via the AC (green
wire) ground, back to the building ground. So downstream from the multiport
point-of-use protector, there are no large circulating surge currents to damage
equipment or interfere with operation."



Ok, so #2 takes care of what you're talking about. Cleary the IEEE is
saying that the primary protection that you're talking about on cable,
phone, etc is NOT sufficient.

And note that they are also, *again* endorsing the use of plug-in surge
protectors. Note that they don't say they cause damage, fires, are not
needed and should not be used. They say EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE.


An engineer will explain, again, how surges do damage and how damage is averted. Maybe this time he will read it.


Four electrical engineers that are experts in surge protection wrote
that piece I excerpted above. It's 100% consistent with what I've posted,
and completely opposite of what you say.



Most common incoming path is AC electric.

A direct lightning strike (ie 20,000 amps) far down the street is a direct
strike incoming to every appliance.

Sigh, lost in the wilderness yet again. First, if lightning can hit the
AC service, then why can't it similarly hit the phone wires strung on the
same pole?

But more importantly, a 20KA strike far down the street is *not* a
*direct strike* incoming to every appliance. As explained to you
many times, the vast majority of that energy flashes over and finds
a path to ground long before it ever enters the house. A small portion
of it may end up at the appliance.





Are all appliances damaged? Of course not.

Who ever said they all were?


It is called electricity. Both an incoming and an outgoing path must exist.