Such a severe natural electrical force often leads to extensive thermal and physical damage whether its a direct strike or one occurring close-by. Even materials that are not obviously part of an electrical damage can be damaged by a lightning strike.
When lightning strikes the earth it heats and expands the air.
Electrical damage from lightning strike. Here are some of the most common problems caused by lightning. Lightning travels from the clouds to the ground from the fastest path. Sometimes this path is the wiring or the plumbing system of your house causing a power surge.
Power surges can also be caused if lightning strikes a power line in your neighborhood. Lightning and the damage that it causes are unpredictable. If your home is struck by lightning you will hear a powerful boom that will shake your entire house.
Most homes are equipped to handle being struck by lightning. However there are a few electrical problems you may experience. A power surge fire and shock wave are the most common issues.
When lightning strikes near a power line it can increase the amount of electrical current flowing to a wall outlet. This extra burst of electricity is often too much for a surge protector to handle which can lead to computer and appliance damage. Lightning is the transfer of electrical charge from cloud-to-cloud or cloud-to-ground.
When lightning strikes the earth it heats and expands the air. The expanding air causes a shock and pressure wave. As electrical charge from a cloud approaches the ground streamers from objects on the ground rise to meet the charge from the cloud.
Lightning Damage to Electronics. Lightning typically damages electronics in one of two ways. The first is a direct lightning strike to the home which is an infrequent occurrence.
A direct lightning strike will cause significant damage to electrical and nonelectrical items in the home. Did you know that lightning is the single biggest cause of damage to and destruction of electrical and electronic equipment in industrial facilities commercial buildings and homes. Due to the ever changing climate and rising temperatures lightning strikes are becoming more and more frequent.
This is the remanence of 2 distribution boards that have been struck by a lightning strike. John I have repaired several homes that have been struck by lightning many of varying degrees of damage. The worst one destroyed every electrical and electronic device in the home and the lightning surge actually blew the wire cable jacket open where the voltage went to ground to a gas pipe in the attic where the cable crossed the pipe.
A lightning strikes temperatures are several times greater than the surface of the sun. Such a severe natural electrical force often leads to extensive thermal and physical damage whether its a direct strike or one occurring close-by. A direct lightning strike will cause significant damage to electrical and nonelectrical items in the home.
In many instances this will start a fire often in the wiring within the walls or the attic. It can also cause structural damage to the roof chimney or sometimes the. If lightning strikes a tree in your yard and your car is close by can this cause your car to not work properly.
I had an employee call in stating that lightning struck a tree beside their mobile home and now her car will not go into reverse or drive sounded like it was running so Im a little baffled at this. Just about everyone knows lightning can damage expensive electronics. Televisions telephones computers and other electronic goods are under threat during an electrical storm.
The surge caused by a nearby lightning strike can cause serious damage to many building components electrical plumbing even structural and siding trim appliances etc. Even if the lightning bolt did not strike the home directly. Even materials that are not obviously part of an electrical damage can be damaged by a lightning strike.
It is capable of traveling thousands of feet or more so lightning will hit pretty much anything. There have been cases of lightning striking your home causing lights to go out or even starting a fire. This can result in electrical problems that is caused by passing a current through a metal wires.
The worst happens if a lightning strikes on the sub station that can force kilo amps through this resistance. This causes catastrophic damage to an electronic circuit that also uses the earth of the house wiring. When lightning hits a structure directly or even near it an electrical current enters the structure.
This can be a direct hit or result in a power surge. Either can cause electronics to malfunction. But they dont always cause terminal damage.
Power surges are spikes in voltage. Lightning strikes can cause damage to home electrical systems and electrical devices such as a ceiling fan. It would be best to have the ceiling fan and the electrical wiring checked and inspected to find out the extent of the damage and then make the necessary repairs as needed.
I hope this helps Dave. Claims involving damaged electrical wiring can cross an adjusters desk for a number of reasons. Whether your insured claims that the wiring was damaged from a high heat event such as a lightning strike or a fire or improperly installed electrical wiring led to a fire within the structure it is important to determine what caused the damage and what steps need to be taken to return the.
Concealed damage from lightning strikes and surges to your electrical system can be detected with CurrentSAFE instruments. According to statistic compiled by the Insurance Information Institute did you know that among homeowners nationwide Ohio ranks in the TOP 10 States for Lightning Strikes and Surge related losses. Damage Caused by a Power Surge.
In recent years power surge damage has become a bigger problem than it ever has been in the past. This is because the average facility now consists of many appliances and electronics that are susceptible to electrical surges caused by lightning strikes electrical malfunctions bad wiring and other such issues. Understanding the damaged caused by indirect lightning strikes is important for anyone in the oil and gas industry.
These lightning strikes can cause major damage to any facility and also pose significant safety concerns for any workers in the near vicinity of these strikes. The main difference between a direct and indirect lightning strike is that an indirect lightning strike occurs on an. Of the lightning strike.
A direct hit generally destroys a transmitter. Even nearby strikes can induce damaging currents in piping or wiring. A lightning strike on process piping will usually damage the sensor module and may damage the electronics of a transmitter.
A strike on signal or power leads will cause damage to the sensor module. People do not realize it but lightning strikes are treated the same in the insurance world as fire and in Florida they fall under what is called The Value Policy Law This means if you can prove that 80 percent of the home needs to be replaced or has been damaged then the insurance company has to pay policy limits on the insurance claim. If lightning chooses any of the homes electrical wiring as its primary or secondary path the explosive surge can damage even non-electronic appliances that are connected.
Even if most of the lightning current takes other paths to ground the homes electrical system will experience enough of a surge to cause potentially significant damage to anything connected to it electronics in particular.