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Computers and Thunderstorms in Limousin, France

12 August 2010

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COMPUTERS AND THUNDERSTORMS

France receives on average one million lightning strikes per year. It is unfortunate, but a fact of life that computers and related products are susceptible to power surges caused by lightning strikes as well as other issues such as brownouts (reduced supply voltage – e.g. dimming of lights) and blackouts (total loss of power).

Lightning can send a spectacular power surge along any conductive line destroying everything in its path. The most likely scenario is not a direct lightning strike but rather a nearby strike on a transformer or piece of electrical equipment. If the surge is powerful enough, it travels instantaneously through wiring and telephone lines with the electrical force equivalent of a tidal wave. The surge enters your home via electrical or telephone lines, putting all connected equipment at risk. Even a slight surge can damage delicate modern electronics such as computers, fax machines, stereo systems, scanners, and printers.

If you have suffered a lightning strike, the first computer casualty will normally be either your router (e.g. a livebox) an internal modem or your motherboard. The router or modem often takes the brunt of it because it is connected to your telephone line and your motherboard (the heart of your computer where all computer components meet) will also likely suffer because it is hooked into the power supply.

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

This should be summed up with just one line:

Unplug everything from both the mains and telephone lines.

The only proven protection from a lightning strike in copper cables (like the ones used in telephone lines) is a 30cm gap.

As we all know this isn’t always possible, the storm could hit in the middle of the night or when you are away from your property so what other measures can we take to try and protect us.

ELECTRICAL PROTECTION

The best way to protect your computer from lightning is to use a good surge protector. Don't be confused. A power strip, which is a simple strip of outlets, is not necessarily a surge protector. A surge protector may look like a simple strip of outlets, but it has built-in protection against power surges. When your home receives a power spike, the surge protector takes this spike and pushes it away from the computer.

When buying a good surge protector (in French: protection contre les surtensions) look for the following features:

1. The surge protector should cover lightning strikes. Some do not.

2. If required, look for a surge protector that offers insurance to cover the loss of properly attached equipment.

3. If you have a regular modem or a router, buy a surge protector with a telephone socket where you can plug in your telephone line.

So where does the surge protector push the spike to? It uses the earth of your electrical supply. Newer wired homes use external earth ground stakes for the earth which offers great protection, while others use the cold water pipe. While cold water pipes are good candidates you should even be careful here. A plumber may have replaced sections of corroded copper pipe with plastic. This would render the pipe useless as a ground to earth.

PHONE LINE PROTECTION

Many people fail to understand they need a surge protector for their telephone line. Phone lines are used to connect computers to the Internet through their modems and routers. It is widely believed that power cords are the source of all damaging surges to the computer; that's simply not true. Only thirty percent of damage caused by lightning enters through the mains cable. Phone lines carry the majority of surges to your computer.

IF YOUR HOME TAKES A HIT

Take lightning strikes seriously. Even if your computer appears to be working you should still give it a check over in case the hit has left it in a dangerous state that might result in electric shock or fire. If you think that your computer has been hit by lightning, the first thing you need to do is to see if anything else has been damaged.

Check the phone and other electrical items for damage. If a phone is damaged then assume that the lightning has entered your PC through the modem or affected your router. If other electrical items in your home have been damaged then assume the strike has entered your computer through the power supply.

SIMPLE CHECKLIST FOR YOUR COMPUTER

Unplug the computer (Very important!) and check the outside of the case for signs of smoke or burn marks (especially around the power supply at the back)
Check the electric, telephone and network cables for signs of burning (this is why it’s very important to unplug before checking – you don’t want to be electrocuted by a damaged mains lead).
Use your sense of smell. If you can smell acrid smoke from your computer or router that’s not a good sign.

If you can tick any of the above boxes then it’s pretty evident your computer has taken a hit and will need to be repaired or replaced. If your computer wasn’t running at the time it’s quite probable that your hard drive is recoverable, thereby preserving any important document, photos, etc. Then again you do have backups, don’t you?

When it comes to lightning damage, prevention is always better than cure. If you are reading this and your computer is working fine but doesn’t have any lightning or surge protection, then you should consider getting some – the prices nowadays are quite low (around 10€ - 20€) and can be purchased from most supermarchés/hypermarchés – it’s money well spent as it can save you from costly bills later. Remember to protect the power and telephone line too.

SMILE THROUGH THE STORMS

Be sure to protect your computer and phone line with a quality surge protector or better still unplug everything. That way, when that spring or summer storm brings a damaging power surge, you'll have no need to worry because of the adequate protection you have for your equipment

LIGHTNING FACTS

Lightning puts 10 million tons of nitrogen into the Earth each year.
The Earth has 100 lightning strikes per second - 3.6 trillion per year.
The Earth has 2,000 thunderstorms at any one time.
Without thunderstorms, the earth would lose its electric charge in less than 1 hour.
Most lightning strikes occur either at the beginning or end of a storm.
Lightning is 50,000° F - three times hotter than the Sun.
Lightning is only around 1 inch in diameter.
Lightning has been observed over 100 miles long.
An average lightning flash has the energy of a 1-kiloton explosion.
Lightning voltage can be up to 300 million volts.
Corded telephones are not safe and should not be used during thunderstorms. The usual way that current enters a telephone is through the wire. Cloud-to-ground flashes tend to hit tall objects such as utility poles. When a pole is struck, its current enters a building through the wiring, then to the phone, and then straight to your head. Mobile phones and cordless phones are safer, but be sure to stand away from the cordless phone's base as a strong current can possibly arc a few feet from the base to the handset. There is still a risk of ear damage from loud static and "pops" associated with mobile phone and cordless phone use during thunderstorms.
Lightning damage to home electronics usually occurs when lightning strikes nearby utility poles or wires, then enters the building through power, phone, and TV wires. For direct or indirect hits, the only sure way is to pull the power, phone, and cable plugs on sensitive electronics before thunderstorms threaten. Never touch wires during a thunderstorm, even to unplug your equipment. People have been electrocuted while unplugging their electronics during thunderstorms. Better your computer than you!