To think it’s unnecessary to turn the tv off in a storm

[Izzy24]

Especially when we don’t have an
aerial..?

[MumofBoysx2]

My mum's modern tv actually blew in a storm about 5 years ago. I think they will be OK if they are plugged into power surge plugs.

[HarrietSchulenberg]

Only metal baths are dangerous in lightning storms but they're usually earthed nowadays. When we put ours in 15 years ago it came with a dangly thing to earth it to the floorboards.
If lightning strikes a house it usually hits the TV aerial as it's the highest point, and metal. That's why your TV blows. It buggers your electrics too, hence unplugging everything.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Turning the tv off is pretty much irrelevant... unplug it, and anything else you wouldn't want to risk getting fried. Modern electronic components are sensitive to surges. Surge protectors are a good idea (definitely use with computers) but not infallible.

[LadyLoveYourWhat]

I would have thought unplugging the aerial from the back of the TV is more important than unplugging your set from the electricity? I know someone whose TV was blasted by a lightning strike, but imagine the damage was caused by the aerial being struck.

[Copperbonnet]

I kept my tv permanently in and tuned to the weather channel during hurricane Harvey last year.

We get lightening storms all the time and haven’t ever had any problems.

[ErrolTheDragon]

You can get damage because of a power line being hit and causing a big surge, not necessarily a direct strike on your own house, apparently.

[HughGrantsHair]

Klutzy, I was talking to my parents about this earlier during the storm. They said they remembered having to unplug everything, open the windows and then hide under the stairs during a storm when they were younger!

[ICantCopeAnymore]

My house was hit about ten years ago. The TV, PC and toaster all completely broke.

[boatyardblues]

I know someone whose aerial was struck by lightning, which blew out at TV in one of the bedrooms and caused a loft fire.

[cortex10]

Our house has been struck a couple of times over the past 20 years - no structural damage but it fried plugged in TVs, PCs and the burglar alarm beyond repair. So we always unplug now.

[RainbowGlitterFairy]

DH swears blind that you shouldn't have a shower or bath in a storm. DH is right, the lightning can travel down pipes and wiring if it strikes the house and water conducts electricity so if lightning hit your house being in the bath/shower is probably the most dangerous place you can be.

The mirrors is an old wives tale, people thought they would attract lightning, my great grandmother used to cover them and open all the doors and windows so if lightning got in the house it could go straight through rather than bouncing around.

[PrincessHairyMclary]

My parents always told me to turn all sockets off in a lightning storm in case of a power surge which I've always done.

A couple of years ago a house on a nearby street got hit by lightning, no idea what the inside of the house looked like but it took all the tiles off the roof and broke the windows. My parents hadn't turned their sockets off -hypocrites- and their router sort of exploded, there was a massive blue flash and took all the electrics out with it. Happened to many of the other houses in the area which must have been on the same circuit as the house with the direct hit. These weren't old houses either, the estate was built in the 1950s.

[Bippitybopityboo]

Aw my gran unplugged everything and opened the doors to let it pass through. I was petrified as a kid 😂

[PrincessHairyMclary]

Having seen the damage to the house hit directly by lightning I would assume that hiding away from the windows and covering mirrors could have been because of the likelihood of the glass breaking and causing injury.

[MrsCD67]

I don't switch water on during a storm although I'm not sure how big the risk of using the water actually is!

[ferrier]

Some while ago, my gps had the ceiling coving fall and land inches from their heads. The aerial wire passed behind it and the aerial had been struck by lightning.

[OneStepSideways]

My friend's aerial was hit a year ago, the TV was unplugged but the strike blew a hole in the wall and damaged all the nearby appliances (including the unplugged TV). Lightning can jump so a big strike will earth itself through any nearby metal! I've read you're supposed to loop the wires up to prevent this

[londonrach]

You have to unplug the the aerial if your aerial on the roof. I know someone who didnt and lighting hit the aerial came down the wire and tv explored in the lounge. Made abit of a mess. I always unplug the aerial but if not on the roof theres no need.

[londonrach]

Postive...my dads does too but he spent his life working with electricity so knows whats hes doing. Everything gets unplugged and turned off even the wifi!

[Izzy24]

Goodness - in future I will unplug everything and stay out of the shower!!!

[DGRossetti]

We had a big storm a couple years ago (about this time of year ) which blew my laptop. We were having dinner in the next room, there was a flash from the office, and one dead laptop. Took it into work, and they replaced it wholesale - not uncommon, apparently.

I try and make sure it's turned off during storms now.

Lightening releases a phenomenal amount of energy, and most modern chips can fry at 10kV (which you can build up walking across a carpet).

[Arrowfanatic]

My nans sky dish was hit years ago (when it was the giant white ones) and sent her big heavy t.v. shooting across the lounge in a spectacular ball of flame.

I don't do anything except moan that we lose sky signal during a storm

[Ariela]

The mirror thing - I think that's superstition though!

No, it's to prevent the lightening, reflecting off the mirror, onto something flammable and causing a fire. eg www.express.co.uk/news/uk/784988/Fire-mirror-reflect-sun-window-bedroom-safety. Often the shape of the mirror can focus the light more intensely onto one spot too.

[ErrolTheDragon]

Lightening releases a phenomenal amount of energy, and most modern chips can fry at 10kV (which you can build up walking across a carpet).

People working on the innards of computers usually have an earthed wristband on.

[boatyardblues]

Often the shape of the mirror can focus the light more intensely onto one spot too

Like the Walky Talky building in London that kept melting cars and has now been fitted with shades.