Power outage damaged my equipment!

[Xtrem]

Hey guys,

A squirrel got on top of a power pole and got zapped, the power turned off and came back a minute later. A couple hours after that, a crew came out and turn off the power again for 15 minutes or so. I found out later that my receiver, ps3 and tivo not doesn't output to my TV! They all turn on and look fine, just no video or audio. Everything is connected to a surge protector. The TV appears fine with other sources. I submitted a claim to my utility for the damages and they haven't gotten back to me. What do you guys think? Do I have a chance of getting my equipment replaced?

 

[MongGrel]

I doubt suing a dead squirrel will net you much.

Maybe more luck with the surge protection maker if they have some warranty.

Is it just the receiver possibly if everything runs through it ? I had mine die on me recently.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Do you have a UPS? If not, that could be why. Hard shut down can be hard on equipment especially if it's unclean. A squirrel Seppukuing on the power lines tends to do that.

I know before I put my TV setup on UPS the TV would do really weird things when the power went out. Turn on by itself and switch channels/inputs and stuff.

 

[Xtrem]

Unfortunately no UPS for my home entertainment system. I tried the PS3 and Tivo directly to the TV, no dice. Now I'm thinking that somehow it fried through the HDMI's of each device, weird huh? I heard surge protector warranties are hard to get too...

 

[Burpo]

If it totals more than your deductible and you have Home owners insurance, you can submit a claim for the damages.

 

[PhIlLy ChEeSe]

Do you have a UPS? If not, that could be why. Hard shut down can be hard on equipment especially if it's unclean. A squirrel Seppukuing on the power lines tends to do that.

I know before I put my TV setup on UPS the TV would do really weird things when the power went out. Turn on by itself and switch channels/inputs and stuff.

Is he the Squirrel?

If you have home owners or renters insurance, they usually have a deductible also.
Have you tried to unplug them and hold the power on button for like 5 minutes, then power them back on see if it helps.

 

[ronbo613]

I live in the boonies, power goes out all the time. UPS is mandatory to avoid damage. Squirrels have chewed through my cables a couple times, Ruger 10/22 for that.

 

[Blain]

A squirrel got on top of a power pole and got zapped, the power turned off and came back a minute later. A couple hours after that, a crew came out and turn off the power again for 15 minutes or so. I found out later that my receiver, ps3 and tivo not doesn't output to my TV!

Unfortunately no UPS for my home entertainment system.

Now that you've gone through this predicament, is a good quality AVR type UPS in your future?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I've taken older UPS's, added new batteries and deployed them for the AVR, TV and other components. They aren't connected to a computer, so there's no "auto-shutdown" feature for that equipment. I suppose I could run a USB extender cable to one of the computers, though.

I think it was 1993 when a somewhat scary electrical storm passed over Northern Virginia where I was living. My computers only had surge protection, and a power surge fried my phone modem and damaged one of the computers. I've been investing in UPS's ever since.

And only four years ago, a friend reported that his system was dying, and that he was buying an AMD system to replace it. It sounded like hard disk corruption due to power-outages. I asked him if he had a UPS, and he didn't. So he bought one.

 

[Blain]

I think if people don't actually see their lights dim or get bright, they assume they have "clean power" 24/7.
I run AVR type UPS on all my PCs, TV, DVR and cable modem.

 

[ronbo613]

I think if people don't actually see their lights dim or get bright, they assume they have "clean power" 24/7.

Even though I live a few miles from some of the largest hydroelectric dams in the country, the power here is very uneven. Sometimes the power goes down for a split second and you can't tell unless you look at digital clocks that are flashing "PF".

 

[westom]

Unfortunately no UPS for my home entertainment system. I tried the PS3 and Tivo directly to the TV, no dice.

Power outages do not damage equipment. Some of the most severe outages occur when a power switch is opened.

Normal power for electronics is even when incandescent bulbs dim to 50% intensity. If voltage drops that low, then the power company cuts off power to protect other appliances at greater risk - refrigerator, furnace, dishwasher, washing machine, etc. If power outage is destructive, then put a UPS on those appliances?

Described was a transient followed by an outage. Inspect that pole. Was the critical earth ground from transformer intact? If not, then transient currents would hunt for other paths such as through your house. Did you inspect your earth ground? If non-existant, too far away, or compromised, then again, that might explain damage - especially via HDMI ports.

Other reasons for damage could exist. But a UPS does nothing to avert damage from that type of transient. UPS is simply temporary and 'dirty' power during a blackout. Fortunately all electronics contain robust protection. So that 'dirty' power from a UPS in battery backup mode does not damage electronics. That same 'dirty' UPS may be potentially harmful to other less robust and motorized appliances.

Power outages also do not harm disk drives. When does a disk drive first learn power is going off? When voltages start dropping long after AC mains power has cut off. All disk drives worked this way even when disk heads were moved by motor oil. Power outage only corrupts data on a disk if one is using obsolete technology file systems - obsoleted almost 25 years ago.

Did you have a properly earthed 'whole house' protector? If not, that could also explain damage even to appliances connected to a plug-in protector.

 

[westom]

I think if people don't actually see their lights dim or get bright, they assume they have "clean power" 24/7.

A best indicator of power interruptions were VCR clocks and microwave clocks. Power can be lost many times longer than what it takes to interrupt these. Even that is ideal power to other electronics such as computers and modems. Interruptions too short to bother most electronics often are detected only by those flashing clocks.

 

[piasabird]

Wonder if a surge can come through network cables and HDMI? HDMI is suppose to be capable of networking too. For instance if you have an incoming cable for cable networking it might come in through the TV or Network TV cable.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Surges can go through anything electrical, so say you have a HDMI device that is not plugged into the surge bar then it could very well go through it.

 

[Xtrem]

Hdmi surge protector? That exists? Everything that has Hdmi is connected for an ac surge protector

 

[westom]

... so say you have a HDMI device that is not plugged into the surge bar then it could very well go through it.

So a surge bar blocks or absorbs that surge? How does its 2 cm part block what three miles of sky could not? How does it hundreds of joules absorb a surge that is hundreds of thousands of joules. In reality, we have even traced surges from a power bar to earth ground that used the adjacent appliance - destructively. Because power bar protectors do not claim to protect from that type of surge.

Either that surge connects to earth BEFORE entering the building. Or it is inside hunting for earth destructively via appliances. The power bar simply gave that surge even more paths to find earth destructively via an adjacent computer.

A common path is incoming on AC mains. Outgoing from the damaged appliance via its HDMI cable. Then to earth via the associated cable box. Surge typically does damage on the weakest part of that connection from cloud to earth. In this case, HDMI ports are most easily damaged. The outgoing path.

Protection of an HDMI port means that surge need not be inside the building. Facilities that cannot have damage use this other and proven solution that even protects from direct lightning strikes, remains functional, and costs many times less money. That power bar does not have a low impedance connection to earth. So it does not even claim to protect from that type of surge.