Lightning!!!!

[BobRex]

Last week my house got struck by lightning .  It appears to have struck a vinyl porch post (interior steel column) and travelled to the Cameo sitting about 3ft. away.  Took out the heater and circulator pump and then travelled into the house wiping out a printer, cable modem, garage door opener, a couple of GFCIs, the security system fire alarm controller, and a tube amp (stereo).  

Almost everything is fixed or replaced, I've just gotta tear the amp apart and see what got hit.  But I did discover one small problem - it seems that the hat tub breaker trips during a filter cycle.  Time to call service back!

[stuart]

Your ozonator was probably zapped and trips the GFI everytime it tries to kick on...

[georgiapeach]

Last week my house got struck by lightning .  It appears to have struck a vinyl porch post (interior steel column) and travelled to the Cameo sitting about 3ft. away.  Took out the heater and circulator pump and then travelled into the house wiping out a printer, cable modem, garage door opener, a couple of GFCIs, the security system fire alarm controller, and a tube amp (stereo).  

Almost everything is fixed or replaced, I've just gotta tear the amp apart and see what got hit.  But I did discover one small problem - it seems that the hat tub breaker trips during a filter cycle.  Time to call service back!

Robrex,

Sorry to hear about your lightening strike.  Same thing happened to me a couple of months ago!  Luckily, the only thing that went on my hottub was the GCFI breaker to the heater and the place where I bought the hottub came out and replaced at no charge.... :-)   I also lost my computer modem, router, shredder, garage door opener, 2 ceiling fans in my sunroom, and a telephone.  Strange how it hit certain things, but not others, i.e., stereo and TV (which was on and I only had it for 4 days!).  Most expensive thing I had to replace was my garage door opener ($300!).

Peachy

[georgiapeach]

Excuse me...I meant to say BobRex...Sheesh!  

[BobRex]

Hmmm, I didn't think of the ozonator.  I'll unplug it and try the spa tonight.  Thanks Stuart!

Hey Peachy,  don't worry, I've been called worse, lot's worse  

[johnvb]

So what kind of tube amp?

I just got a pair of Maggies, using an Aragon amp to drive them. Thinking about adding a tube preamp, like a Foreplay.

I ran a 230 volt/ 4 wire dedicated circuit to a subpanel in my A/V closet/racks, and have a 4 pole disconnect, which basically "unplugs" everything electronic with one quick pull. (Of course I still have to be home when the storm hits)

[BobRex]

The amp is a Welborne Moondog, it's a 2A3 triode based SET amp.  Put's out about 3.5 watts of some of the purest sound you'll ever hear.  Won't work with Maggies though, they need more (lot's more) juice.

[tootall]

Just a question? For those who live in places were Thunder storms are a regular thing? what about a lightning rod? would that have prevented what happend? shure would like to know?

[BobRex]

Lightning rods are a mixed bag.  The problem is that they may attract lightning that otherwise would miss the premise.  In my case, I'm in a rancher in a 2 story neighborhood.  There are plenty of taller structures around me, and in fact one of them took a hit (blew the chimney apart!).  BUT, there was a strike in a field (left a small crater) and my strike was at waist height on a porch, nowhere near the highest point of the house.

Personally, I'm not convinced that lightning rods are truly effective.

[Chris_H]

I was just looking at some older posts.  I would doubt that it was the ozone as Stuart said because if I am not mistaken the Sunzone Ozone on the Sundance have a built in fuse.  Make sure you call your electrician and make sure the GFCI didn't break when the lightning stuck.  

[stuart]

I was just looking at some older posts.  I would doubt that it was the ozone as Stuart said because if I am not mistaken the Sunzone Ozone on the Sundance have a built in fuse.  Make sure you call your electrician and make sure the GFCI didn't break when the lightning stuck.  

Be interesting to find out what it was....

Fuse or no fuse, if you get moisture in the system from a check valve failing you may or may not blow a fuse however you will more than likely trip the GFI breaker.

[BobRex]

Well, Chris hit it on the head!  On Friday I had both the electrician and the spa tech at the house and they discovered that the GFCI would trip even with no load.  So the electrician swapped out the GFCI and since then everything's working fine.

Just for the record, the spa tech had replaced the controller board the previous week when I originally placed the call.

[Chris_H]

I’m smarter than Stuart.  Now, that is a first.

[stuart]

I’m smarter than Stuart.  Now, that is a first.

They need to have one of these little smiley guys that bows down in respect because I would have used it

BTW, a lot of people are smarter then me...I simply talk more and louder with a much more intimidating look so that I can hide that

[tootall]

thanks for the Info on Lightning rods I do understand better now. I just live in a place were we do not get a whole lot of lightning.