My Zenith ate a lightning bolt!
#1
05-30-00, 01:52 PM
My 1994 Zenith SMS95S1S apparently got "hit" by lightning. The main AC fuse was blown so that was the first thing I replaced. When I plugged the TV in the fuse immediatley blew again and I saw sparks come from my power outlet. I assume the power supply is shot? What should I do now, where do I look next?
Thanks
Luxury David
[This message has been edited by luxury (edited May 30, 2000).]
Thanks
Luxury David
[This message has been edited by luxury (edited May 30, 2000).]
#2
05-31-00, 10:50 AM
If the lightning strike came in on the power line, chances are good that all that is left to do is play Taps and give it a decent burial. The problem with a solid state TV set is that it is low voltage and low current. When the set is hit in the power supply with a few trillion volts, not much survives. The repair costs would be out of this world.
Best bet is to check your home owner's insurance policy and see if it isn't covered. Most policies cover this sort of damage.
Smokey
Best bet is to check your home owner's insurance policy and see if it isn't covered. Most policies cover this sort of damage.
Smokey
#3
05-31-00, 12:32 PM
Thanks Smokey!
Ouch! Sounds bad. Let me give more details. Rainstorm came through town. Power went off. Next day tried to turn on television and got nothing. The fishy thing is several other electronic devices were plugged into the SAME power strip, and they all work fine. Stereo, c.d. player, two cassette desks, vcr, and a fan. I actually have no proof of a lighning hit. I was just guessing.
Luxury David
[This message has been edited by luxury (edited May 31, 2000).]
Ouch! Sounds bad. Let me give more details. Rainstorm came through town. Power went off. Next day tried to turn on television and got nothing. The fishy thing is several other electronic devices were plugged into the SAME power strip, and they all work fine. Stereo, c.d. player, two cassette desks, vcr, and a fan. I actually have no proof of a lighning hit. I was just guessing.
Luxury David
[This message has been edited by luxury (edited May 31, 2000).]
#4
05-31-00, 01:28 PM
It certainly wouldn't hurt to take the back off the set and look around a little. It may have been a lightning spike that got it. A lot of the electronics today install surge protection (what we call a surge mole)on the AC line to offset this problem. Some manufacturers didn't install them, though.
This may be the case of the equipment that survived. A fan will take a huge surge like that and bury it in the windings of the motor. They will take a lot of abuse off the power line.
But, open up the set and have a look. It may be just a power supply failure and nothing more. Those are inexpensive to fix. If you have lightning damage, you'll find some blackened areas inside.
Hope for the best.
Smokey
This may be the case of the equipment that survived. A fan will take a huge surge like that and bury it in the windings of the motor. They will take a lot of abuse off the power line.
But, open up the set and have a look. It may be just a power supply failure and nothing more. Those are inexpensive to fix. If you have lightning damage, you'll find some blackened areas inside.
Hope for the best.
Smokey
