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Why only Apple products?

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This is being written on a five year old Shuttle with Linux. The reason? In about a millisecond I went from owning 5 Macs, to being now in possession of a single Macbook Air, and four piles of junk. A Texas storm hit without warning and before I could get to any plugs, a direct hit on the Internet Radio tower blew most of the electronics in the house into dead boxes. An I7 Imac, three Mac Minis - one almost sixty feet away - and an Apple TV. Plus a couple of TVs, a fridge, AV receiver and other stuff. Thank goodness my Air was and is still at the office.

All were protected by commercial grade (that is to say, not WalMart quality) surge protectors by Triplite and APC. Interestingly enough, none of those were damaged although the main UPS was smoked. It's an insurance problem and I will wind up with four new Macs, so what the heck. My SuperDuper and Time Machine backups are ok, so there was no data loss.

But, what bothers me is that only the Apple branded stuff was fried, computerwise. This Shuttle sits right next to the big Imac and was three feet away from where the strike entered. It, and two FIC Ice Cubes with Debian and BSD in the same room, on the same network, were not damaged and weren't even plugged into protection - just straight into the wall.

Conclusions. Pick one or more, or think up one of your own.

1. Coincidence. Some things get popped, and some don't? This time it just happened to be the Apple stuff.

2. Surge protectors hurt more than they help? Even fancy ones that protect all incoming wires in addition to the power?

3. Bill Gates arranged it? (He can't compete using his bloatware OS - maybe he signed up with the Storm Gods to level the playing field.)

4. Apple engineers live in a area that doesn't get the Wrath of God storms that the Mid and Southwest get blasted with all the time, and it never occurred to them to, say, maybe put a couple of fifty cent MOV's or TVS'es across the powerline?

5. Or...
 
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Or, when a storm is in the area, unplug your electronics from the wall. Not to come off as rude, but I think it's uniform knowledge to do it (though not everybody follows this practice).
 
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Didn't you say the storm blew a bunch of other stuff besides your Apple stuff? I only use triplites as the main surge protector, but I still disconnect everything before a storm comes...I don't care how little or big it is. It's not like I absolutely need all of them to be connected all the time anyways.
 

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The only thing I can add to this..... is as you can see, I too live in Texas where the Thunderstorms hit with a fury that will wake the dead. No amount of surge protection is going to ward off a direct lightning strike.

I mentioned once before about my own experience with a close hit that took out most of my electronics. The problem is when lightning strikes direct or close by it creates a huge EMP (electro magnetic pulse) that radiates throughout the area. You were just unlucky enough that the EMP took out your Macs.

1. Coincidence. Some things get popped, and some don't? This time it just happened to be the Apple stuff.

Yep.

4. Apple engineers live in a area that doesn't get the Wrath of God storms that the Mid and Southwest get blasted with all the time, and it never occurred to them to, say, maybe put a couple of fifty cent MOV's or TVS'es across the powerline?

Wouldn't have helped. Read what I said above. A direct hit or one that hits close by is going to eat a surge protector, MOV, or anything else short of a 2 foot thick wall of concrete.

The best protection is your home owner's insurance and the backups you've been making. Let's hope you're covered. The deductible here in Texas in normally 1% of the total insured property unless separately scheduled. (Depends on your policy.)
 

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Oh Brother. All I can say. Now it's Apples fault. Gods fault?

NO SURGE PROTECTOR, NONE can protect from a direct lightning strike. Trust me. NONE can.

Another question, Did Apple make your: couple of TVs, a fridge, AV receiver and other stuff?? No I thought not. Did Apple also make your UPS that fried?

Wait you said only Apple stuff blew. couple of TVs, a fridge, AV receiver and other stuff is not apple stuff.

Sorry, blaming Apple for this is just wrong.

Do you have Homeowners Insurance? That and your backups will save you.
 
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All were protected by commercial grade (that is to say, not WalMart quality) surge protectors by Triplite and APC. Interestingly enough, none of those were damaged although the main UPS was smoked.
Read manufacturer specifications for each protector. Where does any claim to protect from each type of surge? It doesn't. MOVs too close to electronics and too far from earth ground protect from typically non-destructive surges.

Your telco's switching computer is connected by overhead wires to every building in town. They also disconnect all phone service during approaching thunderstorms. Oh? They don't? Then why do about 100 surges with each storm not damage their computers?

Same solution is available to you for much less money. But the well proven solution is not touted by advertising. So a major have no idea what it is.

Surges are never stopped or absorbed. How do hundreds of joules inside Triplite or APC protectors absorb hundreds of thousands of joules? Again, did you read their numeric specs?

How does a tiny MOV inside that plug-in protector stop what three miles of sky could not? Again, why does it not claim protection where lies are illegal?

For over 100 years, facilities that cannot suffer damage earth a 'whole house' protector. You can buy same from more responsible companies including ABB, General Electric, Intermatic, Siemens, Leviton, or Square D. All companies that any 'guy' recognizes for reliable products. A Cutler-Hammer solution sells in Lowes and Home Depot for less than $50.

Lightning is typically 20,000 amps. So a minimal 'whole house' protector starts at 50,000 amps. And has the always required - always - connection to single point earth ground. No protector (not even a 'whole house' type) does protection. Either the protector connects hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly to earth. Or your only protection is that already inside every appliance.

Either a surge is absorbed harmlessly outside. Or that energy is hunting for earth destructively via appliances. Only you make that choice.

Understand what you bought. Take a $4 power strip. Add some ten cent protector parts. Sell it for $7 in a supermarket. Or for $35 or $150 under labels such as Tripplite, APC, or Monster. Monster has a long history of identifying scams. Then selling the equivalent product for even higher prices. You bought a profit center; not a surge protector. Or did you not read its manufacturer specifications?

Read the spec numbers for that UPS? It typically has even less joules. Near zero. Just enough joules so that it can claim 100% protection in advertising, sales brochures, and hearsay. Why was the UPS damage? Its protection was so tiny that it could not even protect itself.

Best protection is already inside appliances. Your concern is the rare transient that can overwhelm that existing protection. Today, some computers. Next time maybe a dishwasher or furnace. More examples of why informed consumers spend $1 per protected appliance to earth one 'whole house' protector. You spent tens or 100 times more money for protectors that do not even claim surge protection.

Protection is always about where energy dissipates. Always. The effective protector always has a dedicated wire for the short (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection to single point earth ground. Informed consumers also upgrade the only item that does all protection - earth ground. That single point ground must both meet and exceed post 1990 National Electrical code. Earthing more ten foot ground rods means a 'whole house' protector is even more effective. Because protection is always a discussion about where energy dissipates.

No earth ground (ie Tripplite) means no effective protection. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground. Then a surge is not inside hunting for earth destructively via appliances.
 
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Or, when a storm is in the area, unplug your electronics from the wall. Not to come off as rude, but I think it's uniform knowledge to do it (though not everybody follows this practice).

We had 2 big storms here in AZ earlier this week (Sunday and Monday). I unplugged my 2 TVs, my MBP, and my router and modem. It's just good practice when a storm is rolling through. Grew up watching my parents do it back East. Can't be too safe.
 
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Duke Energy offers a whole-house protector unit that goes onto the house that the power goes through on the main line into the house. It's not a guarantee against everything [notably direct lightning strikes, I mean, we've all seen "Back to the Future", right? :D ], but it is a solid unit that offers a LOT of protection before the power even comes into the house. We've got surge protectors and UPS units on the big TV, the two non-laptop macs and the modem & router. When the power goes out (and it rarely does) we actually have a good 20 minutes or so of internet before the UPS batt gives up. I do make it a habit to make sure my MBP isn't plugged in if there's a storm, or any other expensive gadgets for that matter.

We did fry one UPS several years back, the power was going off and on repeatedly for almost an hour (at least a dozen or more off/ons in the course of 1 hour) and all that changing up of voltage fried a Triplite UPS. The TV, Blu-ray player & cable box were not affected by it though.
 
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Or, when a storm is in the area, unplug your electronics from the wall. Not to come off as rude, but I think it's uniform knowledge to do it (though not everybody follows this practice).

Of course. And I was in the process of literally running to get things unplugged. But this storm came up so fast that I got exactly one TV yanked loose before it hit. From the time I thought I heard thunder to the first bolt in the back yard was probably about two minutes. And then, when the strikes are coming in like an artillery barrage, it tends to make you hesitate before standing on a concrete floor and grabbing a bunch of wires.

And, dtravis7, I wasn't blaming Apple. I was commenting on the fact that out of a room full of computer hardware, only and all of the Apple branded equipment was killed. Curious, no?

Fortunately, I had sold my Macbook Pro the week before in anticipation of the new Air's coming out.

Everything (computerwise) was protected by either Triplite or APC protectors, but my post mortum indicates that the hit was on the edge of the house and almost certainly the EMF wave induced enough juice in the house wiring to blow stuff. So, in effect, the surge protectors were bypassed, although, in the case of a direct hit, I don't know of any protection that would work. A hit that actually ruptures the case of a refrigerator compressor can't be called a "surge."

And for westom. As I said, these aren't consumer protectors. They are commercial and are backed up by the manufacturer. In the case of the Triplite model, they once wrote me a check for several thouand dollars for a lightning hit with no argument ( not at this house, however - different place). My guarantee DOES say protection against any and all lightning strikes or they replace what was damaged.

All in all, between my homeowners policy and the surge protector guarantees, I will come out fine, except for not having a Mac for a couple of weeks or so. That's a little tough.

The ironic part is that, in the middle of all these wrecked electronics, sits a single undamaged Walmart fifteen dollar wireless telephone. Go figure.
 

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All I can say is, what model is that Wal Mart Phone? I want one! :D Grin

Blew the compressor apart? WOW! That had to be a direct hit for sure!

Glad you are covered.
 
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As I said, these aren't consumer protectors. They are commercial and are backed up by the manufacturer.
Then you can post the manufacturer specification numbers that claim that protection.

Damage existed because energy was permitted inside the house. Which appliances were damaged? The Wal-Mart phone may have been protected by some other now damaged appliance. Nothing strange about that. Seen routinely when we learn why surges do damage.

Protection means direct lightning strikes without damage. But that will not promote scam protectors. If a protector or appliance is unharmed, then nobody will know a surge existed. You know it big time because effective protection was not installed - you had damage.

If you know otherwise, then manufacturer spec numbers that define protection from each type of surge should be provided. If you know something more than all others, then share it. Tripplite specifications will list numbers we all require for protection from each type of surge ... if that protection exists.

Damage means a surge was permitted inside the building. Says your building had no effective protection. An example of why surge damage is considered a human failure. And why well proven science says a protector is only as effective as its earth ground.

MQAAord - the Duke Energy protector, like all protectors, is only as effective as its earth ground. Only you are responsible for providing that earthing. If earthing is not properly installed or upgraded, then other protection routinely installed on telephone and cable TV wires also does not exist ... leaving those electronics without protection.

You must have a 'whole house' protector on AC to protect electronics. If any other incoming utility is also not properly earthed, then, as the NIST says, "The best surge protection in the world can be useless ..."

A protector is only as effective as the earth ground that only you provide. That must both meet and exceed code requirements.
 
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Blew the compressor apart? WOW! That had to be a direct hit for sure!
Not necessarily. A surge itself is not the source of high energy. If a surge is not earthed before entering a building, then it can form new and destructive electrical conductors - plasma paths. Colin Bayliss in "Transmission & Distribution Electrical Engineering" says what happens next:
> Although lightning strikes have impressive voltage and current values
> (typically hundreds to thousands of kV and 10-100 kA) the energy
> content of the discharge is relatively low and most of the damage to
> power plant is caused by 'power follow-through current'. The lightning
> simply provides a suitable ionized discharge path.

First a surge creates plasma conductors. Then a high energy pulse - a follow-through current - enters from AC mains. That energy may be worse if a primary surge protection system (located outside the house) has been compromised.

Surges that do most damage means an energy source higher than what is typically found in lightning.
 
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All I can say is, what model is that Wal Mart Phone? I want one! :D Grin

Blew the compressor apart? WOW! That had to be a direct hit for sure!

Glad you are covered.

Not exactly. It didn't blow it apart, but it ruptured it and leaked a foam lubricant all over the floor.
 
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All I wanna say is, got some pics of this damage?? o_O
 
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You must have a 'whole house' protector on AC to protect electronics. If any other incoming utility is also not properly earthed, then, as the NIST says, "The best surge protection in the world can be useless ..."

A protector is only as effective as the earth ground that only you provide. That must both meet and exceed code requirements.

You're preaching to the choir. I have been a ham since 1963 and an EE since 1972 (although I would hate to have to pass a test after being retired for years.) My ground system far exceeds any codes, and is several hundred feet of buried horizontal copper pipe laced under the house and back yard and pinned to the permanently wet strata about twelve feet down. (Copper was a whole lot cheaper back when I built the house.)

But the idea of the whole house protection is a good one and I have been surfing up the info. Several good ones out there it seems. I am going to install one as soon as I get some real specs on the devices. Prices aren't bad either. Years ago when I looked at them, they were a real PITA to install, since they were required to go between the meter and your panel. These today are apparently installed downstream of the distribution box.

But, enough talk talk. It's been fun, but the Apple store called a short while ago and said my big IMac was ready to go. Using this old Linux machine after a 27 inch IMac is like moving down to an Etch-A-Sketch. Time to hit the big city.
 

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Ruptures or Blew apart, still amazing what a lightning strike can do if you know what I mean!

Also to the other poster, not to be argumentative, but I have seen so much damage from lightning, to me there is no for sure way to stop any damage. I know about a lot of what you are saying, but seen people do just that and still have some damage.

Just like with Earthquakes, people make totally earthquake safe buildings then a large quake comes and down it goes. You never know till a quake hits for sure, same with Lightning. It really depends on how it hits.

I am just glad the OP is covered and did not loose a lot of $$$ forever.
 
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Oh I know even the whole house protectors have their limitations. We let Duke install it, it was part of the "deal". I can only assume (and that's really just blind trust) that they grounded it properly. That's why we have backups and plenty of homeowner's insurance too.

We've done everything we can to keep possible surge damage to as much of a minimum as possible. Thankfully where we are we get a lot of thunderstorms, but not the massive Texas/Oklahoma-style ones. Those babies are brutal. I once saw an Oklahoma storm turn the sky purple, no kidding, the sky was purple.
 
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It's been fun, but the Apple store called a short while ago and said my big IMac was ready to go.
Always interesting is to learn what was a destructive current path through the computer. Try to ask the Apple tech was specifically was damaged. To learn what probably was the incoming and outgoing current paths.
 
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We let Duke install it, it was part of the "deal". I can only assume (and that's really just blind trust) that they grounded it properly.
Duke only installed a protector. A protector is not protection. I don't know how to make this more obvious.

Many if not most utility installed 'whole house' protectors are installed by a girl who reads the meter. She does not install any earthing.

A protector is only for motorized appliances because those do not also connect to telephone, satellite dish, cable TV, etc. Duke has no idea nor cares if that earthing exists.

You need protection for everything. Duke does not claim protection for electronics when earthing those other utilities is 100% on you. To have all appliances protected even from direct lightning strikes means you MUST earth everything to a common ground - single point earth ground. Informed consumers earth a 'whole house' protector to protect *everything*. But 'everything' means doing what only you are responsible for.

Let's say Duke did install earthing. Then those other wires obviously are not connected to the single point earth ground. Duke is not permitted ground those other utilities. Then damage is made easier. "Blind trust" never created effective protection especially when you and only you are responsible for that earthing. If you cannot inspect it, then get a 13 year old to do it. Following wires is that intellectually simple. Hardest part is doing the work.

How to make that Duke protector even more effective? Upgrade earthing. No protector - not one - does surge protection. Quality of earthing determines protection.

BTW, that is only secondary protection. Also inspect your primary surge protection system. Don't 'assume' anything when facts bluntly define how protection was done even 100 years ago and who is responsible for the only thing that is protection.
 
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Always interesting is to learn what was a destructive current path through the computer. Try to ask the Apple tech was specifically was damaged. To learn what probably was the incoming and outgoing current paths.

He wouldn't comment, except to say that it was obvious that they got a major hit. Alas, the big 27 inch and the middle age Mini are not worth repairing. I forget all of what he said, but after replacing the system board of the IMac, the powersupply and the fans it still wouldn't pass the tests. He said that the Mini had every single component blown. The two other Mini's are up and working.

If the insurance company lets me keep the destroyed machines, I can do an autopsy on them, but at this point I am sure that the hit was on the Internet radio tower (30 feet) and bypassed the surge protectors. If I had a computer with a camera I could show you some interesting melted aluminum. I assume that it then jumped to the AC power when it got inside. Or maybe, just the closeness of the hit induced a huge EMF spike in the house wiring without needing a direct path. Certainly the damage to the AC connected only fridge indicates that something massive was on the inside Romex.
 

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