Surge Protector?

[sbell]

Is there a need for a coaxial surge protector for my Dish system? I really have not considered this but lightening came through my Adelphia cable connected to my cable modem and fried it!! It wasn't electrical because the modem, printer and scanner all plugged into surge protector. It came straight through the cable. I am assuming if I still had cable TV all my TV's would be fried also.

This has me wondering if there is some kind of protection for my Dish system hooked to three receivers and TV's? We have lived in this location for 22 yrs. and this is the first lightening strike. It may have been a freak accident, but with a 61" big screen I don't want to risk it.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[hdhead]

Electricity will always take the path of least resistance. If you don't have ALL wires going into your satellite/cable boxes and TV plugged into a surge protector, you have NO protection. This includes all coax cables (in and out), phone lines, ethernet cables, etc. With todays modern equipment, sometimes you might have three coax inputs with phone and ethernet, this will take a pretty speacialized surge protector. The reason why some surge protection companies can offer million dollar guarantees is that if you have all inputs/outputs run through their surge protector it is near impossible to have damage from surges. 99.9% of the claims that come in are rejected because all inputs/outputs were not plugged in.

Hope this helped.

 

[bhelms]

One addition - for protection of your sat. signal paths, make sure you get a unit designed for that purpose. That would include frequency capability to at least 2.2GHz and the ability to pass the power from your receiver to the LNBs. (That latter requirement may not apply if your system has a switch in it with a power inserter between the surge protector and the switch.) The low-end all-in-one suppressors I have seen are usually suitable for just cable or OTA antenna signals.

 

[sbell]

Any suggestions on a brand or specific surge protector? I have three lines coming into my house connected to a DP 34 switch with four lines coming out of that. Would a surge protector go here or would I need one at each TV and receiver?

 

[oljim]

Pannamax

 

[Hall]

Just so you're aware, no typical "surge protector", assuming you're talking about the $5-25 "strip" kind, will protect against lightning.

 

[Brandie]

Almost 3 years ago, our home took a direct hit by lightning. It took just about $25000.00 in repairs to make it whole again. Our HD TV was just 6 months old when it hit. It took out the power panel and leaking pipes flooded 3 rooms. The TV was on when it hit. I watched as an orange glow surrounded the house. The picture on the screen just shrunk. TV and all equip was plugged into surge protectors. My computer was plugged into a Universal Power Supply, which actually melted.

It happened on a Saturday night. Wood frame house with stucco siding. The lightning traveled around 2 sides of the house using the metal lathe as a conductor. It blew holes in 2 hose bibs where they came through the wall. It also blew out 2 holes in the stucco. One just below the electric meter, and one on the back of the house. Both holes were at ground level.It wasn't until Wednesday AM that the power was restored.

The TV came back on when the power was turned on as it was on when
the power went off. Had green line, about 1/8th inch wide in the upper right hand corner. Had the TV tested by TV repairman who said the picture tube needed to be replaced. State Farm paid the purchase price for the TV, as well as ALL other costs, less $500.00 deductible. TV still working to this day, knock on wood, with same green line in upper right corner.

The computer is still working fine to this day also. Replaced the UPS.

Just replaced the computer with a laptop and that UPS is now hooked up to the TV and associated equipment, along with 2 other surge protectors.

Bottom line; lightning does what it wants, when it wants. Just stay safe.

 

[David_Levin]

Thanks Brandie - I like your story. Hunker down - be safe. Worry about the kids, not the 60" DLP.

I'm reading a few things from this thread....

A surge protector isn't going to help much with a direct strike. That much voltage could easily jump an isolation transformer (it's already jumping through air). I'm not sure how a distant strike would get to the antenna coax since it's not physically connected to anything outside the house (the phone line is a different story).

Most Dish equipment is leased. If Dish thought a surge protector would save them money, you'd think they'd supply it.

Bottom line - your covered by your homeowners. What a great opportunity to get all your equiptment upgraded at once (but wait till you get the giant hole in your roof fixed).

 

[bhelms]

True - Not much that we can do at the consumer level will protect from a direct lightning strike. That said, much of the damage experienced is more likely from static build-up and/or induced emf from a nearby strike, and we can do a fair amount to protect our equipment from those less severe events. Proper grounding throughout the system, all tied back to the main power entrance, is a big step in that direction. Then the point-of-use surge arrestors have a good chance of doing their jobs. Most folks recommend UPSs for the more expensive pieces of equipment. I also believe more powerful surge protectors installed into the entrance panel and at the phone and cable incoming points are advisable. YMMV...

Word of caution: A homeowner's policy can refuse to cover damages caused ostensibly as a result of an improperly grounded system, like an OTA antenna, cable, or DBS system not grounded in accordance with the NEC and any additional local codes. Make sure your systems are properly grounded. This is an installer responsibly, but ultimately the insured is "holding the bag"!

David L. - I don't think Dish has any liability wrt surge events. No doubt they end up replacing equipment that was not obviously damaged by a surge, but their warranty including the DHPP expressly excludes lightning and/or "acts of God". If a receiver is returned that was obviously "blown-up" by a surge, I suspect Dish (and all other providers) will expect the homeowner to claim that loss with their insurance co. Dish also excludes "installations not grounded in accordance with Dish standards", which I believe essentially allows them to make the owner prove that the system was properly grounded. IIRC, you're an attorney, correct? What's your take on that latter clause...?