Can something happen to your tv, router or pc during an electrical storm?

Are Electronic Devices Thunderstorms Dangerous?

Before we delve into the dangers of lightning for our devices, let's first look at what exactly happens during a thunderstorm and in what situations our homes could be at risk.

In general, when triggered, the rays tend to look for "shortcuts" to get to the ground as soon as possible. And some of the best shortcuts are metals or conductive surfaces with little resistance.

If your TV or other devices are plugged in and suddenly a high voltage surge hits them, the cables, transformers, and circuits can be overwhelmed and can melt and even catch fire, affecting the operation of the devices.

Lightning strikes density map in Spain (Source: CTE)

In the case of a television with cathode ray tubes, damage to the electrodes can weaken the integrity of the tube and even cause an explosion. If you have a more modern television, the effects will not be as dramatic, although its operation could also be affected.

Fortunately, most urban centers are protected against the dangers of lightning. Almost all buildings currently have lightning rods that offer lightning the shortest way to reach the ground.

If you live in a more isolated building, lightning will be more likely to hit you. And if the lightning current reaches the electrical panels in the house, surge protectors are usually activated.

What are surge protectors and why do they matter?

Surge protectors are devices that were designed to protect electrical devices from voltage spikes. Normally, what they do is block or send to earth those voltages that exceed certain thresholds.

Almost all homes are equipped with permanent surge protectors. While they are capable of protecting against multiple prolonged surges, it is often a good idea to have an additional protection measure. This is where transient surge protectors come into play.

These can be purchased at various stores and have limited capacity and life. In case of being exhausted, the transient surge protector will not be able to protect us against lightning. Still, they are ideal for an additional measure of protection for our devices.

What are the devices most likely to be damaged by voltage overload?

Computers, laptops and televisions are the devices most at risk of damage during thunderstorms. However, if the home is equipped with routers connected to copper cables, lightning strikes against the nearest phone line could completely damage them. Instead, fiber optic connections are protected from lightning.

On the other hand, if your television is connected to a TV antenna placed on the roof of your house, the electric charge will completely destroy your television and any decoder that you have connected to it. In this case, the surge protectors will not help at all.

Can you take early action?

In principle, if you live in a building or group of townhouses, you should not disconnect your electronic devices. Even less if it is new construction, since the new houses must comply with more restrictive regulations in this matter.

However, if you use an individual antenna connected to your television or computer, or you have copper ADSL or live in an isolated house, you should make sure you have a lightning rod installed. Failure to do so can result in lightning striking the entire electrical installation in your home, destroying all appliances.