Mythbusters Lightning vs. Electricity

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ty

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Anyone seen this episode?

On the phone during a lightning storm, etc....
Pretty entertaining.


Speaking of Mythbusters,
has anyone ever looked at the wiring in the background in the shop?
Pretty scary. :shock:
 
Re: Mythbusters Lightning vs. Electricity

ty said:
Anyone seen this episode?

On the phone during a lightning storm, etc....
Pretty entertaining.
Click to expand...

Yes, less than 10 minutes ago.

ty said:
Speaking of Mythbusters,
has anyone ever looked at the wiring in the background in the shop?
Pretty scary. :shock:
Click to expand...

Of course.....typical DIYs, jack of all trades master of none. :lol:

About 30 minutes from me is the Boston Museum of Science.

They have a great lighting exhibit.

http://www.mos.org/sln/toe/

touch6.jpeg
 
So what was the result? Is it safe to use the phone, or not?

I knew someone who's house got hit by lighting, and although I never saw it, rummor was the phone was blown off the wall. (Pre cellphones and cordless).

Steve
 
steve66 said:
So what was the result? Is it safe to use the phone, or not?
Click to expand...

Every year a certain number of people are killed using corded phones from electrical strikes.

Does that mean it is unsafe?

Given the numbers of people on the phone during storms I think it is low on the danger scale.

Going down you stairs is probably riskier.
 
iwire said:
steve66 said:
So what was the result? Is it safe to use the phone, or not?
Click to expand...

Every year a certain number of people are killed using corded phones from electrical strikes.

Does that mean it is unsafe?

Given the numbers of people on the phone during storms I think it is low on the danger scale.
Going down you stairs is probably riskier.
Click to expand...

Yeah and I think even more people die of old age each year.
That must really be dangerous. Better not get old. He** with it I like living dangerously, I'll choose getting old.
 
This seems pretty believable:

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/techno/phone.asp

It says about 1 person a year is killed in the US while talking on the phone. More are injured.

I wonder how many of these are partly due to improper grounding of the telephone lines and system. I don't think there is any ground going to either my cable TV entrance or Telephone entrance. I know that's a code violation, but I have never taken the time to check or fix mine. Whatever was there when I bought the house is there now.

Steve
 
This is no B.S. I saw this for my own eyes.
Lightning hit 3-4' outside back wall of house & blew a hole in the ground.
Then it came up thru the hardwoods, blowing out 3 of the boards.

Another one hit a 30' palm tree, jumped to the house on the corner & worked its way down the side of the house, blowing off & burning Metal mini blinds, blowing out the metal corner beads on the exterior windows, knocking out tiles off the tub surrounds(metal lathe & plaster) under the tiles.

So what does this tell you about a phone?

:?:
 
i have few service call related to lighting strikes the last one i have not too long ago [ just few days ago ] knocked out the secteury lumiaire , 2 tv's one computer , water heater {yeah water heater } the bathroom tile popped out in few spots the same thing in kitchen area as well,

have a hole in roof size about 2 inch diam and bunch of little holes where the roofing nails were there just popped out like shotgun .

the damge to this house was little over 8K by estamte the actual cost i am not sure because i have to go back and do more work later right now half of the house is damaged i am sure there is more to fix.

Merci, Marc
 
I find it highly unlikely to almost totally improbable that lightning will hit a structure thus injecting or inducing a current into the phoneline that is currently in use by a person on the phone within the house.

I live in just about the most lightning prone area in the US. If you were to place my home in the center of a 1-kilometer by 1-kilometer square, each and every year there may be as many as 14 lightning flashes within that area. Figure in any tall structures, trees, ect..., my house is more likely to be sucked into a sink hole. (which happens quite often by the way)

Figure in the amount of time I spend on a phone and the likley-hood that I will be on the phone during a storm... I don't see it happening.

The Empire State Building has been struck literally thousands of times. I don't believe anyone has every been injured or killed on the phone or about the building...
 
bphgravity said:
I find it highly unlikely to almost totally improbable that lightning will hit a structure thus injecting or inducing a current into the phoneline that is currently in use by a person on the phone within the house.

I live in just about the most lightning prone area in the US. If you were to place my home in the center of a 1-kilometer by 1-kilometer square, each and every year there may be as many as 14 lightning flashes within that area. Figure in any tall structures, trees, ect..., my house is more likely to be sucked into a sink hole. (which happens quite often by the way)

Figure in the amount of time I spend on a phone and the likley-hood that I will be on the phone during a storm... I don't see it happening.

The Empire State Building has been struck literally thousands of times. I don't believe anyone has every been injured or killed on the phone or about the building...
Click to expand...

Your kidding right!
 
bphgravity said:
..,my house is more likely to be sucked into a sink hole. (which happens quite often by the way)
Click to expand...

Your house gets sucked into a sink hole quite often?
I would rebuild somewhere else....

:lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Bikeindy :

Bphgravity is not kidding i used to stay down in Floride alot with my parents [ central floride ] and yes this is most highest spot of lighting strike in contenal usa area.

the FPL have been replacing the lighting arrestor in reguar induidal time because very frequet lighting strikes


Merci, Marc
 
I didn't mean my home specifically. I meant that I would be less surprised to find a home in the bottom of a big sink hole than I would if I heard of a person being killed by lightning while on the phone in a house struck by lightning.

I don't have the official reports, but I am fairly certain there have been more claims filed for sink holes than lightning strike losses here in Florida. It seems unreasonable, but I will try to find some facts on this.

For example, Citizens Insurance of Florida which is a state run insurance company for those persons in Florida that can't get insurance from any other company for various reasons reported $17 million dollars in claims last year for sink holes alone. This is compared to $3.3 million to hurricane losses.

jart22x.jpg
 
I personally think this is another case of feeding a fear. Someone gets hit by lightning while talking on the phone and immediately it is hyped up as a serious safety issue. Reality is, you're just as likely to get hit by lightning while snoozing in your lazy chair in the middle of your living room. We put ourselves at higher risk many more times every day such as driving to work, eating our lunch (choking hazard), or just walking down the street (I believe we have a higher risk of being killed by a drive-by or mugger).

If we follow the hype, we should probably all just lock ourselves in a bomb shelter. Oh, but by ourselves of course because we would probably drive each other to the point of murder if we didn't happen to get along.

Bob
 
I find it highly unlikely to almost totally improbable that lightning will hit a structure thus injecting or inducing a current into the phoneline that is currently in use by a person on the phone within the house.
Click to expand...

Bryan:

I live in rual Illinois, and I think it's quite a bit different than that here. Many of the telephone lines are still ran overhead on poles. And I don't think the phone companies have caught onto the required grounding at the service entrance to homes. I don't think its the lighting hitting the structure that is dangerous, it is the lighting hitting the overhead wires on the poles. Then it travels on the wires, and with no real ground connection it apparently comes shooting out where the wire ends (the phone).

Would you be willing to take a wire and string it up on some poles and then stand in your house and hold one end during a thunderstorm? I know its still probably safer than riding a motorcycle, or smoking, but no use in taking unnecessary chances.

The Empire State Building has been struck literally thousands of times. I don't believe anyone has every been injured or killed on the phone or about the building...
Click to expand...

Well, the Empire State Building is made to take thousands of hits. Not so with your typical house.

I have a coworker whose house has been hit by lighting twice in the last two years. Both times his wife was home. You can bet I won't be using his phone during a thunderstorm :D

Steve
 
In October 1997, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published findings of some 35 years of USA lightning statistics. Fatalities, injuries, and damage were compiled for the years 1959-1994. We summarize the Report (1) as below:

1. Location of Incident:

40% Unreported.

27% Open fields & recreation areas (not golf).

14% Under trees (not golf).

8% Water-related (boating, fishing, swimming?).

5% Golf/golf under trees.

3% Heavy equipment and machinery-related.

2.4% Telephone-related.

0.7% Radio, transmitter & antenna-related.
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The rest can be seen here

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_lls/35_years_injuries.html

Bryan I stumbled on these lightning links, thought you might be interested.

http://www.sirlinksalot.net/lightning.html
 
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