Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: tubin on July 12, 2004, 05:37:31 pm
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??? just wondering if i should, i could just flip the breaker from inside the house....but didn't know if spa knockout by lightning was common enough to worry.
Thanks!!
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Might be a good idea, depends on how severe the electrical storm. Just 2 days ago we had a massive lightning storm roll right over the show room. It knocked out the power twice for a fraction of a second each time about 30 seconds apart. When I checked the top side controlls on my J-315 and 345 wet demos, they were both going haywire. Blinking and flashing the numbers in reverse order, they looked posesed. I tripped the breaker, waited 30 seconds, and each spa reset itsel fine. My wet 385 shown now adverse affects. So, I don't know, maybe it's a good idea. Lightning damage to your circuit board isn't a warranty issue, but a homeowners insurance issue.
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It couldn't hurt!
You should ask johnnythunders, with a name like that, he's got to know!! :)
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look look lets not throw names around,This board helped me in buying my spa.Hope you will be around here after you get yours lol ;)Jt
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Sorry jt, just thought I would give you some credit for such a great handle!
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If you want to see Johnny Thunders look at www.pickwickrecords.com on the left lol....Jt ;)
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If you want to see Johnny Thunders look at www.pickwickrecords.com on the left lol....Jt
Wow! It looks like a couple of people in that picture not only forgot to unplug their spa in a thunderstorm, they were still in it when the lightning struck!!!
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Huh? Am I missing something? I dont see any pictures on the left of that website except for the funky colored globe.
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you have to wait a second for the picture to load...or get "loaded" (no pun intended jt) ;D
anyone ever heard of a tub getting fried? i have only heard of it once since i have been here on the forum.
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you have to wait a second for the picture to load...or get "loaded" (no pun intended jt) ;D
anyone ever heard of a tub getting fried? i have only heard of it once since i have been here on the forum.
Yes there was a recent post of a fellow having trouble with his tub after a thunder Storm.
It is always a good idea to disconnect any electronics, ie TV, Computer or Hot Tub ( hot Tubs are controlled by microprocessors these days. ) Electronics are very sensitive to electrical surges.
So In severe electrical storms it is good insurance to unplug or disconnect for the duration. Better Safe than Sorry!
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Mine is being installed today but doesn't have a plug, it's wired directly to a subpanel.
Anyway, a girl once hit a electric pole a couple miles from our house, causing a power surge which zapped all of our electronics, including 2 satellite receivers, 2 TVs, a VCR, my treadmill, our heat pump and the surge protector my computer was attached to (fortunately it sacrificed it's life for my computer. ) I thought it worth it to subscribe to a service the electric company offers for $5 /month. It's a surge protector on the meter that covers the whole house. If it fails it will replace or repare whatever is messed up.
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I, too, have been thinking of adding surge protection but on the line side of my main breaker. Might be expensive but might me more expensive if not done......
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$189 for the Leviton version - others are available. We're building a house in the mountains, and I'm going to include one of these.
(http://www.smarthome.com/images/4860_big.jpg)
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thanks for the info!
i always wondered of there was a line side surge protector that would cover the entire house...only drawback is when it blows itself, it is a lot more than just a couple of common surge protectors to replace.
definitely an option for the tub...flip the tub's breaker when it gets nasty outside and then let the surge box protect the tub when your not at home to unplug.
hmmm, worth rubbing my head over and contemplating...
thanks again!
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Chas,
You never fail to amaze me with your logical input! With all of the years I have in this business I never new of this piece of equipment. I will reccomend it from here out. Thanks!
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Thanks.
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I would think that as many times as you kick off a breaker because of a lightning storm, there will be that many times you not home when it occurs. That said, I do a lot of home computer repairs and the odds are against lightning damage, but when your the one in that 10 thousand it hurts. I do like the look of this model that Chas posted. So many people use surge supressors on thier computers not realzing they work great, once.
Chas have you used one of these yet? I couldn't find that exact model om their site and I wonder if surge currents from pump start ups might cause it problems.
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I do like the look of this model that Chas posted. So many people use surge supressors on thier computers not realzing they work great, once.
I was under the impression that these surge suppressors were good forever. Do you mean that they fry when hit and then they don't work, or would they continue to work and you would never know it if they got hit :o
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I have used the Power strip types for years, and had many of them die protecting my 'puters , keyboard gear on stage and high-end stereo gear at home.
BrickWall makes the best table-top units, IMO - they are proud not to have MOVs inside - sort of the Rolls Royce of Surge protection. Go to their site, but be careful: you'll think you are at a certain site in Colorado, but this time they seem to know what they are talking about!
But the Leviton device I pictured is UL listed under two distinct classifications, the UL 1449 tvvs standard and the older one - can't remember the number. And they work.
BUT - the Leviton device uses MOV technology, so if it eats a really big surge for you, it usually dies in the effort. MOV is 'Metal Oxide Varistor,' and it costs pennies to make - you simply put the MOV across the power lines, or from hot to neutral. Little surges tend to add up, and the MOV units can fail after years of small surges as well. To make the products work better and last longer, Leviton puts MOVs in layers - or cascade circuits - so there are 'layers of protection.'
That's one reason they are inexpensive, and it's also why they come with LED on the front (some of their models have an allowance for a remote indicator) to let you know if the protection has ended. When that happens, you are unprotected until you replace the module - or heart of the unit.
HotSpring has incorporated MOVs into it's control boxes for the last couple of decades. The newest ones are soldered onto the control board. They work great for smaller surges, and do tend to lengthen the life expectancy of the control systems. But as far as a really big surge: It is sort of a 'last line of defense' design, because the power cord on the 110 units has one inside (hopefully that one will blow first in a big surge), and all units are supposed to be protected by circuit breakers, of course.
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I was under the impression that these surge suppressors were good forever. Do you mean that they fry when hit and then they don't work, or would they continue to work and you would never know it if they got hit :o
Most fail-safe: that means that they will keep the power flowing, but no longer offer protection from surges if they fail. The MOV types can actually smoke if the MOVs pop. There are devices called "Surge Counters," or maybe is was "Spike Counters," which tell you how many jolts your stuff has absorbed. People who own expensive specialty equipment often install these after their UPS/Power conditioner/Surge suppressor systems let them down the first time.
As an electrician, or in conjunction with my subs, I have been involved in some of these upgrades, as the computer vendors and equipment vendors were carrying in tens of thousands of dollars of new equipment, and people were crying over lost work.
I can remember my first surge protection device: Radio Shack, one outlet, about $9, maybe less. It had a neon light in it, and I used it for years, but I have no idea if it worked at all.
The work I would lose on my computer now drives my decision on the price I'm willing to pay for surge protection.
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I was under the impression that these surge suppressors were good forever. Do you mean that they fry when hit and then they don't work, or would they continue to work and you would never know it if they got hit :o
Ok, keep in mind my degree in electronics was earned in 1979 ;D Most of the surge suppressors you buy for computers (no UPS systems) use Metal oxide Varistors (MOVS) to shunt the surges to safety and they basically jump in front of the bullet the way Kevin Costner did for Whitney Houston. ;) Some of the newer models have indicators to let you know if they have taken such a hit. The cheaper ones don't. I use UPS systems on mine so they are isolated from power fluctuations. Don't forget the modem line. I just had a user who had all her power going through a suppressor but lightning got to her computer through the phone line in the modem.
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Don't forget the modem line. I just had a user who had all her power going through a suppressor but lightning got to her computer through the phone line in the modem.
Good point!
There is some info about ground loops and other ways that power can get into your computer at the BrickWall site.