Unplug during lightening storm??

[retiredhappy]

My daily RV tips newsletter had a video from Mike Sokel about whether or not you should unplug during an electrical storm. His answer was "yes." Said a surge protector would help but not necessarily completely prevent a problem. Explained that all the wiring to the posts in the campground can act as a conduit if an electrical post is hit and spread the electricity around. Now I don't feel so dumb when I unplug. Once saw major problem in Silver City when a transformer took a direct hit and all the boxes on that line fried electronics and stuff in some of the RVs that were on that side.

[bluepinecones]

Thanks for sharing that tip.

[BarbaraRose]

I had my old computer fried from a lightning strike at home once. Now I unplug my laptop and go on battery mode during a storm.

[avalen]

thats a great tip

[SoCalGalcas]

That's a very definite yes! Thanks for posting this important warning Karen. lyn

[Bethers]

Hmmm, so you want me to go outside and unplug in the middle of a lightening storm? Sorry - either I'd do it before it hit or not at all. So, I do have some important thing on surge protectors - which hopefully might help - but when the storm already hits, I'm not fooling around outside with my electric.

On the other hand, we are supposed to unplug ALL appliances, big and small, in a s&b when not in use, also. How many of you do that? If it was done, a lightening strike wouldn't be able to hit them - but I only know one person in my lifetime who literally did that - drove everyone crazy, but she did it faithfully - down to unplugging every electric clock before leaving the house and having to reset them all upon returning home.

[retiredhappy]

I unplug BEFORE the storm hits - not going outside in the middle of one. At my house I have my electronics (TVs and computers) on a surge protector strip that I can just turn off instead of unplugging. I know they say you can cut your electric bill by unplugging stuff at night or when not in use to stop the vampire drains but I'm with Beth, way too much trouble.

[BarbaraRose]

I just do my computer because of the past experience. I used to stay off my landline phone too, since that was a risky thing to be on during a storm. Nothing else of mine is that important to worry about.

Surge protectors are a good idea tho. They are easy to turn on and off.