| Glenn Dye - 9/30/2016 21:03
Why is the TV the only thing that took the hit?
First, a surge is an electrical connection from a cloud to some earthborne charges maybe five miles distant. A shortest electrical connection is three miles down to earth and four miles through earth to those charges. Since you did not earth that current BEFORE it entered, then it was inside incoming to everything in the house - including dishwasher, bathroom and kitchen GFCIs, furnace, smoke detectors, refrigerator, clocks, etc. That surge was incoming to everything.
But it is electricity. That means both an incoming and outgoing path must exist. No outgoing path means no damage. Once it finds a best path to earth via one appliance, then it need not hunt for outgoing connections to earth via others - ie central air conditioner.
Second, that protector (for $10, $35, or $200 - little difference) simply gave that surge more paths via nearby appliances. So one among those appliances made a best connection to earth. Since TV cable is required to have properly earthed protection, then a best outgoing path may have been via an HDMI port or coax cable.
It is electricity. That means while a current is incoming to a protector and attached appliances, that same current at the same time it outgoing via some other wire (ie coax cable).
Third, a surge was probably incoming to all household appliances. Since plug-in protectors can make damage easier, then that surge found an easiest path to earth destructively via one of those so-called 'protected' appliances.
Fourth, damage was easily averted had a surge been connected low impedance (ie less than 10 feet) to earth ground BEFORE entering. Successful protection has done that for well over 100 years. And is not promotes by advertising myths. As you have observed, a plug-in protector may even make damage easier if a 'whole house' solution is also not properly earthed.
And yes, that other solution, called a surge protector, is for protection from lightning. With spec numbers (not hearsay) that says so. It costs about $1 per protected appliances. Earth ground is not a wall receptacle safety ground. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground - which plug-in protectors do not have. So plug-in protectors do not claim to protect from any such destructive surges. That should have everyone's attention.
A protector (for all surges including lightning) is only as effective as its earth ground.
Edited by westom 9/30/2016 23:05
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