Just out of interest, aparently the fire brigade suggests unplugging tvs at night. do you have to unplug, or can you just switch of the power on the socket?
exploding Tellys
- Thread starter Coaster
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2scoops0406
Switching off at the socket should be fine, like I always do 
Perhaps they consider it a special risk because of the aerial attracting lightning, but in this day and age going round your house unplugging every item every day is not practical. Nor would the manufacturers expect it. Some stuff nowadays does not even have an off switch, just a computer input button which puts it in standby.
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2scoops0406
Perhaps we should unplug the phone as well I don't think the hassle of unplugging the TV, removing the ariel socket, unscrewing the sat cable etc is really worth it, I'm sure it could well have happened, but I've never heard of anyone's telly catching fire from a lightning strike.
I don't think the hassle of unplugging the TV, removing the ariel socket, unscrewing the sat cable etc is really worth it, I'm sure it could well have happened, but I've never heard of anyone's telly catching fire from a lightning strike.
I
Igorian
Eddie M said:Perhaps we should unplug the phone as well
December 2004. Had 8 PCs in after storm from the villages with overhead telephone cables. All modems dead and 3 of them fried motherboards.
I have done a few fire training and according to them you should never leave anything on standby.andrew2022 said:all my stuff like that lives in standby. even my compEddie M said:Switching off at the socket should be fine, like I always do
Don’t leave your television on standby – switch it off at the set. Any appliance left on standby can use 80 per cent of the electricity it uses when it’s switched on.
Most fire start from faulty electricial inside the TV, my last Television caught fire while I was watching it, let alone on standby
One of our PC at work last year caught on fire because it never switched off, it was full of dusts
I can only sleep at night when the sockets are off now.
2
2scoops0406
I think you misquoted me there Yes I know you shouldn't leave things on standby, but there's so much stuff now.
TV's
Stereo
DVD
VCR
Sky Box
Sky+
Home cinema amp
Digi senders
portable stereos
Cordless Phones
Answer machines
Mobile phone chargers
The PC
Don't think I'd ever make it to bed. I'm not disagreeing with what anyones saying, but back to the original question, yes, turning off a TV at the power socket is fine. Perhaps we should just flip the RCD before going to bed.
I haven't got all that stuff above BTW
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Just most of it
Yes I know you shouldn't leave things on standby, but there's so much stuff now.TV's
Stereo
DVD
VCR
Sky Box
Sky+
Home cinema amp
Digi senders
portable stereos
Cordless Phones
Answer machines
Mobile phone chargers
The PC
Don't think I'd ever make it to bed. I'm not disagreeing with what anyones saying, but back to the original question, yes, turning off a TV at the power socket is fine. Perhaps we should just flip the RCD before going to bed.
I haven't got all that stuff above BTW
.
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Just most of it
masona said:Most fire start from faulty electricial inside the TV, my last Television caught fire while I was watching it, let alone on standby
Maybe forty years ago, bit actually nowadays the statistics are that most house fires are a result of cooking (leaving the chip-pan unattended is a good way
)Next comes arson, then fire-accidents (candles too close to curtains etc), and electrical faults comes somewhere below that. I'm remembering this from a recent TV programme and it may not be quite right, but it's not far off!
masona said:One of our PC at work last year caught on fire because it never switched off, it was full of dusts
Well I think hoovering the dust out of the PC would be the correct fix for this - most of its components don't perform well when thermally insulated!
Cheers,
Howard
2
2scoops0406
HDRW said:
I don't know about this, last and first time I tried this, I fried the PSU, maybe I was just unlucky !
Switching off at the socket won't help if lightening strikes the aerial. The TV would get fried anyway (the tuner unit at the very least). The TV may actually go bang. I think it's best to unplug a terrestrial aerial if a storm is approaching.
Unplugging the mains or turning off at the TV on/off switch will prevent damage from a mains surge if the lightening strikes the electricity supply. If the lightening causes a power cut, it might be best to unplug equipment that is normally on stand-by until the power is restored. Damage could occur if there is a surge of electricity when the power comes back on.
The strangest effect I ever saw from a lightening strike was that the coax cable melted in parts. The budgie got killed because the cable passed by its cage. The TV got written off. The most peculiar part was that the carpet was dragged from the edges of the room and humped up a little underneath a tubular steel coffee table.
When TVs catch fire it is usually a small component or part of the printed panel that catches fire (sometimes the line transformer). It causes much smoke and alarm but is rarely irreparable. I've never personally come across a case where a house has burned down because of components in a TV going up in smoke. Nonetheless, you can't be too careful. The 'not burning a house down' bit relies somewhat on someone noticing the smoke or arcing and turning the TV off.
Dry dust won't normally do any harm but I used to vacuum it out anyway when doing an overhaul. Dust in a damp atmosphere can hold moisture and could become slightly conductive and perhaps cause trouble. The dust around components that normally run warm tends to burn off as it builds, so the insulating effect of any dust may not apply.
Unplugging the mains or turning off at the TV on/off switch will prevent damage from a mains surge if the lightening strikes the electricity supply. If the lightening causes a power cut, it might be best to unplug equipment that is normally on stand-by until the power is restored. Damage could occur if there is a surge of electricity when the power comes back on.
The strangest effect I ever saw from a lightening strike was that the coax cable melted in parts. The budgie got killed because the cable passed by its cage. The TV got written off. The most peculiar part was that the carpet was dragged from the edges of the room and humped up a little underneath a tubular steel coffee table.
When TVs catch fire it is usually a small component or part of the printed panel that catches fire (sometimes the line transformer). It causes much smoke and alarm but is rarely irreparable. I've never personally come across a case where a house has burned down because of components in a TV going up in smoke. Nonetheless, you can't be too careful. The 'not burning a house down' bit relies somewhat on someone noticing the smoke or arcing and turning the TV off.
Dry dust won't normally do any harm but I used to vacuum it out anyway when doing an overhaul. Dust in a damp atmosphere can hold moisture and could become slightly conductive and perhaps cause trouble. The dust around components that normally run warm tends to burn off as it builds, so the insulating effect of any dust may not apply.
I
Igorian
Eddie M said:
Should have switched it off first
Eddie M said:I haven't got all that stuff above BTW
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Just most of it
Flash Git !!
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