> Would the house wiring be suspect after a surge like that? Or would
> the main fuse blow? What about older properties with old wiring?

Wiring insulation may be damaged by a very serious over-voltage (it's
not clear how large a surge they're talking about). Ultimately arcing
could cause some plastics to carbonise and others to melt.

The main (and other) fuses may blow, depending what high current
devices are switched on and whether they draw more current as the
voltage rises (some do, some don't).

Any appliance plugged in at the time is also suspect, and even if not
obviously damaged might have its lifetime shortened.

On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:42:54 -0700 (PDT), dom@gglz.com wrote:

> Any appliance plugged in at the time is also suspect, and even if not
> obviously damaged might have its lifetime shortened.

Quite I'd be in touch with my insurers both contents for connected 
equipment and buildings for the fixed wiring to see what they say (in 
writing). You wouldn't want them coming back a few years down the line 
saying that you aren't covered for the fire caused by the TV or a fault in 
the fixed wiring that they say was caused by the surge.

I'd expect the insurers to want at a minimum a full installation test and 
PAT testing of kit that can be PAT tested.

-- 
Cheers
Dave.

On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:55:05 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
 wrote:

>On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:42:54 -0700 (PDT), dom@gglz.com wrote:
>
>> Any appliance plugged in at the time is also suspect, and even if not
>> obviously damaged might have its lifetime shortened.
>
>Quite I'd be in touch with my insurers both contents for connected 
>equipment and buildings for the fixed wiring to see what they say (in 
>writing). You wouldn't want them coming back a few years down the line 
>saying that you aren't covered for the fire caused by the TV or a fault in 
>the fixed wiring that they say was caused by the surge.
>
>I'd expect the insurers to want at a minimum a full installation test and 
>PAT testing of kit that can be PAT tested.

The report says "[Scottish Power] Workers are also conducting
door-to-door inquiries to discuss potential compensation claims with
residents." so it sounds like it was a massive surge and the company
wants to preempt a major outcry. I wonder what an insurer would say,
faced with a claim to replace a new 42" modern TV, when told that
there had been a power surge just before it went phut.

MM

On Jun 29, 7:55 pm, "Dave Liquorice" 
wrote:
> On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:42:54 -0700 (PDT), d...@gglz.com wrote:

> > Any appliance plugged in at the time is also suspect, and even if not
> > obviously damaged might have its lifetime shortened.
>
> Quite I'd be in touch with my insurers both contents for connected
> equipment and buildings for the fixed wiring to see what they say (in
> writing). You wouldn't want them coming back a few years down the line
> saying that you aren't covered for the fire caused by the TV or a fault in
> the fixed wiring that they say was caused by the surge.
>
> I'd expect the insurers to want at a minimum a full installation test and
> PAT testing of kit that can be PAT tested.

An insulation test should tell you if there's a problem, for both
appliances and fixed wiring. If the insulation is shot all over the
place then a total rewire is the only solution, and leaving it not
done would be a fire risk. Test at 500v/1kV, not 9v.


NT

wrote in message 
news:63047b3a-6b6d-42c1-b599-72f1419c5b8d@y21g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
On Jun 29, 7:55 pm, "Dave Liquorice" 
wrote:
> On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:42:54 -0700 (PDT), d...@gglz.com wrote:

> > Any appliance plugged in at the time is also suspect, and even if not
> > obviously damaged might have its lifetime shortened.
>
> Quite I'd be in touch with my insurers both contents for connected
> equipment and buildings for the fixed wiring to see what they say (in
> writing). You wouldn't want them coming back a few years down the line
> saying that you aren't covered for the fire caused by the TV or a fault in
> the fixed wiring that they say was caused by the surge.
>
> I'd expect the insurers to want at a minimum a full installation test and
> PAT testing of kit that can be PAT tested.

An insulation test should tell you if there's a problem, for both
appliances and fixed wiring. If the insulation is shot all over the
place then a total rewire is the only solution, and leaving it not
done would be a fire risk. Test at 500v/1kV, not 9v.


NT

Don't test at 1kV test at 500V.

Rgds Steve