Discuss Lose of power/continuity after lightening strike. in the UK Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

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Hi, looking for some ideas on this.
I went to an address on Tuesday following a storm where property has been struck by lightning.
When the residents returned they found (clearly visible from outside) that the property had been hit in the top corner of the house, taken out the BT line and tripped there electric.

They are not entirely sure, but it sounds as though both RCCB's went (split load) and the lighting circuit MCB had also tripped (they are sure on this one). They have reset both RCCB'S (if indeed both went) and the lighting MCB. However the upstairs lights have not come back on.

On attending on initial investigation, it is obvious the MCB for the lighting circuits houses three separate radial circuits, downstairs/extension/upstairs lights. Both downstairs and extension lights still working but not upstairs. So rules out MCB damage.

I have moved the third (upstairs) circuit to a spare MCB (why it was put in with others when spares available I don't know) and confirmed supply is passing to load side of MCB.

I have tested what points I can (lots of wall lights with interesting fittings) and there is no voltage to any point. I have tried to chase the circuit back to source (this is an old house with lots of junction boxes in the ceiling) but with no luck.

Done some continuity testing (R1+R2) to try and find the first point of circuit but to date no luck, there is no continuity at any light point upstairs. There was an interesting result on one rose where there was continuity between live and neutral 64ohms led drivers in line so may have something to do with it ??

Amy thoughts ideas on what I've missed would be appreciated.

Edit
Also I did find a cable which was charred showing signs of thermal damage, bit I don't see how this would a/break continuity and b/if this was the problem the circuit would more than likely short, but it doesn't. I understand this needs to be rectified but just trying to get to bottom of loss of continuity.
 
I would suggest serious thermal damage to the cables has taken place whereby the lighting has "jumped" through the wall and used the cpcs as a route to earth. This is the purpose of lightning protection to "attract" it before it finds another path, namely the internal wiring.
 
I would suggest serious thermal damage to the cables has taken place whereby the lighting has "jumped" through the wall and used the cpcs as a route to earth. This is the purpose of lightning protection to "attract" it before it finds another path, namely the internal wiring.
Appreciate your reply
Yes understand the above, I guess it's possible that having used the CPC it has damaged one of the many junction boxes on the ceiling/terminal damaged so severely that the cables are no longer in place.....
 
That sounds quite minor all things considered, I've attended properties after a strike only to find parts of the wiring had 'disappeared' the copper completely vaporising, holes blown in pipes where bonding clamps were attached, PCB tracks also vaporising in appliances, electric meters catching fire and so on. I had some cool photos of some surface clipped phone wiring where all that remained of the cable was a soot mark along the wall and a large coppery blast mark inside the remains of telephone point back box, the socket was somewhere across the room.

In all 3 strikes I have seen, the insurance companies wouldn't pay a penny towards repairs, including one where the strike had demolished the chimney stack almost to ground level.

It would be a good idea to carry out a full EICR on the entire installation.
 

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