Lightning and photocells

[Doomed]

Anyone ever had problems with photocells failing to always latched on after a thunderstorm?
After a storm on Monday night I have had to change 2 security lights and one 'dome' photocell in different areas of the town.
Obviously no direct strike, and as far as I'm aware no strikes nearby.

Anyone smart enough to give me a good theory? (Besides coincidence)

 

[Marvo]

Were they completely dead or just skittish and intermittently not operating? I'd guess surge damage maybe.

 

[Andy78]

The storms were use as a cover for alien spacecraft landings in your local vicinity. The aliens use electromagnetic pulses to knock out the internals of outdoor lighting so that they can land incognito and set up camp in peoples sheds and garages. Get your customers to ask if their 9 year old sons have any ugly looking friends wearing dresses in their bedroom cupboards.

 

[Darkwood]

Id go with Marvo on that ....also if the bolt is close enough you could possible get an EMP which could effect the PCB

 

[Doomed]

Latched 'on' so they were operating in broad daylight as well. Tried isolating from power for a while and turning back on, still always on.
So I changed them, just curious if anyone else has had this after a storm.

I know years ago during a bit storm loads of modems got fried, and every stockist in the area ran out the next day, I changed several myself. That was down to strikes on the BT infrastructure though. (This was in the days of internal dial up modems).

 

[Marvo]

....also if the bolt is close enough you could possible get an EMP which could effect the PCB

Is that the same as the aliens theory above???

 

[Plonker 3]

Get your customers to ask if their 9 year old sons have any ugly looking friends wearing dresses in their bedroom cupboards.

What you doing in there you pervert

 

[Marvo]

Latched 'on' so they were operating in broad daylight as well. Tried isolating from power for a while and turning back on, still always on.

Don't suppose you know if they were solid state switches or relay output??

 

[Andy78]

Is that the same as the aliens theory above???

Totally ! it's the EMP theory they use as their cover. Watch out, DW could be one of their mindslaves

 

[Andy78]

What you doing in there you pervert

Alien search madam, don't be alarmed (flash JIB card at customer)

 

[davesparks]

PIRs can behave erratically during and after thunderstorms, it used to be written in the instructions.
I've been to a few over the years that have become erratic after thunderstorms and a switch off for a couple of minutes then back on has cured it.

 

[nickblake]

We did have a thunderstorm a few years ago that caused them to fail , well it was a thunderbolt , blew a bell in a church spire to bits , blew a transformer off a pole , lifted all the drain covers off the road , melted every telephone point on the street all tv's and PC blown up it was a hell of a bang i have to say lol