Television in a thunderstorm: is it dangerous?

It flashes and thunders outside. Now you could really make yourself comfortable in front of the TV. But shouldn't television be dangerous in a thunderstorm? We'll tell you what the myth is about here.

Watch TV during a thunderstorm: unplug it

In thunderstorms, electrical devices still threaten total damage from lightning strikes.

• Lightning can strike your TV directly through the antenna or power line.
• With a big bang, the device says goodbye to you and in the worst case, it has also hit the socket and the power line.
• If you are still using a tube television, you should unplug it particularly early. A lightning strike can cause an explosion here.
• By the way, it is not enough to simply switch off the television or other electrical devices.
• Even a lightning strike several kilometers away can lead to overvoltage and damage your devices.
• Surge damage is not automatically anchored in every household insurance. This damage coverage is lacking, especially in old contracts. If you have not agreed an additional clause for this, you must pay for the repair or new purchase yourself.

Watch TV during a thunderstorm: protection against damage

Pulling the plug is still the best protection. However, there are a few other ways to minimize lightning damage:

• Use sockets with surge protection. If the lightning strikes directly into the house, these are of no use.
• You get better protection if you spend some money on an electrician. This can install a central overvoltage protection in the fuse box.
• Have a lightning rod installed on the roof.
• As soon as the distance from lightning to thunder is 4 seconds or shorter, all important devices should no longer be connected to electricity.
• It is best to also unplug your PC, the antenna cable, the modem and the router.

Please do not do this during the next thunderstorm!

Showering during thunderstorms also poses dangers. We tell you what you should pay attention to for your safety.