Fried TV, My fault?

[a30993]

All right,

We used a Sanyo 27" TV for our Wii. It won't turn on anymore, we think it's fried.. Thing is, my DAD's blaming me for it, and it just so happened the night before a thunderstorm struck.

He says that me and my brother left the TV on all the time, when we have 2 others that are left on and we've had them a lot longer than the Wii one (about 9 or so years), and are fine to this day.

The thing is, a storm happened the last night, but the wii and TV are hooked up to the same power bar, and the Wii's fine. (To my knowledge, father hasn't let me hook it up to a seperate TV for fear of screwing THAT one up as well. -.- )

Anyway,

I'm asking your professional opinion.

Can leaving a TV on too much fry it?

 

[[DT]]

Well use certainly reduces the life of the "wear" components (tubes, power supplies, bulbs/lights/projectors, etc.).

That seems like a reasonable assessment that the Wii on the same strip as the TV and still functioning likely means there wasn't lightening damage.

The TV might have just failed due to it's age and use (so unfortunately your Dad is indrectly correct). FWIW, we tend to leave our sets running all the time too, but just factor that in as part of the cost - we don't worry about using something as intended.

 

[austinAlan]

Sometimes I wonder what the real difference is between a TV left own in wii's screen saver mode and a TV turned off. I believe that household electronics like TV's always suck some juice to be able to turn on quickly rather than warm up like they used to. If you didn't stick any screwdrivers in it and you were using the Wii's screensaver mode then to me the difference in wear and tear is possibly marginal.

 

[KrisKhaos]

That seems like a reasonable assessment that the Wii on the same strip as the TV and still functioning likely means there wasn't lightening damage.

I disagree with this, as I have retained lightning damage myself on about a half dozen items (mostly surge protectors :lol and this sort of thing effects at random. Electricity will travel the shortest path and often appliances plugged in series (such as an outlet strip) complicate what is the shortest path, therefore can easily be skipped. Another element is that the TV also has another external connection, cable/satellite/antennae feed that more often than not is left ungrounded and unprotected as well as connected to the outside.

Well use certainly reduces the life of the "wear" components (tubes, power supplies, bulbs/lights/projectors, etc.).

The TV might have just failed due to it's age and use (so unfortunately your Dad is indrectly correct). FWIW, we tend to leave our sets running all the time too, but just factor that in as part of the cost - we don't worry about using something as intended.

Good stuff DT, well said...

In addition to what DT said and depending on the frequency of use, powering a television on and off regularly generates more wear than simply just leaving it on in some circumstances. Think about public televisions for a moment, some these sets are on 12/24 hours a day and there is a number of these units are still running. Some of them are well over 10 to 20 years old.

So frankly ANY use generates wear, however the "charging" and "discharging" of compasitors, resistors, and diodes also generates (off/on) wear as well. (Most televisions I know of continue to retain charge in it's primary compasitors even when off for as long as the unit is plugged in. The idea is that it takes more power to charge them then it does to simply maintain them in attempts to save power and reduce wear.)

I wouldn't say not turning it off killed it, however simply using it did.

 

[a30993]

Thank you, Kris.

Anyone else have any opinions? I'll take what I can get.

 

[Brawny]

In short, you're dad's full of crap.

In long, he's kinda right lol.

Why do you leave them on in the first place....

 

[[DT]]

I disagree with this

Your disagreement is noted. :lol: It's is possible the TV got zinged and the VG didn't, but in my experience VG's and computers seem to always somehow throw themselves in the path of the incoming spike (maybe they're just heroic?)

Anyway...

Another element is that the TV also has another external connection, cable/satellite/antennae feed that more often than not is left ungrounded and unprotected as well as connected to the outside.

Heck, this was a big oversight on my part, great catch.

I've seen a more than one TV setup where the owner took the time to buy a decent POWER surge protector, but left the cable/sat hooked up directly.

It's more likely to get zapped via your external signal connection than it is through the power supply (I saw an actually stat once).

If your surge protection lacks RG/coax type protection, you can go back to blaming it on the weather

 

[Master Foot]

Blame it on the rain...

 

[austinAlan]

Blame it on the rain...

Chocolate Rain...
Came home one day and my TV failed to work
Chocolate Rain...
My Dad's pissed and I don't know what to say
Chocolate Rain... (breath)

 

[LevesqueIsKing]

Just because some things fry (even when multiple things are in the same outlet) and some don't, doesn't rule our the possibility of lightning damage.On multiple occasions I've had one thing at a time fry when I've got multiple things on the same powerbar.

The thunderstorm is obviously the most logical answer, it wasn't just a coincidence that your tv decided to die that night...

 

[a30993]

Chocolate Rain...
Came home one day and my TV failed to work
Chocolate Rain...
My Dad's pissed and I don't know what to say
Chocolate Rain... (breath)

:lol:

You made my day, man.

 

[Michaelk]

Beutiful Poem, no joke I loved it! :lol:

 

[AceAlabama]

my radio fried while i was reading this. :cryin:

 

[dark samus]

certain tvs have a certain amount of hours you can watch it for (hours its on) and frie after those hours have passed.

 

[a30993]

He has a NEW argument against me.

He claims, that if it was lightning that killed the TV, then all of the things in the house would be fried, my computer, his computer, the Wii, my PS2, the other 2 TVs, everything electronic.

HALP.