Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob45
Does anyone know if a surge or lightning strike will get thru the USB charger block (wall wart) and damage the device plugged into it? Like our cell phones. Or just damage the power block? And what about the transformers in the power line that charges our laptops? Will the laptop be damaged?
Thanks, Bob
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It really depends on the path between the charger and the strike location.
Closer is typically worse.
Hitting a power line is worse.
Hitting a well grounded thing is better than a ground\building strike.
Being in the proximity of other people with surge protectors on the same feed line as you is better.
Having power company transformers between you and the strike minimizes power line transmission.
The energy of the actual lightning bolt can vary in orders of magnitude.
Surge suppression already in your house, on parallel power lines, helps.
Most current chargers do not use transformers. One side of the output is often tied directly to the AC power plug.
Since the device is generally at the end of the charge wire, with no other path for current to flow, damage flowing through the device to ground is not likely. Damage would happen when the surge gets through the charger and feeds surge voltage to the device.
So nobody can say for sure about the likelihood of damage.