Unplugging power cords from amps/ pre amps


This might be a stupid question but when there is a thunderstorm lightning storm I used to unplug my power cords from the outlet but now I can’t do that because of a lot of things in the way to reach my plugs from the outlets. I want to know if it is ok to unplug my amps / pre / cdp from the female end that goes to my equipment and then replugging them back after.  Of course the units are off when unplugging / plugging them back. Ty. 

128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xtattooedtrackman

I mistyped,  I meant to say:

What wears when done too much is the springs in the female sockets, either on the wall or in the cable.

 

Not sure lightning will be stopped by a 6mm gap in a breaker. 

IF your system is plugged into separate circuit(s), (as it should be) simply turn the breaker(s) off, back on after storm passes.

My Coda manual very specifically states to disconnect the wall connection before disconnecting the cord from the amp. Connecting is the reverse of that. If the main switch on the back is off, it probably is not an issue, but it is easy to forget this step. The result can be arcing when plugging/unplugging a live cord into the the amp. 

@zlone

Arcing during a disconnect is bad, but AFAIK, does not cause a voltage surge. It does have the potential for leaving carbon deposits which prevent current flow, or heat up and cause a fire. That’s 100% true. I’ve seen it in a bad outlet wiring (my own fault!).

The arcing is proportional to the current flowing at the time the switch or cable is pulled out, or relay disengages. For this reason it’s important to turn off the gear first.

I’m not sure however that it makes much of a difference which end of the cable you pull out, except perhaps that if you pull out the equipment end you risk the chance of the arc damage being on the IEC connector?

Maybe the EMI/RFI noise during the arc can be amplified through the amp, so having it happen further away minimizes the noise?

Not sure lightning will be stopped by a 6mm gap in a breaker. 

IF your system is plugged into separate circuit(s), (as it should be) simply turn the breaker(s) off, back on after storm passes.

 

There is an extended surge protector thread going on at the misc forum right now, and I mentioned that getting back to my outlets is a b, so what I said I had been doing was tripping the breaker(s) during atmospheric electrical activity (which we are getting a lot of as of late). @jea48 informed me on that thread that a massive surge could easily jump across a tripped breaker. I have started unplugging my stuff during T’storms, even though it is a bit more of a PITA. As a matter of fact, my stuff is unplugged as I am typing this stuff. Activity last night and gray skies today. As I get older my paranoia increases.