Phones don't ring....are they fried?
 

After a thunderous, stormy evening I noticed 4 of the five phones in the house don't ring anymore. A couple of the lightning struck really close as the sonic booms rang my ears.

When someone calls only one phone rings now. All the "silent" phones can still dial out but won't ring. I thought the jacks were fried so I disconnected all phones, tested them one by one in the jack that I know is good for sure, still none would ring. I tried the only phone that rings in all other jacks and it rings as normal, that tells me the jacks are still good.

Did the lightning fried all my phones except one? I have two corded phones two cordless, no ring. Only one that rings is a cordless.

Any ideas?

They seem to have been damaged.

Perhaps if you write the manufacturer detailing the model number and as much information as possible they will appreciate the report and send you a free phone :-)

I am guessing these phones are older ones that actually have a bell in them that rings. The solenoid that actuates the ringers could have easily gotten damaged from a power surge in the phone line.

If these phones are electronic, however, it is rare that a surge could knock out a ringer, and not the entire phone, since everything in an electronic phone is part of a single integrated board, as opposed to individual connected components.

Just got back from a trip to SC. I brought a "dead" phone just to test and see if it'd ring, well, it did. I got a line tester and tested every jack in the house, all good. I'm still puzzled by the one phone that only one phone rings, it's 2.4GZ phone, like 2 other ones. I also have a 900 mHz plus two corded that I use in my office and garage.

There is a maximimum amount of 'ringers' you can attach to a phone line. This number is available from the phone company (often 5). Each phone has a REN listed on it, which is how may ringers the phone counts as (this is usaly less then 1). If one of you phones is excessivly drawing current from the line, it may prevent the other phones from ringing. Try unplugging the phone that rings, and see what happens.