What is the best surge outlet protector

[Teken]

Some back ground: Just finished building this house not too long ago, and have many experiences with black outs, brown outs, lightning strikes.

Current: Because of this knowledge and experience I have committed to ensuring my home is well protected against any and all threats. Allot of my friends have laughed and stated they know where to be if and when there is a natural disaster, because my home will be the only one still with power and intact!!

After allot of thought, research, and feed-back from other forums I have installed the following things in my home.

1. Whole house Syscom 120-240 surge protector at the service entrance. The intent of this device is to protect all eletrical devices at the panel. Some of the big hitters would be all your appliences, AC unit, Furnace etc.

2. Certain areas of the home have stand alone APC surge protectors for those not often used electronics.

3. Those items which require continous and stable power have a APC UPS installed to ensure power is clean and present in case of a power failure. Such as my security system, cameras, NAS back up system, garage door opener.

4. I plan on this summer to install a Generac 17 kwh natural gas back up generator to ensure if there is a complete black out my home can up and running with out any worries.

So with all that in mind back to the original Q. I have seen a few units that are surge protectors in the form of the actual recepticle, I would very much like to have a few of these units installed instead of the units you plug in after. The reason being is that some of the gear I have there are space limitations and every inch is critical for me so I need a great surge type out let that will serve its purpose well.

If anyone has some insight as to where and how much that would be greatly appreciated. I am trying to balance cost / value here too, as well. Any direct links, pictures and specs would be greatly appreciated.

So far I have reviewed the cooper model, but wanted more options and better specs in terms of how many joules etc.

Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

 

[kornjulio]

I know you don't want the ones you plug into an outlet; but I have isobars from Tripp-Lite. They're built like a tank and the case is metal, not plastic. Maybe look on their website for the type of protection you're looking for...

 

[Torque1st]

The under the meter unit is your best protection. It will NOT protect against a direct lightning strike. There are lightning rods available to help protect the house. In my experience the plug in devices and the surge suppression outlets are worthless.

Install surge suppressors on the generator also.

 

[Teken]

The under the meter unit is your best protection.

I agree 100% that is why I went with a direct service, surge protector.

It will NOT protect against a direct lightning strike. There are lightning rods available to help protect the house.

I find that really odd to be honest. But, the literature in all the brands I have read or reviewed does state what you're saying. I have to scratch my head as to why that is??

In my experience the plug in devices and the surge suppression outlets are worthless.

I can only comment based on my own personal experience which is. Every place I have lived that has been struck by a utlility faults, or act of God pieces of gear have been damaged.

I am hedging my bets that something in line (APC) UPS, Surge protector some with a MOV, some with other types of arresting clamping resistors will at least buffer or lesson the potential initial hit from a strike, or a surge.

Who knows, really ?? All I can state as of today since installing and using this three stage approach nothing I own electrical / electronic base has ever given up the ghost and I have been doing that for more than 30 years.

Install surge suppressors on the generator also.

I will definately keep that in mind, I appreciate the heads up.

Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

 

[mrb]

you need to layer the protection as you are planning. Just a wholehouse isnt going to offer complete protection (the literature on these says it wont protect all electronics)

Leviton make surge protected receptacles.

UPS's dont like motor loads, I dont know how well it would work with the garage door opener.

 

[Torque1st]

Read up on the amount of power involved with a lightning strike and you will realize why a direct strike can't be shunted to ground by some electronic device.

BTW, My house/property was struck 5 times in 1984. After the second strike I got busy and studied lightning. I installed my own under meter system consisting of two gas tube arresters on the meter can and a flat plate surge suppressor mounted on the side of the main panel.

The first strike struck a tree outside and was conducted into the house by an overhead line to a bug zapper. The strike blew holes in my living room walls, vaporized the wire in two power circuits all the way back to the main panel. It also vaporized all the phone wires all the way thru the house and out to the pole. When I say vaporized I mean the wire insulation was still there most places but there was no copper conductor inside. There were arc burns on the outside of all the entertainment system components in the living room. Every single electrical/electronic device/appliance in the home was burned out except for one cheap radio shack phone that was in the living room. The modular plug for that phone was welded into the jack and the inside of the jack housing was like a mirror from the wires that had vaporized. I later found out that all the HVAC air ducts were spot welded together at every joint by thousands of little welds at each joint. The bug zapper was gone... There was a 36" crater about a foot deep in the ground below where it was hung.

The second strike was transformer coupled into the house by a power pole strike on the next pole (not the pole with the transformer). I had already "protected" everything that I had purchased with those plug in surge suppressors. They did not do any good and I lost every electronic device in the house again, along with the plug in suppressors. I was in the basement when the bolt hit and witnessed the flashes and arcs jumping around the room and all the crackling.

The third strike was after I had installed the "under meter" system. The lightning struck a tree that burned for days next to the house. It lived but it was mortally wounded. I cut it down in 06. No damage was done in the house.

The fourth strike was another tree in the yard about 10 yards from the house that burned a stripe down the side of it. No damage was done inside.

The fifth strike was again a power pole hit 2 houses away but the Gas tubes etc worked. They sound like a shotgun going off when they trip. No damage was done.

The arresters have fired off a few times since but no damage has been done.

 

[Teken]

you need to layer the protection as you are planning. Just a wholehouse isnt going to offer complete protection (the literature on these says it wont protect all electronics)

Agreed, for the small cost and the time I took to install this simple device. It's cheap insurance for sure. My insurance agent sent out a risk / loss officer to my home prior to issuing any insurance. He was very impressed, taken aback, and literally shocked as to the extent I had thought out my plans to ensure the house was well protected against unforseen events.

It dropped my insurance rate 30%, and I was given some type of classification for very low risk. I gather they feel just as good that the potential loss in my home is so slow, that I am indeed a good bet.

Leviton make surge protected receptacles.

I will definately take a look at them and see what they have to offer. I have always appreciated your feed-back on many threads since even before I was a formal member.

UPS's dont like motor loads, I dont know how well it would work with the garage door opener.

Sorry I mispoke: The Liftmaster garage door motor is being back up and powered by their own back up battery system. Speaking of which that is one of the units I want to use these style outlets to plug both the unit and the battery pack too. Just for extra protection, as I don't believe anyone should rely soley on the whole house surge protectors alone.

Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

 

[Teken]

Read up on the amount of power involved with a lightning strike and you will realize why a direct strike can't be shunted to ground by some electronic device.

BTW, My house/property was struck 5 times in 1984. After the second strike I got busy and studied lightning. I installed my own under meter system consisting of two gas tube arresters on the meter can and a flat plate surge suppressor mounted on the side of the main panel.

The first strike struck a tree outside and was conducted into the house by an overhead line to a bug zapper. The strike blew holes in my living room walls, vaporized the wire in two power circuits all the way back to the main panel. It also vaporized all the phone wires all the way thru the house and out to the pole. When I say vaporized I mean the wire insulation was still there most places but there was no copper conductor inside. There were arc burns on the outside of all the entertainment system components in the living room. Every single electrical/electronic device/appliance in the home was burned out except for one cheap radio shack phone that was in the living room. The modular plug for that phone was welded into the jack and the inside of the jack housing was like a mirror from the wires that had vaporized. I later found out that all the HVAC air ducts were spot welded together at every joint by thousands of little welds at each joint. The bug zapper was gone... There was a 36" crater about a foot deep in the ground below where it was hung.

The second strike was transformer coupled into the house by a power pole strike on the next pole (not the pole with the transformer). I had already "protected" everything that I had purchased with those plug in surge suppressors. They did not do any good and I lost every electronic device in the house again, along with the plug in suppressors. I was in the basement when the bolt hit and witnessed the flashes and arcs jumping around the room and all the crackling.

The third strike was after I had installed the "under meter" system. The lightning struck a tree that burned for days next to the house. It lived but it was mortally wounded. I cut it down in 06. No damage was done in the house.

The fourth strike was another tree in the yard about 10 yards from the house that burned a stripe down the side of it. No damage was done inside.

The fifth strike was again a power pole hit 2 houses away but the Gas tubes etc worked. They sound like a shotgun going off when they trip. No damage was done.

The arresters have fired off a few times since but no damage has been done.

Holy **** . . . Where do you live?? Lightning Alley?? And I thought I had bad luck or something. Did you piss off the all mighty, or have you been shunned by the Gods???

I can't say I have experience that level of damage just by lighting. But, have seen similar electrical faults occuring from brown outs, surges / spikes, and even complete black outs.

You know when New York / Ontario went out??? I was there, if it wasnt for 9-11, everyone would have been calm. But, we all thought it was another attack and I can tell you my friends and family in NYC were shitting their pants thinking the bomb was about to go.

When the power finally came back up, because my relatives live in a old area of the Bronx, Queens, and the Heights. Alot of things just went up in smoke etc.

Its funny as hell to read that all your gear went up and the only thing that was untouched was that Radio Shack radio!

That was pretty much what happend to my uncles stuff. He had all he latest gadgets from iPod, Nakamichi, Bryston, what ever you could think of in terms of high end audio / video he had it. The only thing that lived was this POS casio clock.

Like I said, I have been around Nuclear, Hydro, Coal supplying power plants and have seen things come and go with no reason. I am simply hedging my bets that a little here and there will give me that extra give, if the big one hits.

It was a great read, thanks for writing it up . . .

 

[Torque1st]

What can I say??? The Gods hate Kansas!!!

 

[Teken]

BTW: I did not mean to imply, state, it was funny that your possesions were lost. Just that a simple radio shack radio lived to tell about it. It just struck me, *pun intended* that after I replied above that it didn't come out as I intended.

My bad . . .

 

[Torque1st]

No problem, I thought it was hilarious myself!

That phone lived thru a scene out of some Sci-Fi movie with electrical arcs and sparks flying all over. I just wish I could have seen it. But then I might not be here if I had.

I did see a great lightning display while driving on I-135 north of Wichita back in ~'75 that included streamers running across the road and down the ditches from many strikes complete with several occurrences of ball lightning. It does really look a lot like those lightning globe things they sell in stores just a lot bigger (about 18" in dia) and more "energetic" with swirling colors in the sphere and the sparks on the outside.

 

[Jeepskate]

Got any info on that backup battery system for your garage door opener? I had to "waste" a circuit on my ATS load center to power the openers which I'd much rather use for something that gets more use like the microwave.

 

[benjamming]

Liftmaster Model 3850 is a backup system but it needs power to keep the batteries charged. I'm not sure how long the battery will last. One can always open the garage door manually.

You can't really protect electronics (economically anyway) from the EMP a lightning strike may cause. We also put protection out at the pole. The power company did that for no additional charge when we dug the underground.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

Very interesting thread.

I'd be curious what you all think of lightning rods?

My old barn was equipped with them when I bought my house. 3 copper coated spires sticking straight up to the sky with copper coated (steel) "cables" running between them, down the outside of the barn and into a ground rod. The first time I checked it out, I noticed the cable had rusted in two at ground level...so obviously it wouldn't have helped any.

When considering the hundreds of thousands of volts of potential a lightning strike has at its disposal, a copper coated steel cable hooked to some 3' long tines looks kind of puny. I took it all down when we reroofed the barn. I figure lightning is going to go where it wants to go.

I know my grandfather's house, which included every gadget available to man in the late '60's (intercoms, garage door openers, a REMOTE CONTROLLED TELEVISION) had lightning rods all over it. Do people do that anymore? If not...did they ever work?

Phil

 

[Teken]

Liftmaster Model 3850 is a backup system but it needs power to keep the batteries charged. I'm not sure how long the battery will last. One can always open the garage door manually.

You can't really protect electronics (economically anyway) from the EMP a lightning strike may cause. We also put protection out at the pole. The power company did that for no additional charge when we dug the underground.

You beat me too it, this is the model I am using to power the 3800 if and when the power goes out. As I said before I have a whole house surge arrestor on the main panel so ideally the who house leading to the garage is protected.

But, I am a firm believer in back up, back up, back up. Hence why I am looking for a electrical outlet to do the same task, but yet be out of the way. Part of the reason is looks, and that clean appearence I am striving for in the garage.

Alot of guys I know don't put much thought into the planning or how things look once everything is dry walled. I do, and want it not only to be my man cave, but also practical so if someone with out keen eyes wouldnt even know that garage door opener was plugged into a protected surge arrestor, and not simply a standard out let.

The Liftmaster indicates that battery can cycle up and down 12 times, before its fully discharged. I can't tell you if this is fact yet, as I just got it and its still charging. Once I get that thing fully charged I will do a real world test while its -35'C. If it works out here at that temp for 12 cycles up and down. Im actually going to by another to power something else I have that requires serious amperage to move.

Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

 

[Teken]

Very interesting thread.

I'd be curious what you all think of lightning rods?

My old barn was equipped with them when I bought my house. 3 copper coated spires sticking straight up to the sky with copper coated (steel) "cables" running between them, down the outside of the barn and into a ground rod. The first time I checked it out, I noticed the cable had rusted in two at ground level...so obviously it wouldn't have helped any.

When considering the hundreds of thousands of volts of potential a lightning strike has at its disposal, a copper coated steel cable hooked to some 3' long tines looks kind of puny. I took it all down when we reroofed the barn. I figure lightning is going to go where it wants to go.

I know my grandfather's house, which included every gadget available to man in the late '60's (intercoms, garage door openers, a REMOTE CONTROLLED TELEVISION) had lightning rods all over it. Do people do that anymore? If not...did they ever work?

Phil

I am not very worried about lightning in my neck of the woods. I definately do not live in lightning alley like the other member does, or have his bad experiences with. With that said, I do have personal experiences with bad electrical power and have decided to do what I can to reduce as much damage to all my valuable gear.

All of this stuff isnt made anymore, and the cost to repair some of my equipment would not be cost effective.

I understand the idea, and theory of lightning rods, but can't rap my head around why anyone would want to purposely attract incoming lightning to their home???

Now if I had vast property, I would most likely place one 500-1000 feet away. But in my local I am what my friends call the meat in the burbs.

Meaning there are two identical two story buildings on either side of me, and I am in sandwiched bungalo, hence the meat part !!!

The odds of these two buildings getting struck by lightning is much higher based on height alone. But, hey **** happens, hence why I am planning ahead.

I appreciate every ones feed-back thus far. If there are any other brands to look at please provide a URL, or direct link to the said product.

Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

 

[benjamming]

I bet there aren't any surge protectors made in the US are there?

 

[pcmeiners]

"You can't really protect electronics (economically anyway) from the EMP a lightning strike may cause."
Agree.. Worked on resolving lightning EMP killing data transmitting modems (Sierra) on tug boats. I was on one boat, testing one of the modems when a lightning hit > 4miles away blew out one of the units..I ended up placing gas tube protection units on all antenna wires; after that we had very few problems, but did lose units from direct hits once in a while. Point being, EMP can destroy from a far distance, up close it can get through just about anything but Faraday shielding.

"I understand the idea, and theory of lightning rods, but can't rap my head around why anyone would want to purposely attract incoming lightning to their home???"
A Lightning rod's primary purpose is not to attract lightning, but to dissipate high potential charges to earth so lightning is less likely to occur.

As to moderately inexpensive surge protectors, the best have inductors, along with MOVs and diodes. Cheap units with just MOV's are slow to react, plus have little power absorption ability, diodes are fast but have even less capacity, gas discharge tubes are slow, but can handle greater power. Couple years back I purchase a commercial surge protection unit off Ebay (retail $2500) for $60. plus shipping, has all above devices only super sized. Some of the commercial units still show up on Ebay, but pretty rare and expensive unless you willing to wait.

"Meaning there are two identical two story buildings on either side of me, and I am in sandwiched bungalow, hence the meat part !!!"
Meat fries..If either of the two higher houses get hit, either EMP will get you or the lighting will likely hit the power lines and find a route to you house.

 

[Torque1st]

Surprisingly a normal wood frame house is very dangerous in a lightning storm. A stick frame house has hundreds of grounded wires running around in the attic that act just like a lightning rod to attract lightning. So most people DO attract lighting to their home. Unfortunately the fine wires are not heavy enough to carry the current so they vaporize in a superheated plasma and the lightning finds all sorts of other paths to ground.

A metal frame building like commercial construction is very safe since the lightning will be conducted down through the metal framing members to ground. The steel beams and re-bar acts like a big metal shield around the occupants.

EMP and good old dv/dt is what destroys electronics.

The copper coated steel cable used in many lightning rod applications was heavy enough to take the current from a lightning stroke without melting. I am sure that it got plenty hot tho.... The copper coating may have been an attempt to sell the cable as solid copper also. Scams have been around forever. The theory about lightning rods is that they protect a cone shaped area at about a 45° angle around them. I don't know if the 45° angle idea has ever been proven. I don't think lightning rods dissipate anything. When the charge "dissipates" a lightning stroke happens.

 

[Teken]

Good information to know, thank you both.

 

[Jeepskate]

Liftmaster Model 3850 is a backup system but it needs power to keep the batteries charged. I'm not sure how long the battery will last. One can always open the garage door manually.

Thanks for the info. Right now my wife is the only one who parks in the garage (my garden tractors & **** are in the other bay and I had a pole barn built for my toys) so convenience for her is paramount (she's the one who ordered me to buy the standby generator). Using the manual release is darn near impossible if the power goes out while her SUV is parked inside and she certainly couldn't operate it herself under those conditions if I wasn't home. Really just need for her to be able to get out and close the door behind her and then she can park outside for the duration of the outage. The battery should be able to handle that.

 

[Teken]

For sure no problems in that respect. But, as most of the senior members will note, please ensure that door is properly balanced. This will ensure the best performance and drain the back up battery allot less. More force / effort = more current being drawn.

Hence you may not get 12 full cycles in that case. For me, I want to see if this thing will provide 12 full cycles in our -32'C Canadian weather. If it does, I am buying another one to power something else I want to be back up.

 

[westom]

I am hedging my bets that something in line (APC) UPS, Surge protector some with a MOV, some with other types of arresting clamping resistors will at least buffer or lesson the potential initial hit from a strike, or a surge.

So how does that APC stop what three miles of sky could not stop? How does that APC's hundred of joules absorb surges that are hundreds of thousands of joules? In advertising, APC is a complete protection solution. Therefore it must stop or absorb surges. How does it make all that energy disappear?

Read its numeric specs. Where does it list each type of surge and protection from that surge? APC will not make that claim for a glaring reason. It is near zero protection. Large enough to claim surge protection in big letters. Just enough that others will say it is 100% protection.

Protection is always about where energy dissipates. No protector provides protection. Yes, no protector provides protection. The effective protector connects that energy short (ie 'less than 10 feet') to single point earth ground. What determines protector effectiveness? Earth ground.

Where is energy harmlessly absorbed? In the protection. Not in the protector. Only protection - earth ground - determines protector effectiveness. You should have been planning surge protection when you were pouring the footings. What we now do are solutions that will not be as good because the best protection (Ufer ground, ground ring, etc) will not be installed.

From the breaker box to earth ground is a bare 6 AWG wire. How does it connect to earth? If going up over the foundation and down to earth, then protection has been compromised. That wire is too long. Too many sharp wire bends. Bundled with other non-ground wires. For a more effective 'whole house' protector, that wire goes through the foundation and down to single point earth ground.

An example of what is more important AND why APC will not even discuss the most critical component in every surge protection layer.

View numbers on that 'whole house' protector. Minimum is about 50,000 amps because all effective protectors will earth a direct lightning strike - and remain functional. Normal is to have direct lightning strikes to street utility wires and no appliance damage. But only is that 'whole house' protector is properly earthed. If that earthing is properly installed so that every incoming utility wire inside every cable also makes that short ('less than 10 foot') connection to the same earth ground.

All telephone lines in every house already contain a 'whole house' protector. Provided free by the telco because it is so inexpensive and so effective. But again, it is only as effective as the earth ground that you provide. What makes that telco protector better? The better earthing system that you installed.

Cable TV and satellite dish need no protectors. Cable companies will recommend removing a protector from their cable. Again, those wires are fully protected IF that short wire from each cable to earth ground is properly installed. A hardwire (no protector) means the best protection.

You were assuming a protector is protection. The NIST (US government research agency) defines what every protector does:
> You cannot really suppress a surge altogether, nor "arrest" it. What
> these protective devices do is neither suppress nor arrest a surge,
> but simply divert it to ground, where it can do no harm.

No box is protection. It only "diverts it to ground" because the single point earth ground - where energy is harmlessly dissipated - that is your protection.

Above is only secondary protection. You should also inspect your primary surge protection system:
http://www.tvtower.com/fpl.html

Appreciate the only items that defines every protection layer. The only item that must always exist in every protection layer. The only thing that absorbs energy - earth ground.

Protection is always about where energy dissipates. Either harmlessly in earth and not inside the building. Or inside the building hunting for earth destructively via appliances. What can the APC do? Give energy even more potentially destructive paths through any nearby appliance in the room. Why does that APC numeric spec not even list surge protection from earth type of surge? Protection is always about where energy dissipates. APC does not even discuss earth ground. Or that always required, short connection to earth. IOW a protector is only as effective as its earth ground.

Chances are you have minimally sufficient earthing so that energy need not enter your house. But earthing is an art that would require another post equally as long.

 

[westom]

Meaning there are two identical two story buildings on either side of me, and I am in sandwiched bungalo, hence the meat part !!!

You assumptions are not based in well proven science. For example, sides of mountains are more often struck than the tops. Mountain sides make a better conductive path from cloud to earthborne charges.

A FL home was repeatedly struck on an exterior bathroom wall. So they installed lightning rods connected to 10 foot earth ground rods. Lightning then struck the bathroom wall again - ignoring the lightning rods. Why? Did god hate them? Of course not.

Plumbing in that wall made a better connection to deeper limestone. Lightning rods were only earthed in sand. Lightning was only taking the most conductive (electrically shortest) path to earthborne charges.

A lightning rod means a typical 60 degree cone of protection. Lightning will strike something. Either it will find a conductive material to earth (wood). Or it will find an even more conductive path into earth - those earth ground rods and copper wire. In each case, it is your choice.

How do adjacent buildings form a 60 degree cone of protection? They don't. But even more important - what is the geology beneath your and all other homes. For example, if yours is the last home on the electric service, then your home is a better connection from lightning coming down the street via AC electric, through your appliances, then outward via your backyard to those distant charges.

What is the better path from cloud to earth? Protection is always about diverting a current so that energy does not dissipate destructively inside your building. Lightning rods and 'whole house' protectors - connected to a superior earth ground - are solutions well proven and used even 100 years ago. What determines the effectiveness of that protector and rod? Lightning will conduct through something. What is the better path to earth?

 

[Torque1st]

...But earthing is an art that would require another post equally as long.

That's the truth!

 

[Teken]

Some good information to consider, I appreciate all the feed-back.

 

[kbkna]

Great info! I hear all the talk about copper. Thay installed an aluminum grounding rod in my stick structure. Will it provide the same protection? My metal building has the same type of rod beat into stone. Should I also tie grounding rods to each corner or main span supports? Can I get the names of whole house protectors some of you are using in addition to the one in Tekken's thread? So far I have been lucky but time to get ready for the summer storms. I HATE THE COLD!

 

[sberry]

Lots of damage comes thru phone lines, the companies are notorious for not grounding and it finds its way thu grounded computers. Lots of 2 wire stuff survives. I believe 880 is the article in the NEC.

 

[Torque1st]

Great info! I hear all the talk about copper. Thay installed an aluminum grounding rod in my stick structure. Will it provide the same protection? My metal building has the same type of rod beat into stone. Should I also tie grounding rods to each corner or main span supports? Can I get the names of whole house protectors some of you are using in addition to the one in Tekken's thread? So far I have been lucky but time to get ready for the summer storms. I HATE THE COLD!

Aluminum, iron, steel, copper, brass, -They are all conductive metals and will work.

I built my own protection setup. AFAIK the parts are no longer available.

 

[westom]

Thay installed an aluminum grounding rod in my stick structure. ... Should I also tie grounding rods to each corner or main span supports?

Aluminum is not acceptable for earthing for a long list of reasons including one that everyone should know. Aluminum electrode violates the code.

Posted repeatedly was a reference to 'single point earth ground'. Grounding at many points only makes surge damage more likely. Every incoming wire inside every cable must make a short ('less than 10 foot, not inside metallic conduit, no sharp wire bends, etc) connection to single point earth ground. Every wire must be grounded either directly (ie cable TV, satellite dish) or via a 'whole house' protector (AC electric, telephone).

Brand names are nice but not relevant. For example, you go into Lowes or Home Depot. Ask for their 'whole house' protector. Cutler-Hammer 'whole house' protectors are available. Does it have the dedicated wire for a short connection to earth? Is it rated for at least 50,000 amps? Then you have minimally sufficient protector. Now make it effective.

Only the more responsible companies manufacturer 'whole house' protectors. That is too many to list. Go to any hardware store or electrical supply house. Either one 'whole house' protector is available, or only ineffective plug-in protectors are offered. Earthing short to a single point electrode is critical. Every protector is only as effective as its earth ground. That last sentence is more important than any manufacturer name. That numbers - 50,000 amps - is always necessary so that direct lightning strikes and other lesser surges do not enter a building and the protector remains functional.

 

[westom]

Lots of damage comes thru phone lines, the companies are notorious for not grounding and it finds its way thu grounded computers. Lots of 2 wire stuff survives. I believe 880 is the article in the NEC.

Surge current enters on a phone line? Ignores the 'whole house' protector and earth ground? Then does not ignore earth ground later via a computer? Hardly. Many do not even know that all phone lines already have 'whole house' protectors installed for free. With earthing that only the home owner is responsible for providing.

Most common source of phone appliance surge damage: incoming on the most common source of surges - AC electric. Now that is energy inside the building seeking earth ground destructively via household appliances. One excellent path to ground is via the phone wire and that telco installed 'whole house' protector. Incoming on AC mains. Outgoing to earth destructively via modems, answering machines, portable phone base stations, etc. Each device makes a good connection to earth via the always required, telco installed for free, 'whole house' protector.

A surge current passes through everything simultaneously. Then something in that path fails. A weakest point is often a component on the phone line side. Then others use only observation and speculation to conclude a surge entered on phone lines.

If surge energy is permitted inside the builiding, then one good and destructive path to earth is via telephone appliances via phone line.

Effective protectors must be located within feet to earth ground. If energy is permitted inside the building (a human failure), then energy will find earth ground destructively via appliances - such as computer and network modems. Protection is always about where energy dissipates. Effective protection means earthing and 'whole house' protectors. Then energy is not inside the building seeking earth ground via that computer modem.

IOW a protector is only as effective as its earth ground.

 

[Torque1st]

Aluminum is not acceptable for earthing for a long list of reasons including one that everyone should know. Aluminum electrode violates the code.

OOOPs my bad, I just assumed he was talking about the lightning rods not the earth ground.

 

[westom]

OOOPs my bad, I just assumed he was talking about the lightning rods not the earth ground.

We were discussing both. I mistakenly thought you were discussing the earthing electrode.

An air terminal must be sufficiently sized so that heat at the ‘air to metal’ interface does not cause damage. Ineffective air terminals - Early Streamer Emission (ESE) devices - have a history of being blown off an FAA building within days of that trial. Those devices (that will 'magically' discharge the sky) may not withstand what all air terminals must do. Suffer a direct lightning strike and not be damaged.

 

[Torque1st]

I agree, any component must be sized properly.

 

[Teken]

Surge current enters on a phone line? Ignores the 'whole house' protector and earth ground? Then does not ignore earth ground later via a computer? Hardly. Many do not even know that all phone lines already have 'whole house' protectors installed for free. With earthing that only the home owner is responsible for providing.

Most common source of phone appliance surge damage: incoming on the most common source of surges - AC electric. Now that is energy inside the building seeking earth ground destructively via household appliances. One excellent path to ground is via the phone wire and that telco installed 'whole house' protector. Incoming on AC mains. Outgoing to earth destructively via modems, answering machines, portable phone base stations, etc. Each device makes a good connection to earth via the always required, telco installed for free, 'whole house' protector.

A surge current passes through everything simultaneously. Then something in that path fails. A weakest point is often a component on the phone line side. Then others use only observation and speculation to conclude a surge entered on phone lines.

If surge energy is permitted inside the builiding, then one good and destructive path to earth is via telephone appliances via phone line.

Effective protectors must be located within feet to earth ground. If energy is permitted inside the building (a human failure), then energy will find earth ground destructively via appliances - such as computer and network modems. Protection is always about where energy dissipates. Effective protection means earthing and 'whole house' protectors. Then energy is not inside the building seeking earth ground via that computer modem.

IOW a protector is only as effective as its earth ground.

You will have to simplify the above for me . . . I have read your reply 3 times, and it goes in circles in my mind. Please rephrase the above one more time for me, that would be greatly appreciated.

EVIL Teken . . .

 

[westom]

You will have to simplify the above for me . . . I have read your reply 3 times, and it goes in circles in my mind.

So read one paragraph. Do nothing else. Then post questions here. Only when you grasp that one paragraph, then move on. For example, only read this paragraph:

Most common source of phone appliance surge damage: incoming on the most common source of surges - AC electric. Now that is energy inside the building seeking earth ground destructively via household appliances. One excellent path to ground is via the phone wire and that telco installed 'whole house' protector. Incoming on AC mains. Outgoing to earth destructively via modems, answering machines, portable phone base stations, etc. Each device makes a good connection to earth via the always required, telco installed for free, 'whole house' protector.

Now, what confuses you?

 

[Teken]

That would be a whole paragragh that confuses me (above) . . . Perhaps it is your wording that is not quite clear to me.

Please rephrase . . .

 

[westom]

Please rephrase . . .

I have no idea what to rephrase. Its already so simple. If you have not yet disposed of many myths that plug-in proptectors promote, then you might be confused. I cannot rephrase when I do not know which myth or misconception has confused you.

It is called electricity. A destructive electrical path is incoming on AC mains. Outgoing to earth destructively via modems, answering machines, portable phone base stations, etc. To earth ground via phone wire and that telco installed 'whole house' protector. Why does that confuse?

 

[Teken]

To earth ground via phone wire and that telco installed 'whole house' protector.

Please clarify this sentence for me.

 

[Torque1st]

The TelCo installs an interface block at the house. There should be a ground wire from that box to a ground rod. There is a voltage arrester installed between that ground and the incoming lines. There are may different styles. An incoming power surge may find it's way to ground through electronic equipment to the TelCo protection ground. Usually destroying the equipment that forms the path.