Surge Protection Device vs Surge Supression device.

Status
Not open for further replies.

Jraef

Moderator, OTD
Staff member
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer
What is the difference between SPD & SSD? (Surge Protection Device & Surge Supression Device) Where it is located? Meter or SE vs branch circuit protection?
Surge Suppression, as in TVSS (Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor), is an older term. In 2009, UL 1449 (now called UL/ANSI 1449) dropped the term TVSS and required everyone to start using the term Surge Protection Device, but set up a system of different classifications (type 1, 2 or 3) of SPDs because people were misinterpreting the requirements.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
Have any of you installed any of these devices lately? I have a customer inquiring about a whole house surge protector. I have seen a few around but never seen them in action or afterward. What has been anyone's luck with them?
 

Ponchik

Senior Member
Location
CA
Occupation
Electronologist
Have any of you installed any of these devices lately? I have a customer inquiring about a whole house surge protector. I have seen a few around but never seen them in action or afterward. What has been anyone's luck with them?

I always install the whole house protection from SQUARE-D.

I have not seen one that I had to replace so I don't know what it looks like after it takes a surge. Or maybe it does see surges during the day but they are not large enough to actualy damage the SPD. I don't know. But FWIW, i have been very happy with SQUARE D product so i always install their SPD.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I always install the whole house protection from SQUARE-D.

I have not seen one that I had to replace so I don't know what it looks like after it takes a surge. Or maybe it does see surges during the day but they are not large enough to actualy damage the SPD. I don't know. But FWIW, i have been very happy with SQUARE D product so i always install their SPD.

Their's is breaker type, right? Only fits a SQ D panel? Or can it be mounted beside panel?
 

mike_kilroy

Senior Member
Location
United States
These devices can work if properly applied, in area that required them. We have on major aerospace customer who blew an average of 1 high power drive per month for 3 years. Although we enjoyed the repair business, I felt guilty and researched their storm lightning problems in GA and developed a 50,000 joule TVSS unit to put on 480v 3ph power input to the machines. For the last 3 years we have repaired about 3 drives. Guess SPD devices can work.
 

hurk27

Senior Member
What is the difference between SPD & SSD? (Surge Protection Device & Surge Supression Device) Where it is located? Meter or SE vs branch circuit protection?

It just a play on wording both basicly meaning the samething, generally I like point of use devices over whole house protection because most surges are a high frequency event and putting the surge unit at the panel can mis many surges generated within the building, but it can be a good idea to use both if in a lightning prone area.

To save some typing see this thread on my responce to a member on the subject:

Bryant quadplex surge-suppressor outlets
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
We have 208v 3p Cutler-Hammer 100kA mounted next to the MDP's (we have 2 services) and they work well. And when we lost a phase during a storm last summer, the alarm in them notified us. Worth the money for sure.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top