moroso321
Member
- Location
- bronx, new york, USA
If I install afci's throughout my home, are my tv's and electronics be protected?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Lightning strikes in Florida
- Thread starter moroso321
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
IMO AFCIs will do nothing to mitigate lightning damage and are likely to be damaged themselves when a conventional breaker would not be.
mbrooke
Batteries Included
- Location
- United States
- Occupation
- Technician
Sadly no, and you aren't even protected from electrical fires. That money can be spent way better.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Whether AFCI's do what is promised of them or not, their function is not specific equipment protection it is branch circuit conductor protection, and the AFCI component goes a little further into protection regarding prevention of fires. They would be intended to cut the power to an appliance that may have potential fire starting conditions in progress, but are not there to prevent voltage surges to that appliance from happening.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Actually AFCIs are electronic devices themselves and just one more thing that can be damaged by lightning.
junkhound
Senior Member
- Location
- Renton, WA
- Occupation
- EE, power electronics specialty
Nope, only thing AFCI are good for is to increase the profit margin of the mfg.
fmtjfw
Senior Member
- Location
- Fairmont, WV, USA
Best measures
Best measures
This will reduce the likelyhood of surge damages to electronic devices. You can also unplug power and signal from the devices during storms.
You can also try to buy stuff rated for use in Australia, they have severe lightning surge problems.
Remember, though, Lightning is Lightning.
A nearby strike is very hard to protect from, even if you have the Defense Department's Budget for lots of fancy devices and installation techniques.
Google "C4ISR" or "C5ISR" or "command control computers intellligence surveillance reconnaissance" to see the measures they use.
I'll ignore the afci carping/opinions, but they wiill not help in surge conditions.
Best measures
Defense in depth. Install a whole-house surge protector connected to the service panel. Use surge protectors at each electronic device. Make sure the grounding of the service is good.
This will reduce the likelyhood of surge damages to electronic devices. You can also unplug power and signal from the devices during storms.
You can also try to buy stuff rated for use in Australia, they have severe lightning surge problems.
Remember, though, Lightning is Lightning.
A nearby strike is very hard to protect from, even if you have the Defense Department's Budget for lots of fancy devices and installation techniques.
Google "C4ISR" or "C5ISR" or "command control computers intellligence surveillance reconnaissance" to see the measures they use.
I'll ignore the afci carping/opinions, but they wiill not help in surge conditions.
junkhound
Senior Member
- Location
- Renton, WA
- Occupation
- EE, power electronics specialty
nearby strike is very hard to protect from, even if you have the Defense Department's Budget
FWIW, a survivable, multiple strike protector for 45 KVA system protection Lightning, EMI/EMP arrestors and protection box for minuteman missile sites cost about $8000 in mid 1970s (pre inflation $$).
FWIW, a survivable, multiple strike protector for 45 KVA system protection Lightning, EMI/EMP arrestors and protection box for minuteman missile sites cost about $8000 in mid 1970s (pre inflation $$).
JFletcher
Senior Member
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
Welcome morosa321. Note that many plug in/power strip surge arrestors will not work with 2-wire (ungrounded) receptacles.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
The question was whether AFCI's would protect his electronics from surges.
dmxtothemax
Senior Member
- Location
- Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
spike filters
spike filters
alas no !
An AFCI will not protect sensitive electronics from spikes or surges.
If you want some protection get an electrician to instal a good quality
heavy duty spike/surge arrestor in the main panel.
This would be the best protection.
spike filters
alas no !
An AFCI will not protect sensitive electronics from spikes or surges.
If you want some protection get an electrician to instal a good quality
heavy duty spike/surge arrestor in the main panel.
This would be the best protection.
JFletcher
Senior Member
- Location
- Williamsburg, VA
Noted. Others addressed his question. Since power strips with surge protection is a likely choice (and better than AFCI), I mentioned what I did. Perhaps I should have written "No, AFCI breakers will not help protect against power surges/lightning strikes; plug in surge protectors would be much better at that. Note tho that if you have 2 wire receptacles, many plug in/power strip surge arresters will not work with them [2-wire (ungrounded) receptacles]
CDove
New User
- Location
- DeLand, FL
Whole House surge protection thru Duke
Whole House surge protection thru Duke
I realize that the post that this follow-up question has closed. My question is do those whole-house (at the meter) surge protectors Duke Energy installs and we pay $7.99/month for ever burn out? Ours is 7 years old and Duke's response today was, "As long as that red light is on, it's working fine" when I asked them to come out and replace it.
We have had outages every 3 weeks and now the appliances are acting up (ice maker is shooting ice across the kitchen) as the power to the residence is being turned on, often after 3 or 4 attempts at the transformer. Duke's response, "you know appliances wear out, right? That is not an issue associated with a power surge."
Am considering having Duke remove it and having our electrician install a new one.
Whole House surge protection thru Duke
I realize that the post that this follow-up question has closed. My question is do those whole-house (at the meter) surge protectors Duke Energy installs and we pay $7.99/month for ever burn out? Ours is 7 years old and Duke's response today was, "As long as that red light is on, it's working fine" when I asked them to come out and replace it.
We have had outages every 3 weeks and now the appliances are acting up (ice maker is shooting ice across the kitchen) as the power to the residence is being turned on, often after 3 or 4 attempts at the transformer. Duke's response, "you know appliances wear out, right? That is not an issue associated with a power surge."
Am considering having Duke remove it and having our electrician install a new one.
- Status