surge protector recommendation ?

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Stevenfyeager

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United States, Indiana
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electrical contractor
A customer wants surge protection for his house, 200 amp. What type do you recommend ? (One customer had me install the type that mounts next to the panel plus the type that mounts in the meter base. ) Thanks !
 
I doubt there is all that much difference between brands. Some panelboard manufacturers have SPDs that mount in a CB location. Kind of an easy install if there is room.
 
I can't recommend which one works better, however I always buy the ones that mount outside the panels in case they explode.
 
Also, every inch of conductor between the SPD and the panel's bus, every bend or loop in that conductor, will make the SPD less effective. You can easily make an SPD worthless if you aren't careful with the installation. If you are using an external SPD, the conductors between the panel and the SPD need to be as short and straight as possible.

This is why I prefer integral SPDs to external. I would rather take the downside of locking into a single manufacturer and losing some panelboard space to have the SPD connected directly to the bus rather than having an installation error make my SPD worthless.
 
d0nut said:
Also, every inch of conductor between the SPD and the panel's bus, every bend or loop in that conductor, will make the SPD less effective. You can easily make an SPD worthless if you aren't careful with the installation. If you are using an external SPD, the conductors between the panel and the SPD need to be as short and straight as possible.

This is why I prefer integral SPDs to external. I would rather take the downside of locking into a single manufacturer and losing some panelboard space to have the SPD connected directly to the bus rather than having an installation error make my SPD worthless.
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There is some truth to this. When the MOV turns on there is basically a dead short for a very short time between the leads of the MOV and whatever it is connected to. If there is any extra impedance from the wiring, the heat will be released into the wire instead of the MOV.
 
For the safest protection, a point of use SPD receptacle for sensitive electronics (TV, computers, etc.) should be used along with the whole house SPD.
 
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