Surge protection and automatic transfer switch for generator

[joemly]

My customer's "motherboard" in their automatic generator transfer switch keeps getting blown out by lightning surges. I'm wondering if I install a surge suppressor to a 2-pole breaker in the main breaker panel (i.e., on the load side of the automatic transfer switch), whether that will provide protection for the electronics in the transfer switch? Or is there another way to do this?

Many thanks for any suggestions,

Joanna

 

[aelectricalman]

Im gonna say no. Lightning plays havoc on LV. I have had a few call backs on systems with TVSS's that have had issues identical to this. You just cant stop a surge like that even protected. You can only hope to minimize the major impact. It wouldnt happen to be an RDT-200 Amp Kohler service entry rated switch would it?

 

[hillbilly1]

Is the customer at the end or near the end of the POCO's line? Surges are bad to follow the line, then blowout everthing at the end. I would also check the cable and telephone connections to the grounding electrode system, if there not connected surges from those tend to make it over to the power side too.

 

[ATSman]

TVSS

TVSS

My customer's "motherboard" in their automatic generator transfer switch keeps getting blown out by lightning surges. I'm wondering if I install a surge suppressor to a 2-pole breaker in the main breaker panel (i.e., on the load side of the automatic transfer switch), whether that will provide protection for the electronics in the transfer switch? Or is there another way to do this?

Many thanks for any suggestions,

Joanna

Typically motherboards for ATSs have a certain amount of voltage surge suppression built into the board. However, depending on the energy (Joules) of the strike, it would not hurt to install additional TVSS (don't go cheap) to the ATS at a place closest to the MB, ie: line side of the ATS normal source breaker.

TT

 

[joemly]

Surge protection - Kohler RDT 100-400 amps

Surge protection - Kohler RDT 100-400 amps

Many thanks for all your replies. In answer to one question, yes their ATS is a Kohler RDT 100-400 amps. Is there something about that brand that we should know?

Joanna

 

[socalelect]

Many thanks for all your replies. In answer to one question, yes their ATS is a Kohler RDT 100-400 amps. Is there something about that brand that we should know?

Joanna

i had a customer that has 3 or 4 of the kohler ats's i belive they were the RDT line . i got a call one morning after a decent t storm that the generators wouldnt shut off went and checked it out. origially they said there was only one ats but as the day went on more started appering spread over a 200 acre parcel in the mountains everyone of them was toast !