Type 1 SPD

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robertd

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Maryland
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electrical contractor
HO wants me to install a whole house surge protector, after having some electronics damaged during a power outage.
They have a small 125A split bus panel, original with the house from 1966, which is full. They don't need or want a service upgrade,
just the SPD added.
I don't think the ITE breakers are rated for two wires on the output. They have an existing GE surge protector wired to the dryer breaker in the upper part of the panel, and a CH one in the lower part wired to two different single pole breakers.
They have a new Square D SDSA1175 type 1 SPD they want installed. I was thinking of stripping some of the insulation off of the output of the "main" breaker, which feeds the lower half of the panel, and using split bolt nuts to wire the SPD to that, and then wrapping it with tape. That should give good protection to the 120V circuits, and is about the only good code compliant way I can think of installing it. Those wires, which are silver brazed to the lower bus, are part of the panel itself. Does connecting a SPD to them violate code?
 

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PSP products makes several levels of protection for surge that don't require breaker connections, it is listed and uses a listed special flat blade connector that goes right in the main lugs behind the incoming wire. I've used these almost exclusively, gives a higher protection level at a competitive price of the lower level commercially available at HD or Lowe's. Also a great warrenty. I've had customer that had other surge that didn't provide enough protection and got them this one, two years now and no issues, previously they'd blow through a surge in as little as 6 months. Just anctidotal evidence not scientifically proven on my part.

Hurricane H100 Surge Protection Device for Commercial and Industrial use

The Hurricane H100 Surge Protection Device is available in voltages from 120 to 600 volts.
www.pspproducts.com www.pspproducts.com
 
Last edited:
Fred B said:
PSP products makes several levels of protection for surge that don't require breaker connections, it is listed and uses a listed special flat blade connector that goes right in the main lugs behind the incoming wire. I've used these almost exclusively, gives a higher protection level at a competitive price of the lower level commercially available at HD or Lowe's. Also a great warrenty. I've had customer that had other surge that didn't provide enough protection and got them this one, two years now and no issues, previously they'd blow through a surge in as little as 6 months. Just anctidotal evidence not scientifically proven on my part.

Hurricane H100 Surge Protection Device for Commercial and Industrial use

The Hurricane H100 Surge Protection Device is available in voltages from 120 to 600 volts.
www.pspproducts.com www.pspproducts.com
Click to expand...
I find those terminals interesting. I'm not sure they comply though. Never seen a terminal that magically makes it compliant to install an extra conductor in a terminal that is not approved for such. It says they are listed. Listed for what?
 
First off, add all the surge arrestors you want since you already have two that did nothing to save their electronics.
Rather invest in the time to find out if there is a compromised neutral either at incoming service or have power company check their end. This would be a much better use of time than installing SPD’s that will do nothing to save electronics if a open neutral is occurring.
 
I did check things. Connections are tight in the panel. I put a heavy load on one SABC, and the voltages for both 'phases' were unaffected, and I moved the load to the other SABC and the results were the same. (The transformer is directly across the street from them with 30' or 40' of triplex between the transformer and their house.) The GEC goes to the water pipe and is fine. No ground rod, but that's normal. A service upgrade would require one, or two.

The event that caused the outage was two poles breaking in high wind gusts a couple of weeks ago two blocks away. The HO reported the lights went off and on very rapidly and randomly for a few seconds and then went out. That repeated three more times. They had a couple of photos of all of the wires, including the three 7200 volt lines, down in the street and a yard.

I'm guessing there were a whole lot of voltage spikes and one was large enough to make it past the existing SPDs and an electronic device did not survive. I'm not sure what else to check. I don't think adding ground rods would do anything for this problem. Add another SPD would add some additional protection.
 
Have you checked the existing SPDs to see if they are still functioning?

I'm not sure any SPD would have done much good if 7,200 volt lines contacted their house lines.
 
petersonra said:
Have you checked the existing SPDs to see if they are still functioning?

I'm not sure any SPD would have done much good if 7,200 volt lines contacted their house lines.
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Yes, the LED on both units is on. A different transformer on a different phase is used where the wires came down.
 
Since it is a type 1 surge protector, it is not required to have any over current protection. Can you put it on the line side of the main? Maybe with some kind of insulation piercing connectors?
 
much better and faster installation method would be insulation piercing tap connector. I 've used them for photovoltaic line side tap
 
farmantenna said:
much better and faster installation method would be insulation piercing tap connector. I 've used them for photovoltaic line side tap
Click to expand...
How well would the connectors hold up to the high surge that the spd is suppose to dissipate. For instance the one from PSP is up to 100ka, If a surge was to melt down the peirce point before spd is able to dissipate the warrenty would be worthless as device would show as good even though the surge got through. What is the rating of the piercing taps? I'm thinking of the results of an arc welder.
 
I do not know . I'd have to check Burndy website. I may be wrong but they are UL listed but to what level I don't know. If a surge could melt the tap connector I think there's no hope for anything.
Milbank makes special lugs to replace the removable allen screw type lugs to accept a smaller tap conductor at the meter.
 
petersonra said:
Since it is a type 1 surge protector, it is not required to have any over current protection. Can you put it on the line side of the main? Maybe with some kind of insulation piercing connectors?
Click to expand...


The one I mentioned has overcurrent protective for a 240v load. This saves space in the panel. Usually the surge protector takes up 2 spaces. This way you can take out a 240V cir. such as a well pump and put this device in it's place.
 
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