Whole House Surge Protectors - How Many

[robfine]

In the next few days I am going to adding a 240/40 outlet in my garage for my new EV SUV. While I’m at it I plan on adding whole house surge protection— but where?

My service enters in the west side of my house where it comes in underground then up to my main breaker, meter and my automatic transfer switch and generator. Between the meter and transfer switch it branches off, goes down and runs under my house about 75 feet or so before coming up inside my garage on the east side of my house to my two panels that the whole house feeds off . I know I need surge protection between my main breaker or meter and “the street” to make sure my generator is protected. But that is a long way from my panels and the distribution to the house . Should I be adding additional surge protectors at each panel? Other suggestions?

Thanks

[miner]

I have one at my main, one for my Gen./Trans. switch and one PC at each of my two audio systems.

[snwghst]

I'd suggest getting a 60 amp circuit installed. you will be able to charge at 48 amps depending on the car and be able to take full advantage of level 2 charger

I drop my amp charge rate to 32 mostly, if I need a quicker charge on my Model 3 I bump it back up to 48

[Masterlu]

I’m probably the wrong one to ask, since I believe strongly in redundancy; so I have 3 layers of Surge Protection in each home.

I have Surge Protection right at my dedicated Transformer. I have whole house surge protection at every single service panel. Then, I have additional surge protection at every Audio System.

[Cohibaman]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

I’m probably the wrong one to ask, since I believe strongly in redundancy; so I have 3 layers of Surge Protection in each home.

I have Surge Protection right at my dedicated Transformer. I have whole house surge protection at every single service panel. Then, I have additional surge protection at every Audio System.

That makes you the absolute correct person to ask.

In this game, belt & suspenders is not a fashion faux pas; it make you wise.

With out a doubt, add a whole home surge protector to main panel and all subs.

[Masterlu]

I’m using SurgeX units at all my service panels.

[snwghst]

SurgeX is great stuff. I’ve got an SEQ in my power feeds

[Charles]

I'm not sure why you need more than one whole house surge protector. I have a Transguard Tg60 between my light pole and my generator transfer switch. This transfer switch is for a 60K watt whole house GE generator. If you have a whole house generator by definition the surge from the light pole must pass through it. This switch is truly massive. It would take a lot to knock it out. The Tg60 stands right in front of it and is connected directly to the light pole. It protects from an indirect lightening strike coming in through the light pole. Then I have individual surge protectors for all essential electrical gear and power conditioners for the HiFi.

Best

Charles

[Masterlu]

Charles… I have first hand experience with lightning strikes. Lightning bolts range from 5,000 Amperes to 200,000 Amperes and voltages vary from 40,000 Volts to 120,000 Volts, and higher.

This amount of current/voltage can easily arc right past the biggest/best surge protection. Having multiple layers; further enhances the likelihood of stopping the surge.

When your audio equipment surpasses the value of your home, the cost for this extra protection is a no brainer in my mind.

In 46 years; and 3 direct hits later, I have suffered zero surge/lightning damage.

[robfine]

Charles,



I am going to go into more detail about my particular situation which I think will explain why, at least in certain scenarios, one whole house surge protector is not optimal. I took another look and in the first post in this string I underestimated that width of my house. Directly outside of my west wall is where underground service (400A) meets my house and runs up into my main breaker, meter, automatic transfer switch, generator and ground rods. From that point there is a home run that is probably 120 feet or so to my two panels (200A each) in the garage on the east side of my house. Also on the east side of my house is my low voltage electrical/communications room with cable entry, cable modem, UPS, router, alarm, bridge for my Lutron dimmer system; music room/office with all my (you get it); kitchen including Subzero refrigerator and its twin freezer (that had a computer board toasted by a surge), Thermador full-height wine cooler, Bosch DW, etc., laundry room, 1 air handler (2 others on the west side) —-all within about a 25 foot radius of the panels, and then just outside the garage on that side, pool equipment and 3 AC compressors. That is a whole lot of potentially vulnerable equipment at the far east side of my house.



I definitely need a surge protector where the service meets my house to protect my generator, transfer switch, meter, main breaker, etc. With that covered, keep in mind that a damaging surge does not necessarily have to enter the house at the service entrance. A surge can originate inside the house from malfunctioning electrical equipment or appliance. A near miss lightning strike on/near the east side of my house can result in a lot of juice entering my electrical system through my AC units or pool equipment, even sprinkler system timer. When that excess electricity gets in the system on the east side of the house it has to run though all that equipment I just mentioned and then the 120 feet of home run with its attendant resistance before it even gets to the whole house surge protector to be shunted off to ground. So assuming I’m not terribly far off in how I believe electrical surges behave, that demonstrates why, even with a really good surge protector at my service entrance there is a real benefit to having surge protection at my panels as well, and in addition to surge protection at my audio system. I don’t know what caused the surge that toasted my freezer’s board, but it cost me close to a grand to have replaced and I went a month without a freezer. I’m just thankful it wasn’t a more significant surge with more significant damage. If my service entrance and generator were on the same side of the house as all my equipment, appliances, etc., the importance of additional surge protectors might be a little bit less but for what they cost, even in that scenario they are cheap insurance.