Environmental Potentials whole house surge protection, can I get your opinions?

Hi gdnrbob,

After reading the specs I am concerned that the data may be a little misleading. They call it a "whole house" but based on the specs, I think it's a series mode unit. If it IS in fact a series mode unit, each of these "hole house" devices is going to be limited to one or 2 15A circuits thanks to the 14 gauge wiring. This type of disconnect between product features and labeling really concerns me.

I would absolutely double check the "whole house" part of it. You may be better off for the whole house with something like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Electrical-Power-Distribution-Whole-House-Surge-Protectors/N-5yc1vZbm05

And a series mode protector like Furman (SMP) at your computer and precious Hi-Fi gear. That's what I did when I had the choice. Now in an apartment, I only use the Furman.

You may find this article informative:

http://www.cepro.com/article/the_myth_of_whole_house_surge_protection


Best,


Erik

I've had one installed directly on the panel of two different homes over the past decade. I use no other power conditioning--I have my equipment plugged directly into Porter Ports on a 20amp dedicated line. Like Folkfreak, I can't really say if it works but it has provided peace of mind during storms and power failures. That said, I do unplug my equipment if I am going on vacation or if I know a major thunderstorm is forecast. In addition, I do feel like when I first installed it on my panel I thought the noise floor came down a tiny bit. Hope this helps.

No protector does protection. Effective protectors (ie whole house) are connecting devices to what does protection. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground. Protection is defined by what harmlessly absorbs hundreds of thousands of joules - single point earth ground.

Ineffective and obscenely profitable devices such as a Furman are only magic boxes hyped subjectively as surge protectors. Subjective means a recommendation has no spec numbers. No numbers is how ineffective products get recommended. Where does it claim to absorb hundreds of thousands of joules?

Type 1 does not define protection . Type 1 is a human safety parameter. A world’s best Type 3 protector in a Type 1 location means a potential fire.

Key to protection is the quality of and connection to earth ground. Since that is where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate. Protection is always defined by spec number.

Key to protection is a low impedance (ie less than 10 foot) connection to single point earth ground. All four words have electrical significance. That hardwire connection must have no sharp bends, no splices, separated from other non-grounding wires, and not inside metallic conduit.

Above is protection from ’each’ surge. Lightning is typically 20,000 amps. So a minimal ’whole house’ protector is 50,000 amps. ’Life expectancy’ means an effective protection remains effective for decades.

Above discusses effective protection from ’each’ surge and protector ’life expectancy’ for decades - with numbers. All appliances already contain robust surge protection. Your concern is a rare transient that may overwhelm that protection - maybe once every seven years. That potentially destructive transient is the primary purpose of a properly earthed ’whole house’ protector.

A ’whole house’ protector is protection from all types of surges - including direct lightning strikes. Then hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate harmlessly outside. Some previously discussed protectors have no earth ground - do not claim to protect from potentially destructive surges. Those plug-in devices (ie Furman) must be protected by a properly earthed ’whole house’ solution. A protector is only as effective as its earth ground. Then even direct lightning strikes cause no damage.

westom

No protector does protection. Effective protectors (ie whole house) are connecting devices to what does protection.

Semantics.

A protector is only as effective as its earth ground. Protection is defined by what harmlessly absorbs hundreds of thousands of joules - single point earth ground.

You're confused. A fuse provides "protection" and earth ground has nothing to do with its effectiveness. And your reference to " hundreds of thousands of joules" is an arbitrary figure.

Ineffective and obscenely profitable devices such as a Furman are only magic boxes hyped subjectively as surge protectors.

No, the Furman units are surge protectors, and that is demonstrable. Their effectiveness has limits, of course. But that doesn't make them "ineffective."

Type 1 does not define protection . Type 1 is a human safety parameter.

Sorry, but you don't know what you're talking about. "Type 1" is a distinct category of surge protection.

gdnrbob ,

Here is an excellent white paper on SPDs for you to read.
 http://www.p3-inc.com/images/surge_protection_device_systems.pdf

Here is another one on the importance of earth grounding.
http://www.p3-inc.com/images/grounding_for_pq_wp2016_p3.pdf
.