Why whole house surge protectors are not enough

@erik_squires  Thanks for the update, I didn't realize that.  I am using a grounding type arrestor, I'll check out the isolators.  I am using optical between my router and my audio equipment, mainly to replace a 50' run of ethernet cable.  Have a plan in place to do the same throughout the house.  Would be nice to see optical connections supported on more equipment like modems and routers but realize that it may be a limited market.

I am using optical between my router and my audio equipment, mainly to replace a 50' run of ethernet cable

A solid idea in terms of minimizing surge risk at least.  The longer the Ethernet cable, the more the antenna effect it can have.

I want to point out that lightning entering the Ethernet system without actually coming through the cable provider’s wiring is an edge case, but exactly the sort of problem I’m worried about.

That is, my guess is that 90% of home network surges happen from the copper that goes from outside to inside of the home, and the remaining are from induced (EM pulse) currents from INSIDE the home Ethernet wiring.

The longer a run of Ethernet the better it may pick up a lightning surge. From what I’ve read this danger starts around 30’ long runs.

Once the wiring is involved the next question is how will it find a path to ground? That path is often through a power supply somewhere. Once that gap is broken through everything in the way will fry as the surge arcs over. In these cases shorting (MOV) based surge protectors become co-conspirators by offering a low-volrage gap to ground.

Network isolators work by increasing the necessary arc-over voltage by 4kV at a time. This forces the surge current to look for a path with less resistance to ground which hopefully involves fewer devices.

And this is the thinking I've read lately.  You may not stop the surge current, but you can reduce the total number of connected devices involved.  If you fry a cheap switch instead of your switch, TV, streamer, PC, etc. it's a good thing.

Erik,

Given that I don't have to deal with lightning where I live, and power is actually underground so cars don't hit poles either.

But I would rather take my chances and buy new gear if damaged than compromise sound quality.

Jerry

@carlsbad2

Do whatever you’d like so long as you remain informed. :)

Personally, I don’t even want to LIFT the equipment off my rack, much less deal with insurance or replacements. :) Also, I run some nice PC’s here and don’t want them to fry with my data on them, same for my music collection.

Here on the SC coast I have underground power in my neighborhood but that doesn’t stop the power from glitching due to transformer and other power issues elsewhere. My surge protectors or UPS has to intervene about 3x a year even without lightning or known vehicular assaults on my gear. :)

As for the rest of the home, I have a lot of permanently attached devices besides major appliances such as automated lights, fire alarms and GFCI outlets.  I met a man a month ago or so whose home was struck and he lost his entire outdoor AC units.  No idea if a WHSP would have saved him, but just evidence that we are prone to that kind of damage here.