topic Re: Whole House Surge Protector in Home

Whole House Surge Protector

Sweetbay magnolia — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 15:18:43 GMT

Do you have one? Are they worth it? (This is "insurance" against electrical surges that could damage or destroy household appliances). I'm looking at one, that is wired to the whole home electrical panel.

Thanks!

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

Trix — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 15:22:54 GMT

@Sweetbay magnoliaI think the idea is wonderful for single family homes. I would need more information to see how the technology works for multi-unit dwellings.

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

software — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 15:28:51 GMT

A "whole house" surge protector is hard wired into your electric panel.

Not the house.

But you still should use surge protection for your computers & such. The whole house type only helps for lightning and spikes in your electric service. It's like insurance, it's worth it if you have the money and your location is likely to have spikes, outages & lightning.

@Trix

@Sweetbay magnolia

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

Sweetbay magnolia — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 15:52:06 GMT

Right, I understand that the device would/could protect the devices/appliances connected via the electrical panel to the house, via the source (lines, under or above ground).

It's my understanding that surges are common. If one "branch" of the network (ie, electrical supply within your "grid) should fail, extra voltage is felt down the line and can be harmful. Or a failure in a direct line to one's own home.

Just mulling it over. Nothing is fail safe. There are many ways to protect electronics. Just considering.

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

Trix — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 15:52:29 GMT

@software, thanks for the info. In a multi-unit buildings such as mine the electric panels are usually not in the individual units which is why I question use in such dwellings. I presently use surge protectors for all of my electronics and appliances in my apartment. I was thinking that unlike individual electric meters, the whole house surger might have to be wired into every unit in order to work properly.

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

Fressa — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 15:54:20 GMT

I've not heard of this type of insurance. However, I do have seperate surge protectors on most of the "big ticket" items in the home. I'm slowly making my way around the home with either replacing appliances or installing the surge protectors. I'm not sure if I trust insurance companies to reimburse me for my losses. They seem like they can change the definition of what is covered and what is not and the customer only finds out when they file a claim.

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

Sweetbay magnolia — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 16:04:17 GMT

You're right, @Fressa. The surge protector may or may not qualify for insurance reimbursement, should the appliance connected, fail. I'm trying to do "best efforts" towards preventing the issue in the first place.

I like the idea of the "whole house" surge protector, and have a quote from a contractor. Sounds like a decent price and I trust them, but wondering if it's "all that".

Probably a case-by-case consideration. Our lot is wet with a crawl space and a sprinkling of overhead lines in the area. Our direct line is underground. When I look at the cost of plug-by-plug protectors, the "whole house (or home)" unit, wired to the panel, seems to make the most sense. Then maybe additional unit driven protectors for the really valuable stuff.

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

CareBears — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 16:30:27 GMT

I would not be without surge protectors, in fact this morning we woke up and two of our surge protectors were not lit up, which means they sacrificed themselves to take the surge protecting my computer and other electronic devices, I immediately ordered two more.

We have lost one big screen TV because of a non-protected outlet due to a power surge, NEVER again!

I have not heard of the whole house one, I protected all of the outlets in our house with expensive electronic equipment for around $100,00.

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

Sweetbay magnolia — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 16:46:54 GMT

Good to know, @CareBears. See, I'm wondering it the unit wired to the panel does a better job. Or provides an extra level, above and beyond the "spot" plug protectors.

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

151949 — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 17:31:28 GMT

When our house was built the electric company recommended we get one so we did. My DH also talked the lady who lived in the other half of our house into getting one. My DH is a retired electrical engineer so he is knowledgeable about this.

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

151949 — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 17:40:22 GMT

We used to have an old camper from 1970. Once lightening struck a tree at the campground and the surge came through the ground to our electric source and into our camper. Fortunately, my DH had installed between the camper plug and the cord to the electric source a surge protector. OMG when we woke in the morning we had no electric but when DH went out to see what was wrong - that surge protector was actually melted from the surge of that lightening. He said it most certainly would have burned our camper and us while we slept to a crisp. The tree was totally burned, and the ground from the tree up to our camper's electric source was black. The electric outlet was melted as was the cord that we had plugged into it.I don't think prior to that day I ever understood how powerful lightening is.

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

chickenbutt — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 20:28:44 GMT

This seems like a really great idea - if it is properly effective. I'm not familiar with it at all.

My house is kind of large and I do have a number of surge protectors, wherever I have the larger TVs, computers, Tivos, etc.

In the several decades I've lived in this area, I've yet to see a 'surge' happen but, hey, you never know. I'd rather do what I can to have my electronics be safe.

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

151949 — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 12:30:30 GMT

My DH said the whole house surge protector is to protect the larger items in the house like the heat pump & stove,fridge and dryer. Major appliances! On our delicate electronics we still have them plugged in to surge protectors.

Re: Whole House Surge Protector

gardenman — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 11:09:24 GMT

The whole house protectors are part of the solution, but you need more as there's often more than one path to your electronics. If you've got cable or satellite, your lines should be connected to a grounding block that's wired to a long grounding rod driven deeply into the ground. Some companies skimp a bit on the grounding rod and go with one that's shorter/cheaper and a surge will still find its way to your device through the cable feed. If your device is connected to a phone jack or whole home Ethernet system, you could get a surge through those systems also. Lightning is sneaky and can find its way to where you don't want it to be fairly easily. More protection is better than less. Many of the power strip type surge protectors will include cable jacks, phone and or Ethernet jacks also.