Whole house surge protector

[Sandy and Ed]

SECO is offering a “Surge Mitigator” for $349 outright purchase or $6 per month “rental”

Appears to “help” prevent surges right at the meter before it comes into your house. It only prevents spikes that would affect large appliances. They still recommend “point of use” protection for electronic equipment

I had a whole house surge protector installed inside my Pennsylvania home at the service panel itself. Was recommended by an electrician I trust who was also a volley fire captain and now a close friend.

My questions:

A) why being asked to pay extra for protection before SECO service enters the house? Shouldn’t they provide reliable service? Why don’t they include that within their pricing and give to all customers?

B). Wouldn’t a whole house surge protector at the panel be just as good ... or better?

C). Perhaps a combination of both?

Greatly appreciate any and all experience/thoughts on this from a Florida perspective. Fl and PA weather/storms a lot different

Yes. I should ask a Florida electrician to make a good cost benefit recommendation. Anyone know of such an electrician??

[retiredguy123]

I think it is a waste of money. Yes, they should be providing reliable service to your house and they do. Selling surge protectors is just another way to increase their profits. Here is an excerpt from their warranty with what it does not cover. It really doesn't even cover most large appliances. It doesn't cover damage to your electrical system or to your computers, televisions, security systems, or anything with a microchip or processor. I think most appliances have a microchip. So, what's left to be covered?

D. What Does This Warranty Not Cover? This warranty shall not
apply to any defect, failure, damage caused by improper installation,
improper use, or inadequate maintenance or care. MTI shall not be
obligated to furnish service under this warranty (a) to repair damage
resulting from connection to incompatible equipment; or (b) to service
a SPD that has been modified, altered or integrated with other
products when such modification, alteration, or integration increases
the time or difficulty of servicing the SPD. This warranty excludes (a)
bodily injury to persons, (b) defects caused by or damages resulting
from operation of the SPD under conditions exceeding MTI’s
published SPD specifications, such as continuous steady over-
voltages as a result of power delivery system damage or flaws, (c)
structural damage (d) damages to the electrical system including but
not limited to wiring, electrical outlets, breaker panels, and meter
sockets, (e) electric cars; (f) solar panels and solar equipment; (g)
elevators and elevator equipment; (h) damages to all wells, well
pumps and supplementary well pump equipment (i) generators and
any damages caused by an on-site backup generator, (j) damages
caused by negligence in the use of the SPD or (k) any damages
caused by a defective SPD other than physical damage to Standard
Residential Equipment. Under no circumstances will MTI guarantee
performance due to a lightning strike not carried down the utility power
lines and through the utility transformer and then the SPD to the
residence.
This warranty excludes all stand-alone “electronic equipment”
using microchip, microprocessor or transistor technology, such as but
not limited to computers, televisions, DVD Players/Recorders and
Security Systems.
Notwithstanding any other term of the warranty, in no event
is medical and/or life support equipment covered under this
warranty.
MTI shall only be liable to pay those damages incurred which are
covered under this Warranty and for which you have not recovered or
do not intend to recover from a third party or insurance carrier. In no
event shall you be entitled to a “double recovery”.
Any and all possible subrogation claims which may be made by a
homeowner’s insurance company are hereby waived. Homeowner
expressly acknowledges this provision and intends for its insurance
company to be bound by this subrogation prohibition.

[dewilson58]

Lightening Rods = Personal choice


Surge Protector = Personal choice


Life Insurance = Personal choice


Liability Umbrella = Personal choice


Reverse Mortgage = Personal choice


Line Dancing = Personal choice


Wearing a Mask = Unselfish choice


:ho:

[DeanFL]

.
.
we had the SECO surge protector system installed at our home about 3 years ago ($6/mo) A few months ago, I'm looking at the bill and thought... hmm is it worth it? Flipped a mental coin and called them to cancel. They came out a few days later and deinstalled...whatever the hardware was...out of the meter box. I mentioned it to the lady in the house afterward, and got a bit of short-term grief... Thanks for linking the warranty detail - makes me feel better, and not simply a cheapskate. Unbelieveable what they DON'T cover, thnx again.

now...please 'power and lightening and storm god'... DO NOT hit us with a surge... I would have a lot of long-term 'splainin' to do. And years of 'I told you so'.
.
.

[villagetinker]

There was a close in lighting strike, hit to the rear of the lot next door. This was so close you saw it, heard it, felt it all at the same instant. House next door suffered several thousand dollars in damages, we had no apparent damage, about 18 months later the cable was having lots of trouble, they found the drop cable to our house was bad probably from the lightning strike. My point, the surge from the close in strike was apparently stopped by the SECO arrestor in the meter base. I cannot prove this and I have no idea if we would have had damage without it.

[JP]

I've lost TV's to close lightening strikes at the two houses I own in TV. I've since got both the outside and inside surge protectors and have had zero problems. I think they are worth the money.

[Stu from NYC]

Based on a thread I started on here just under a year ago (after we moved here) decided it was a worthwhile investment and paid it in full.

Some people said worth doing others said no and figured the protection was worth it. We also put in additional surge protectors inside on cords leading to computers and TV and other expensive electrical equipment.

[bilcon]

I agree. I paid in full 10 years ago, have had several bad lightning storms, and have had no problems. I also put surge protectors on each and every gadget in my house.

[2newyorkers]

We were also 1 of 3 houses hit by lightening and the only one with damage was the house without the surge protector. We were the middle house.

[Mortal1]

The naysayers always opt out of something because they've never has an issue with close lightening strikes. We have and opted to have seco do their thing at the fuse box. No problems and not sure whether it's due to their surge protector or not, but it's what makes "YOU" feel safe...not some clown with no experience.

[JoMar]

Also from PA, also had a panel mounted protector.....moved here had a whole house panel protector installed and put battery back ups on the important stuff (TV, Cable Box, Computer, Router etc) and surge protectors on second layer of stuff (printer, phone chargers etc. Some stuff is only protected by the whole house protector (the stuff that I really want to upgrade but won't because it still works). Several homes in our neighborhood have had near strikes and their home owners covered what was damaged so out of pocket was minimal.....but the pita getting it all replaced was huge.

[Hiltongrizz11]

Of course it's a personal choice
!!!!

Gosh I hate people who.answer that way!! Someone is seeking input

[dewilson58]

Of course it's a personal choice!!! Gosh I hate people who.answer that way!! Someone is seeking input
Shouldn't hate me, you don't know me. :a040:
The point is...............if you like "insurance policies" but a surge protector.


Hate the answer, not the person.

[HJBeck]

Best protection is to have a whole house surge protector at the meter or the load center(breaker box), then surge arrestees at all your more expensive electronics devices in your house ( A/C units, tv’s , computers , microwaves, ranges, refrigerators, etc.) Reason being that surges don’t all enter via SECO system, many originate from nearby lightning strokes that induce high voltages into the home wiring directly, or entire thru the ground into ground wiring of the house. If your handy you can do just about all of these yourself (with a little electrical knowledge). Far less costly then paying to have it done).

[Windguy]

In addition to the excellent advice given above, I recommend buying surge suppressors that have a high Joule rating (how much energy it can absorb). I also recommend that you get suppressors that have inputs and outputs for coax cables where you have devices like modems and TVs. Lightning can hit your cable box and enter your house that way.

I also recommend going to Pike Electric to get the whole house suppression; they are cheaper than SECO. Don't forget that your appliances are essentially computers and have sensitive electronics in them. I've had some terrifying lightning strikes nearby and have had no problems over the few years since I had it installed.

[banjobob]

Sure Seco could provide them free , not all people would need it. But with the amount of lightening strikes here during storms, I like the added protection for the monthly price of a daily Starbucks morning drink.

[Professor]

We did the same 10 years ago and have had zero issues. Pay in full and forget it. We spend more than that on other things and don't think twice about it. Worth the peace of mind in my opinion.

[SacDQ]

The previous owner of our home had one installed. We moved in in April and that summer we were introduced to a Florida Thunder storm. A neighbors house was hit by lightning strike that went through the roof. We lost two TV’s and the cable boxes. The cable company service person stated that the
serge protector should be backed up with single outlet prosecutors tha also cover the input cables. I installed them on all or electronic devices and have had no additional issue for the last two years.

[fastboat]

There was a close in lighting strike, hit to the rear of the lot next door. This was so close you saw it, heard it, felt it all at the same instant. House next door suffered several thousand dollars in damages, we had no apparent damage, about 18 months later the cable was having lots of trouble, they found the drop cable to our house was bad probably from the lightning strike. My point, the surge from the close in strike was apparently stopped by the SECO arrestor in the meter base. I cannot prove this and I have no idea if we would have had damage without it.

I had one installed several years ago (a lot cheaper at the time) because after 20 service in the Navy (electronics) thought it was a good idea. Note, NOTHING covers every situation. I also have ALL our electronics in the house protected by individual surge protectors. So if we take a direct hit we'll only have to worry about the whole house burning down. Insurance covers that.

[jimbo2012]

a whole house surge protector at the panel is just as good.

About $25 at HD easy install

[airstreamingypsy]

I pay the $6.00 a month, also have my electronics plugged into APC UPSes. Lost a TV to lightning when I first moved here......

[FredJacobs]

Lenart Electric installs a whole house surge protector for $195.

[Stu from NYC]

a whole house surge protector at the panel is just as good.

About $25 at HD easy install

But with the Seco one we are protected before the surge will enter our house, the panel one is inside your home,.

[Bay Kid]

Florida has some fantastic lightning strikes.

[dhdallas]

A complete waste of money. You do NOT need a surge protector for any household appliance or electronic device. I have never had any device damaged or its lifespan shortened and have always owned high-end AV equipment and computers. Maybe laboratories or a server farm would want them. Surge protectors are a good example of a business sector creating a fear which begets a need and then supplying the solution.

[CWGUY]

a whole house surge protector at the panel is just as good.

About $25 at HD easy install

Couldn't find that..... could you please post the link?

[retiredguy123]

With regard to lightning, the surge protector will only do any good if the lightning actually travels through the surge protector device from the outside. But, lightning damage often occurs when it strikes other areas of the house and causes electrical surges in the wiring, telephone, or other cable systems. In those cases, the surge protector is worthless.

Also, the SECO warranty says,

"Under no circumstances will MTI guarantee performance due to a lightning strike not carried down the utility power lines and through the utility transformer and then the SPD to the residence."

So, they are implying that the surge protector only works when lightning travels through one of the SECO transformers, not when it strikes your house.

[mpalazzola]

I asked SECO a few years ago. They had ~ 35,000 surge protectors in service. They replace 5-6 a year.

[propjob]

I installed a whole house surge protector from Eaton in our house and a friends. About $100 on Amazon. Its connected directly to the panel and an easy DYI job with a number of YouTube videos to assist. Comes with a $75k protection warranty as well. The specific part number is EATON CHSPT2ULTRA. Enjoy!!

[rwfisher1969]

Lightening Rods = Personal choice


Surge Protector = Personal choice


Life Insurance = Personal choice


Liability Umbrella = Personal choice




Reverse Mortgage = Personal choice


Line Dancing = Personal choice


Wearing a Mask = Unselfish choice


:ho:

Life in the real world explained! lol:clap2::clap2:

[DIver0258]

SECO is offering a “Surge Mitigator” for $349 outright purchase or $6 per month “rental”

Appears to “help” prevent surges right at the meter before it comes into your house. It only prevents spikes that would affect large appliances. They still recommend “point of use” protection for electronic equipment

I had a whole house surge protector installed inside my Pennsylvania home at the service panel itself. Was recommended by an electrician I trust who was also a volley fire captain and now a close friend.

My questions:

A) why being asked to pay extra for protection before SECO service enters the house? Shouldn’t they provide reliable service? Why don’t they include that within their pricing and give to all customers?

B). Wouldn’t a whole house surge protector at the panel be just as good ... or better?

C). Perhaps a combination of both?

Greatly appreciate any and all experience/thoughts on this from a Florida perspective. Fl and PA weather/storms a lot different

Yes. I should ask a Florida electrician to make a good cost benefit recommendation. Anyone know of such an electrician??

1.) SECO has provided us with excellent service for almost 5 years.
2.) Yes a surge protector at the panel would be just as effective.
3.) A combination may be over the top but there should be no issues with it. If a spike were to get through the surge protector under the meter the second one at the entrance feed to the panel may block it.

My 2 cents....We have maintained a provider serviced surge protector for years. The major benefit is it protect motor driven appliances. We have had 2 instances at our home (not in the villages), of surges that damaged our appliances. The electric company covered the appliances and paid for the lost food in the freezers and refrigerator. In one strike we also lost our deep well pump. With this in mind on our new home we had one installed.

[Albany]

We are all living in the lightning capital of the world. Our house in TV have been struck a total of 3 times, and it is tough on the garage door opener, sprinkler system, cable modem, etc. Well we now rent the surge protector and the lightning is no longer an issue. It's really not that expensive for heaven's sake.

[wganderson13]

SECA offers $7,500 (?) warranty. Eaton offers $75,000 warranty. I've installed lots of Eatons for $200- $250. They do work if installed before lightning strike, not after. Walter 352 775 4245

[Reedpanos@gmail.com]

You really need to look at the fine print. I have a SECO installed surge protector on the meter we pay $6/mo for. When I lost two tv’s after a surge I called SECO and found out it is set for 240 volts which covers only the ac units. All other appliances/tv require additional plug surge protectors they sell for $60. The warranty is through the companies that produce the plug surge protectors. The SECO surge protectors are definitely not worth installing, but I would install a whole house protector set at 120v, by a local electrician.

[Curtisbwp]

That is great! But after 20 years here without ever a problem..i dont think i need one.

[jimjamuser]

I agree. I paid in full 10 years ago, have had several bad lightning storms, and have had no problems. I also put surge protectors on each and every gadget in my house.
I read somewhere that Tampa was the lightning capital of the WORLD. If that is true, then TV Land may be high on THAT world list.

[jimjamuser]

Also from PA, also had a panel mounted protector.....moved here had a whole house panel protector installed and put battery back ups on the important stuff (TV, Cable Box, Computer, Router etc) and surge protectors on second layer of stuff (printer, phone chargers etc. Some stuff is only protected by the whole house protector (the stuff that I really want to upgrade but won't because it still works). Several homes in our neighborhood have had near strikes and their home owners covered what was damaged so out of pocket was minimal.....but the pita getting it all replaced was huge.
I wonder if their insurance went up also?

[Lonnieme2]

We currently live in GA and will move to the Villages in 5 years when I retire. Anyway, we had a whole house surge protector installed by Mr. Sparky electrical service about 20 years ago and I am almost certain that we paid at least if not more than what you are stating yours will cost. About 10 years ago squirrels chewed on the neutral wire at the electrical pole outside of our house, causing an electrical overload that if not for the surge protector could have caught our house on fire or at least destroyed our electronics and household appliances. I have never seen lightbulbs glow so brightly as ours did right before the whole house surge protector burned up and the power went out. Needless to say the whole house surge protector did it's job and sacrificed itself. We IMMEDIATELY had a new one installed once the power company re-ran the neutral and our power was restored. Maybe what happened to us was a very rare occurrence but I will never live in a house that does not have a whole house surge protector. Having that small piece of equipment installed is worth every penny in my opinion.

[Lonnieme2]

I should have added that our surge protector was installed at the panel... a very small rectangular unit.

[john352]

SECO is offering a “Surge Mitigator” for $349 outright purchase or $6 per month “rental”

Appears to “help” prevent surges right at the meter before it comes into your house. It only prevents spikes that would affect large appliances. They still recommend “point of use” protection for electronic equipment

I had a whole house surge protector installed inside my Pennsylvania home at the service panel itself. Was recommended by an electrician I trust who was also a volley fire captain and now a close friend.

My questions:

A) why being asked to pay extra for protection before SECO service enters the house? Shouldn’t they provide reliable service? Why don’t they include that within their pricing and give to all customers?

B). Wouldn’t a whole house surge protector at the panel be just as good ... or better?

C). Perhaps a combination of both?

Greatly appreciate any and all experience/thoughts on this from a Florida perspective. Fl and PA weather/storms a lot different

Yes. I should ask a Florida electrician to make a good cost benefit recommendation. Anyone know of such an electrician??


_____________________________
I installed “whole-house surge protection” inside my (central) circuit breaker box. Subsequently, lightning struck the large oak tree in my front yard. The lightning energy traveled down the tree and blew a hole in the water pipe that entered my home; I had to have the water company turn off the water supply to my house. The hole was between the meter and my home; therefore, the cost of the repair was mine.

My computer setup inside my home was near the tree. The energy surge took out the Comcast cable modem and an interface box for the telephone-via-internet. I did have local surge protection for my PC and printers; there was no damage to them.

You have likely heard about an EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) weapon that destroys electronics. A lightning strike is similar; it does not have to travel down electrical wires for the cable service to do damage to electronics.

----- Retired Electrical Engineer

[jimjamuser]

We currently live in GA and will move to the Villages in 5 years when I retire. Anyway, we had a whole house surge protector installed by Mr. Sparky electrical service about 20 years ago and I am almost certain that we paid at least if not more than what you are stating yours will cost. About 10 years ago squirrels chewed on the neutral wire at the electrical pole outside of our house, causing an electrical overload that if not for the surge protector could have caught our house on fire or at least destroyed our electronics and household appliances. I have never seen lightbulbs glow so brightly as ours did right before the whole house surge protector burned up and the power went out. Needless to say the whole house surge protector did it's job and sacrificed itself. We IMMEDIATELY had a new one installed once the power company re-ran the neutral and our power was restored. Maybe what happened to us was a very rare occurrence but I will never live in a house that does not have a whole house surge protector. Having that small piece of equipment installed is worth every penny in my opinion.
Squirrels and other rodents like to eat the insulation on wires - because that insulation is partially made from soybeans. They go after car wiring also. As a personal opinion, I have always considered squirrels to be JUST rats that live in trees. I don't understand people thinking of squirrels as "CUTE" - but, maybe they became cute from kid's cartoons? I preferred the 1950s attitude of allowing kids in suburbs to hunt squirrels with their Red Ryder BB guns. That kept squirrels in the woods where they were NOT pests. Obviously, times have changed and the Police would be shooting the kids thinking they were carrying Uzis and 9mm handguns - which probably is true that some are carrying lethal-to-humans type guns today. I guess that shows how America has evolved or de-voluted?

[Lightning]

Welcome to the Lightning Capital of the US! Our area experiences over 100 days a year with lightning. In 2020 we had 117 days with lightning. The term “whole house surge protection” is misleading. There is no single product on the market to protect all appliances and sensitive electronic equipment from an INDIRECT lightning strike. As others have mentioned on this thread each year a few homeowners experience damage in the thousands of dollars to their electronics. Therefore, it is worth considering Primary Surge Protection on your meter by your electric utility or on your electric panel by a licensed electrical AND you need Secondary Surge Protection (point-of-use) for electronics like computers, TVs, garage door openers, etc. If your concern is a DIRECT lightning strike that can cause significant damage to the structure then consider installing a lightning protection system, commonly called lightning rods, by a firm listed by UL and a Master Installer as designated by the Lightning Protection Institute. For more information on lightning safety, you may to wish to attend The Weather Club in The Villages March 18, 2021, meeting,1:30 PM, at the Bridgeport Recreation Center to learn more. You can sign up at info@theweatherclubvillages.com.

[Stu from NYC]

That is great! But after 20 years here without ever a problem..i dont think i need one.

As the saying goes you will not need it until you need it.

[G.R.I.T.S.]

SECO is offering a “Surge Mitigator” for $349 outright purchase or $6 per month “rental”

Appears to “help” prevent surges right at the meter before it comes into your house. It only prevents spikes that would affect large appliances. They still recommend “point of use” protection for electronic equipment

I had a whole house surge protector installed inside my Pennsylvania home at the service panel itself. Was recommended by an electrician I trust who was also a volley fire captain and now a close friend.

My questions:

A) why being asked to pay extra for protection before SECO service enters the house? Shouldn’t they provide reliable service? Why don’t they include that within their pricing and give to all customers?

B). Wouldn’t a whole house surge protector at the panel be just as good ... or better?

C). Perhaps a combination of both?

Greatly appreciate any and all experience/thoughts on this from a Florida perspective. Fl and PA weather/storms a lot different

Yes. I should ask a Florida electrician to make a good cost benefit recommendation. Anyone know of such an electrician??

Contract with a licensed electrician to install surge protection at the breaker box, or just install good quality surge protectors at the appliances/tvs you wish to protect. Don't waste your $$ on SECO "protection."

[JoMar]

I wonder if their insurance went up also?

It did not....as I understand it, increases are not based on your claims or the number of claims (or lack of) but on all policyholders.

[HiHoSteveO]

Listen to "Lightning" at Post #42. He is the expert.

A search here at TOTV with the search term "surge suppressor" will turn up many, many comments.
My favorite video on this topic is at "Ask This Old House"
Here's the link.
How to Install Surge Protection - This Old House (https://www.thisoldhouse.com/electrical/21016791/how-to-install-surge-protection)

[stebooo]

Owned the last 8 years. Nothing. Could be blessed.

[Ashimp]

I'm an electrical engineer and will tell you, get the whole house surge suppressor. I have both the meter and power panel surge suppressors. What happens is a voltage spike will come down the line and enter your house. Think of it as a wave like you see at the ocean - that wave will bounce around your house until the energy (joules) dissipates, taking everything in its path if it's a bad one, and the repairs to appliances are relatively expensive. Power panel surge suppressor is inexpensive, I think I paid $40, and fits where a circuit breaker would go..

[CoachKandSportsguy]

The whole house surge protection is an electrical insurance product, in a high risk environment. For the price, its worth the installation but pay it off in full. Treat the purchase as you would insurance. its not useful until its needed, then it will be worth it. However, since mother nature is involved, she doesn't always comply with all human desires of control and stability. . . so there will always be exceptions.

For the black and white thinkers, its not satisfactory because its not 100% with a failure rate, so there is ucertainty involved.
For the conceptual thinkers, and the feelers, there is a high ROI when needed, though there is uncertainty of need, there is a non zero probability of usage.

The non zero probability of use to cover 99.9 % of the expected scenarios is good enough for us

Yes i have one professionally installed coming in the house. dytech between meter and panel.

insurance guy