Surge Protection and SECO's Meter Treater

[Steadfast]

Having just moved in, we are looking into surge protection and recently received some info from SECO regarding their "Meter Treater". They explain that it is a two-tier system with a device on you meter and a free "starter package" consisiting of three surge devices for your TVs, etc.

You can pay monthly, or buy the system outright for a cost somewhat above what a "high end" surge protector might be from a local electronics store.

It is tempting since it appears that the unit at the meter might protect the whole house from exterior surges, but I am wondering if anyone has had any actual experience with this service from SECO?

My main questions relate to any hidden costs, and how well it works.

Thanks in advance for any and all input.

[getdul981]

Had the whole house for almost a year. Don't know if it has suppressed any surges or not, but we are going to have it installed on our new home also.

[zcaveman]

When I first got here, SECO only rented the surge protection package. When they came out with the rent or buy, I calculated the costs and decided that I could have bought two of them with the rental price so I bought one. Same protection.

I consider them an insurance policy against the alternative if lightening hits the area and we get a surge.

I cross my fingers and hope I never have to find out.

Z

[pooh]

Have one on our house and have had it for years. We rent ours, a monthly fee about 5 or 6 dollars, I can't remember, but not much.

[zcaveman]

Have one on our house and have had it for years. We rent ours, a monthly fee about 5 or 6 dollars, I can't remember, but not much.

$5 a month does not sound like much but it adds up. The purchase price of the SECO system was $200 when I decided to buy. $5 a month for four years is $240. If you plan on staying in the house forever, you can use that $5 a month for something else.

[784caroline]

Wether you get a SURGE PROTECTOR from SECO or have a private Electrican install one, it is a wise investment. WE had a surge protector installed in the Electrical Box and also a secondary unit installed at our outside air conditioning shutoff box. We also have the portable surge protectors for our TV (both for electrical and cable surges) and our Computers (again both for electrical and cable surges).

[Ithreeputtoo]

We have the SECO surge protection. Purchased ours as I am sure in the long run is will be cheaper. I grew up down here and lightning is a big big problem. It was a no brainer when I bought my house here. If they did not offer it I would have done one with an electric company for sure. I would not be without it.

[hedoman]

we have the seco surge protection. Purchased ours as i am sure in the long run is will be cheaper. I grew up down here and lightning is a big big problem. It was a no brainer when i bought my house here. If they did not offer it i would have done one with an electric company for sure. I would not be without it.

ditto

[pooh]

$5 a month does not sound like much but it adds up. The purchase price of the SECO system was $200 when I decided to buy. $5 a month for four years is $240. If you plan on staying in the house forever, you can use that $5 a month for something else.
That's true, but if it breaks or is damaged because of a surge, SECO replaces it.
I guess we all decide what we want to pay for, own or rent. Many things I've bought, but in this instance, renting is the choice I've made.

[Mark1130]

Is there any guarantee with the surge protection? Do they offer any insurance if something in your home is damaged?

[pooh]

Is there any guarantee with the surge protection? Do they offer any insurance if something in your home is damaged?

Here's the info from SECO's page.....


and here's the pdf on the warranty....
http://www.secoenergy.com/surge.html

http://www.secoenergy.com/pdfs/Surge/4-7-09_Warranty_Extended.pdf

[Gerald]

A surge protector is made to handle a very short duration of high current and open the circuit due to the current. If the current is not as high as the protector is set for, it will not open and your equipment may still be damaged. They are good for most problems but not for everything that can happen. They can also be damaged by the same current that they are protecting you from. Protector go bad over time also so they should be tested and replaced when needed. The price to replace is much less then what would have happened if it was not in place. Since they can go bad over time or damaged due to a high current. You might want to rethink puchase against renting. Just my thoughts on something I know about.

[jblum315]

I bought the surge protection system from SECO. It comes with a small-print warranty which says that it will replace connected equipment that is damaged by spikes or surges. I used all the portable ones and also installed one for the garage door opener. I was told that even though power lines are underground in TV they can still be hit by lightning, and I think central Florida is pretty near the lightning capital of the country.
Don't even think of standing under a tree in a lightning storm. Worst place you can be.

[sukismom]

Read the fine print. The surge protection only covers you if the surge comes from the power source. Namely the power company. Speaking from experience. The villa wall behind us was hit, blew out all of the GFIs in the house, the Spa motor and the air conditioning motor. Serge protection device on the box was not affected and nothing was covered because the stike came from the outside and no surge from the power company. This was an expensive lesson. :grumpy:

[jblum315]

Read the fine print. The surge protection only covers you if the surge comes from the power source. Namely the power company. Speaking from experience. The villa wall behind us was hit, blew out all of the GFIs in the house, the Spa motor and the air conditioning motor. Serge protection device on the box was not affected and nothing was covered because the stike came from the outside and no surge from the power company. This was an expensive lesson. :grumpy:

So basically there is no way to protect from outside lightning strikes?

[westom]

A surge protector is made to handle a very short duration of high current and open the circuit due to the current. If the current is not as high as the protector is set for, it will not open and your equipment may still be damaged.

Protectors that do not even claim protection do that. Explains the large warranties. Products with best warranties are often the most inferior. With fine print exemptions so that the warranty will never be honored. And that do not have what must always exist for any protector to do protection. The words ‘protector’ and ‘protection’ define two different items.

Any protector that works by opening is a scam. How does that 'open' inside a protector stop what three miles of sky could not? That is what a protector adjacent to appliances claims to do. Opening takes milliseconds or seconds. Surges are done in microseconds. Opening is really how scam protectors get promoted.

What absorbs hundreds of thousands of joules? Not any magic box. Protectors that are actually effective connect short (ie 'less than 10 feet') to the only and other item that absorbs energy. No protector does protection (except when advertising lies). Either a protector connects that energy to single point earth ground. Or it may be grossly undersized to fail. Failure (grossly undersizing) also gets many manipulated by advertising to recommend them. Recommend what are only profit centers.

SECO will install the protector. But earthing - only thing that makes protection effective - is the responsibility of a homeowner. Every incoming wire (ie cable TV, telephone) must also connect that low impedance (ie 'less than 10 foot') to single point earth ground. Otherwise protection is compromised.

Protection from all direct lightning strikes is routine when lightning is harmlessly absorbed outside. Does not enter the building.

When direct lightning strikes cause no damage, a protector starts at 50,000 amps. That does not mean lightning must be 50,000 amps. That means lightning (that is typically 20,000 amps) does not even damage the protector. Protectors should earth direct lightning strikes. And remain functional. Such protectors are available from more responsible manufacturers including Intermatic, General Electric, Siemens, ABB, Square D, Polyphaser, and Leviton. A Cutler-Hammer solution sells in Lowes and Home Depot for less than $50. The superior solution costs less money.

Ineffective protectors that sell for many times more money may fail during a surge. That failure gets the most naive (ie those educated by advertising) to recommend that profit center. Since protection already inside appliances is often superior to that inside an adjacent protector. Protectors, if properly sized, remain functional for decades.

Where does a protector with a big buck warranty even claim protection? Where are those specification numbers? Protectors adjacent to appliances even have a history of compromising that existing protection. In rare cases, even create a house fire.

How to quickly identify a protector that is not effective? 1) It does not have a dedicated wire for the always required short (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection to single point earth ground. 2) Manufacturer avoids all discussion about earthing. 3) Manufacturer will not say where hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate. The most expensive protectors are also some of the least effective. Are that easily identified.

No effective protector stops, blocks, or absorbs surges. No protector works by opening. Not one. Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate. Effective protectors always connect low impedance (ie 'less than 10 feet') to what does all protection. Single point earth ground.

Any recommendation that ignores earthing is best called bogus. A protector is always and only as effective as its earth ground. What makes the SECO protector even more effective? Upgraded earthing to both meet and exceed code. No magic box does protection. The expression 'less than 10 feet' cannot be posted enough. Concepts that new are often ignored until repeated at least three times. Any honest recommendation for protection always discusses the only 'system' component that does protection. Earth ground. Effective protection means direct lightning strikes cause no damage; do not enter the house.

[Snowbirdtobe]

Thanks Pooh for posting the links.
If you read the information from SECO you see that it does not cover TV, computers, things without a motor.
It might cover washer, fridge, dishwasher,HVAC, etc. If the red light on the meter goes out.
I had it turned on when we bought our home but now am having second thoughts.

[Lightning]

A good resource for your lightning concerns is the Lightning Matters columns that can be found on the POA web site. See the Sept 2011 issue that discusses PRIMARY and SECONDARY surge protection. The term "whole house " can be misleading. Also, we live in the lightning caital of the US but not the world.