Whole house surge protector
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 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. |
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: |
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. 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'. . . |
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.
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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.
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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. |
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Of course it's a personal choice
!!!! Gosh I hate people who.answer that way!! Someone is seeking input |
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The point is...............if you like "insurance policies" but a surge protector. Hate the answer, not the person. |
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).
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Don't forget to filter your cable
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. |
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.
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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.
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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. |
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a whole house surge protector at the panel is just as good.
About $25 at HD easy install |
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......
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Lenart Electric installs a whole house surge protector for $195.
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Florida has some fantastic lightning strikes.
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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.
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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. |
I asked SECO a few years ago. They had ~ 35,000 surge protectors in service. They replace 5-6 a year.
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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!!
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Surge Protector
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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. |
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.
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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
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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.
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That is great! But after 20 years here without ever a problem..i dont think i need one.
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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.
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I should have added that our surge protector was installed at the panel... a very small rectangular unit.
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_____________________________ 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 |
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