Whole House surge supressors
 

Hi all,

We recently bought a older house and SECO (the utility) tells me that the whole house surge suppressor is "out of warranty" and that they can replace it for $349.

At the same time, I see a solicitation thread here from an electrical contractor stating that they can install/replace a whole house suppressor for about $500++

So.....
1) Is a whole house suppressor worth it? Have you had appliance/electronic damage due to voltage spikes in The Villages?
2) These devices are available for a little over $100. Yes, I know what I'm doing re: electrical work.

Thx for the update on this topic.

In my opinion, it is a waste of money.

But, even if it weren't, it sounds like you already have one. So what if it is out-of-warranty. Read the SECO warranty online, and you will find out that it covers almost nothing.

From firsthand experience: our neighbor had a very close in lightning strike at the rear of their property. We saw, heard, felt at the same time it was that close. They had around $7000 in damages, pool computer, pool pumps, landscape lighting, several GFCI, etc. We have a SECO surge unit, and suffered no apparent damage, however about 18 months later the cable tv feed was bad, Comcast determine the cable had failed probably due to the previous lighting strike.
As noted in another thread, I find these useful, but they do not cover all possible surges, so you need to have surge arrestors on sensitive equipment in your house. Make sure these surge arrestors are UL SURGE PROTECTOR LISTED, and not listed as extension cords, they will cost a little more but are worth it.

A search will find multiple threads on this topic.

Since you "know what you are doing", if you have room to add a double breaker, they are easy to install and inexpensive risk reduction. If you move, you can take them with you.

Eaton has a dual snap in breaker module and a panel mount with higher surge capacity and better insurance coverage. I suspect much of the cost difference between the two is the insurance. The panel mount requires adding a dual 50A breaker.

Eaton BRNSURGE Type BR... Amazon.com

EATON CHSPT2ULTRA Ultimate Surge... Amazon.com

1. I have not read the previous replies so I apologize if I repeat something already covered

2. My father also lived in TV and he had damage to a television, his irrigation controller, and his garage door opener when a nearby palm tree was struck by lightening

3. I have a SECO supplied whole house surge suppressor and have had no losses

4. You say you are are familiar with electric issues, but are you really? If you were, you would know that the whole house suppressor does not protect electrical devices ie TVs, irrigation controllers, garage door openers, sound systems, etc. For those you need to also use individual surge suppressors.

When we moved here and found out about how much lightning comes we purchase the whole house surge protectors plus individual ones on expensive electronics.

So far so good

When pool was installed, electrician strongly recommended a surge protector.
They didn’t install so no up selling on their part.

Their recommendation was not to use a surge protector that installed in fuse box, but one that would cover lines into house, and line for pool. We went with Seco their protector would cover both house and pool. We also have separate protectors on electronics. 10 year warranty, that hopefully I won’t have to use.

At our previous house lighting struck 4 houses down, traveling underground, killing our irrigation, and refrigerator. We were on vaca, so all other appliances were unplugged. Would a protector helped in this situation, no idea.

But for $349 and free install, from Seco, it’s less money then I spend on coffee.

The electrician was correct, the longer the wire from the breaker box to the device, the greater the risk for a nearby strike inducing a surge into that wire.

Just like your other appliances, a protector near the pool pump/controls and HVAC is wise second level protection.

Waste of money? Just because you haven’t had any issues doesn’t make it a waste of money. I had friends that quite a few expensive appliances and hvac system got destroyed during electrical surges that they had. Another incident was A crew toppled a tree over a 3 phase line and people down the line got some of their electrical anppliances destroyed except the houses who had whole house suppressors (I was 1 that had a suppressor and I had no issues) but many of my neighbors did. It doesn’t always have to be a lightning hit, many things cause spikes, surges to your electrical supply.
As for cable issues, of course these aren’t covered because it’s not electrical, it’s an rg6 cable. Your internet cable isn’t covered either. They make separate suppressors for these items too.

As for which suppressors to buy, none of the mentioned. I always get the external suppressors that your utility company puts in the meter, so if anything happens, it stops at the meter. Also, when you mow your lawn, you can look at the lights on the unit to see if it is still working. If not, call the utility to have them come out and replace it. They give you a brochure that explains the tens of thousands of dollars of coverage.
All for a few bucks a month

Florida has the highest incidence of lightning strikes per year of any state. If you are knowledgeable and comfortable working with electrical equipment, then I would recommend doing the installation yourself . You can buy a quality “surge suppressor “ for as little as $150.

The surge protector SECO provides at the meter is a different type and different purpose than the one at the panel. In my opinion, both are required. I also have surge protectors on the electronics I have plugged in. We had a lightning strike a couple years ago, and I didn’t have any damage while my neighbors had significant damage. There are some good YouTube videos made by Villagers that explain how they all work.

Is it worth it to me? Yes. To you? Only you can answer that kind question.

I view these decisions of buying ‘protection’ like buying insurance: one pays something to reduce risk, not eliminate risk. If you are unlucky with lightning, the downside risk is time and money. Are you willing to deal with the hassle (time) and costs (money) if unlucky?

All of those protection devices reduce the risk of damage to electronic items in some degree but no one can actually measure it. That’s the main reason you get different opinions. It’s uncertain.

Correct. I also want to add that just because the Seco protector is out of warranty doesn't mean it's not working. Typically surge protectors "wear out" over time but only if they are repeditly hit with surges. Your protector may be just fine if the two red lights are still on.

I'm one of the electricial engineers in the Villages Lightning Study Group and here is the overall information on Surge Protection so everyone can make an informed decision.
>>>>>>>
First there is protection from a direct lightning strike to your home and then there is protection from induced power surges into your home’s electrical system if lightning strikes nearby.
There is nothing that will 100% protect your home from a direct lightning strike. A lightning protection system (lightning rod system) will minimize and or may prevent damage and will significantly lessen the risk of your home burning to the ground from this type of weather event. Because of all the building in the Villages we hear more and more about homes being struck and burning to the ground over the past couple of years.
The other part concerns surge protection which is more common but less often reported. This more frequently happens when lightning strikes near your home. When this occurs your home may get hit by an "induced“ surge which frequently trips circuit breakers, especially freezers and door openers in your garage but depending on the intensity can damage your HVAC system, inside and out, all your appliances, electronic equipment, pool and spa equipment, etc.. Surge protection is a layered system. There is a surge protector you can purchase or rent from your electric company mounted on the electrical meter as discussed here in this thread, which will protect you against surges coming in from the power lines. This happens statistically 20% of the time. Everyone is correct, the electric company has a sophisticated surge and grounding system to protect from this type of event and because most power surges don't come into your home from the utility, many who have this device still report surge damage in their home and the surge protector at the meter shows no sign of a surge. In addition to the surge protector at your electrical meter you can install what is called a "whole house surge protector". There are many but the Eaton Ultra is one of the more affordable and effective ones that's commonly installed by most electrical companies such as Pikes and Lenhart. This surge protector is mounted at your electrical circuit breaker box. Because it’s located at the breaker box the other 80% of the power surges you can get such as at the outside HVAC unit, pool, spa, outside lighting, etc., will be shunted by this device at the circuit breaker box and reduce and or eliminate the surge from spreading to the rest of the circuits in your home. Because surges are so fast, the surge protector has to be as close to the source as possible to be effective. The surge protector mounted on the electrical meter can help, but it's not designed to shunt these other types of induced surges. Its sole purpose is to reduce large surges coming from the power lines or surges induced into the power lines coming to your home so the rest of the surge protectors in your home can handle the level of the surge that remains. It can also shunt power surges origination from the rest of your electrical system but not to a low enough level for total protection. This is why their warranty doesn't cover any device with an electronic board. The "whole house" surge protector mounted in your circuit breaker box will protect your appliances, washer dryer and all other devices that are hard wired such as the HVAC air handler and your electric hot water heater because it's designed to shunt surges to either eliminate them or shunt them to a low enough level that your devices or other surge protection can handle the surge. The final protection are the surge protection power strips, plug-in or point of use surge protectors which you install at your TVs, computers and any other sensitive electrical equipment. These devices will shunt and protect your equipment form any remaining surges that get through your meter or whole house surge protector. If you want to go further you can install point of use surge protector outlets or plug-in protectors for your microwave, dishwasher, garage door openers, etc. and or hard-wired surge protectors at you outside HVAC unit, pool and spa equipment.

To summarize, Surge Protection is a layered system. You want to install surge protectors to reduce and or eliminate the power surge so by the time an initally large surge reaches your home devices it's small enough for the point of use surge protector to handle it. Damage from power surges is covered in your homeowner’s insurance but you still have to pay the deductible and deal with replacing all the damaged devices. We live in the lightning capital of the USA so investing in surge protection is probably a wise investment but like insurance, it depends on your tolerance to risk. I can tell you personally, there are many homeowners who experience an induced power surge from lightning strikes and loose all their electronic devices and never talk about it meaning it happens more frequently here in the Villages than you would expect. Most of us have at least $1,000 deductible on our homeowner’s insurance which more than pays for the surge protection I discussed here in this response. At the end of the day, you need to look at what it will cost to install a surge protection system, at a minimum installing something like the Eaton surge protector in your circuit breaker panel and point of use surge protectors at your TV, computer and other sensitive devices, vs your tolerance for risk. Remember, even though your insurance will cover devices destroyed by power surges in your home, you will have the inconvenience of dealing with the insurance company, having to replace everything that was destroyed and probably get an increase in your insurance premium at your next renewal.

I hope my response gives enough information so those reading can make an informed decision when it comes to lightning and surge protection.

Thank you for taking the time to share this information. Much appreciated!

We live in the lightning capital of the world but it's relatively rare. My neighbors house did get hit & his insurance replaced everything. (I have one on my house, installed by the original owner.

Seco's surge protector have a ten year warranty. If you get a surge it might protect your appliances or it might not. Have them replace it and there is no installation charge. You can lease it from them for, I think $5.99 a month but there is an installation charge. I would have it installed. Well worth the protection!

In 2021 my insurance company determined that my gas furnace in my garage was fried by lightning after a thorough investigation. Seco sent a representative out and they determined that there was no damage due to lightning. Insurance paid.....Seco did not. Form your own opinion.

Seco will charge a monthly bill. They don’t go bad unless you get a hit. They won’t protect very “sensitive “ electronics, but worth having one. You get what you pay for on these devices.

I rent one from SECO, for a small monthly charge. The first month that I lived here lightning killed a brand new TV. That's when I got the whole house surge guard thing.

Now, I have all my electronics plugged into UPSes and the SECO thing..... so far so good. <knock wood>

Great thread

Rusty Nelson just did a good video on surge protection on his The Villages with Rusty Nelson utube channel. A lot of good information!

Yes, they are worth it.
We personally experienced a lightening strike in side yard. We had a whole house surge protector installed shortly after purchase and it saved us a lot of issues. It took the hit as it tried to enter the house. We know as it has an indicator light. It took out a board in our compressor on the outside but we lost nothing else. Well worth the cost. We didn’t purchase from SECO and purchased from a nearby electric supplier.
We replaced it directly after the hit and wouldn’t be without one after seeing the storm and lightening activity here.

You can pay a one time fee, or do a forever monthly fee. Your choice

SECO Surge Mitigators are good for 15 years, per the SECO warranty. Secondary Surge protection, for sensitive electrical equipment, is important. This includes: computers and related equipment, televisions, garage door opener, irrigation controller, microwave oven, refrigerator, etc. Secondary Surge Protectors are rates by the number of Joules. Here's a handy Guide as to number of Joules are needed for different electrical devices.

A surge protector is a device that protects sensitive electronic equipment from harmful voltage spikes and power surges. It absorbs excess energy much like a sponge absorbs water. They are different from power strips which provide power extension and extra outlets, but offer no protection against power spikes or surges.
What is a power surge?
A power surge is a short-term increase in voltage (or voltage spike) due to lightning strikes or unusual line conditions, like when power companies switch power distribution across grids. It's important to periodically replace your surge protector (once every 3-4 years is recommended in most cases) since power surges wear down the protective components inside the surge protector over time.

Why is surge protection important?
• The average household gets 350 power surges per year.
• Overvoltage, brownouts, power surges and voltage spikes occur five times a day on average.
• Small, frequent power surges cause cumulative damage, shortening the product lifespan.
• Power surges are the number one cause of data loss.
• Over 50% of equipment failure can be attributed to power surge/failure.
• The right surge protection will save your electronics and extend the life of your products.
• Choosing a surge protector will safeguard all your valuable electronics; many are backed by Connected Equipment Warranties.
What is a connected equipment warranty?
A connected equipment warranty covers equipment that is damaged by transient voltage while properly connected through a surge protector to a properly wired AC power line with a protective ground. Brands that offer CEWs will repair or replace any equipment damaged by a power surge, spike or lightning strike while properly connected to their surge protector, up to the listed amount.
What are the basic features of a surge protector?
• Joules of Protection range from 300 to over 4,000 joules to protect all devices from lamps to 4K televisions
• Multiple Outlets: 1, 3, 4, 7 6, 8, and 12 outlet variations accommodate any setup throughout your home
• LED Indicators indicate whether the surge protector is properly grounded and whether your devices are protected
• USB Ports charge mobile device rapidly and safely
• Cord Length: Choose the length that best fits the setup in any room of your house
• Protective Housing resists impact, corrosion, and scratching
How many joules of protection do I need?
Below 1,000 joules protect:
• Lamp
• Digital Alarm Clock
• Cell Phone Charger
• Phone/Answering Machine
• Small Kitchen Appliances
Between 1,000-2,000 joules protect:
• Laptop/Notebook
• Tablet
• Router
• Printer
• Power Tools
2,000 joules and above protect:
• HDTV
• Desktop Computer
• Stereo System
• Gaming Console
• DVR/Blu-ray Players
Additional things to consider
• High Capacity Metal Oxide Varistors (MOV) that offer surge protection for a range of devices. Well-designed surge protectors should not rely on MOVs to absorb surge energy, but instead to survive the process of harmlessly redirecting it to ground. Generally, more joules means an MOV absorbs less energy while diverting even more into ground.
• Over Current Protection (OCP) on USB ports to protect devices while charging.
• EMI/RFI Noise Filtration to reduce noise disruption and provide a clean and protected flow of power to your devices.
• Coaxial, Antenna, and Satellite Lines can also carry surges directly to devices. It’s important to choose a surge protector with these auxiliary protections.
• Safety Snap Covers that deter curious children and prevent metal objects from coming in contact with unused outlets.
________________________________________
Other Frequently Asked Questions
What is a brownout?
A brownout or sag is a short-term decrease in voltage levels and can cause frozen keyboards and unexpected system crashes.
What is a spike? What causes them?
A spike is a significant increase in voltage that can enter electronic equipment through AC, network, serial, phone or coaxial lines, and can damage or completely destroy components.
Spikes are most often caused by:
• Lightning
• Unusual power line conditions
• Noisy electrical surroundings
• Disturbance generated by users
What is line noise?
Line noise is technically referred to as electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI). Line Noise can cause program and file errors.

If you have Seco as your electric provider, they cover all major appliances in the home. Nothing lasts forever. The old one may still work but no warranty!

*** EXCELLENT thorough reply. Totally agree and understand the need for multiple layers of protection. My O.P was simply questioning the cost of the meter base protection versus the in-panel protection. I'll be doing all three layers!

Just had mine replaced and there’s no service charge, but I went with paying it off!

Florida is the Lightning Capital of the Country

If Lighting strikes a house “ like the roof “ there is nothing in the world that will stop that.

Beware about power strip style surge protectors. There are garbage quality and good quality. Do not waste money on anything with garbage "features". How to tell?

Garbage = plastic case (catches fire is overloaded) Good = metal case
Garbage = no power cutting device (catches fire is overloaded) Good = popout circuit breaker
Garbage = no ratings listed, or just minimal protection Good = rated for >3000 joules
Garbage = loose outlet to plug connections (dangerous) Good = solid receptacle that holds plug snugly
Garbage = no warranty Good = lifetime warranty that covers device and connected gear
Garbage = cheap stuff Good = ISOBAR 8 ULTRA

Highly recommend if you have a plastic plug strip to throw it away.

Usb
 

Does anyone know if a surge or lightning strike will get thru the USB charger block (wall wart) and damage the device plugged into it? Like our cell phones. Or just damage the power block? And what about the transformers in the power line that charges our laptops? Will the laptop be damaged?
Thanks, Bob

It really depends on the path between the charger and the strike location.
Closer is typically worse.
Hitting a power line is worse.
Hitting a well grounded thing is better than a ground\building strike.
Being in the proximity of other people with surge protectors on the same feed line as you is better.
Having power company transformers between you and the strike minimizes power line transmission.
The energy of the actual lightning bolt can vary in orders of magnitude.
Surge suppression already in your house, on parallel power lines, helps.
Most current chargers do not use transformers. One side of the output is often tied directly to the AC power plug.

Since the device is generally at the end of the charge wire, with no other path for current to flow, damage flowing through the device to ground is not likely. Damage would happen when the surge gets through the charger and feeds surge voltage to the device.

So nobody can say for sure about the likelihood of damage.

This one looks interesting. I looked on Amazon and see that some folks mounted it inside the breaker box and drilled two small holes in order to view the status LEDs. Anybody know what the NEC has to say about drilling holes in the breaker box cover?

Lightning protection systems commonly called lightning rods have been protecting structures for 250 years. Note that every building at Sumter Landing is protected as is every pumping station and even fire headquarters on Morse Blvd. See the Art and Science of Lightning Protection by University of Florida professor of Dr. Martin Uman that can be found at the library.

See-through circuit breaker panel cover
 

If this idea popped up via Amazon on a YouTube video, likely some DIY and may be not to code.

But, there are see-through panel covers that meet code.

H-Series Thru-View UL Type 4 Protective Housing | H-X-M3
– Grace Technologies, Inc.

Agreed, ISOBAR ULTRA is the best point of use surge protector. Get it on Amazon.

SECO Surge Suppressor
 

Yes, get a SECO Surge Suppressor! It is far superior to any other whole house surge suppressor that an every day Electrician would be able to install and has a more powerful Joule rating than an ordinary whole house surge suppressor has. In addition, install plug in surge suppressors on your TVs and computers, etc.

I've lived in Florida (lightning capital of the USA) for over 20 years and know many people who have paid a very high price for surges damaging their homes (including me)! You don't need to suffer a direct hit from lightning to experience a lot of damage. Even if you have homeowners insurance, you still need to pay the deductible and chances are that will cost much more than the SECO surge suppressor! I think that The Villages should ask SECO to install their whole house surge suppressors in ALL NEW homes!

We've been here going on 26 years and we have lost the garage door opener twice, the sprinkler control panel twice, and the dishwasher control panel once. We had Duke put in a whole house surge suppressor for protection and peace of mind.

Any idea how many homes have been struck the past 5 years?

I'm aware of 5 south of 44. Two were total loss and still are not habital two years later.

The gas lines in the attic were enough to convince me to have a LPS installed to reduce the risk.

The Most Effective ones are ones that you install inside your Breaker Box. They cost a few hundred dollars and are easy to install.