Anyone buy the SECO Surge Protection for your home?
 

Since central Florida gets so many lightning strikes, we were thinking of buying this system, but wondered if it's really necessary. We do, of course, have our TVs and computers on surge protection, but this is for the whole house. Anyone have any experience with this?

When we built our house in The Villages, we signed up for the SECO whole house surge protection. We never heard anything more for a while. Then one day, there was a box on the front porch.

In the box was a bunch of those little surge suppressors that you plug in the wall then plug your appliance into. The same kind that you buy at Radio Shack.

There were no instructions, nothing. No mention of having put any kind of central suppression system on the house.

Since I already had surge suppressors on our computers and TV, the box has been sitting on the self in the closet for six years.

I hope they now have a better system.

You sure got different service that we did. We have had SECO install the surge protection on three houses in TV. Each time we were told the installer would be putting the whole house surge protector on the outside meter and also supplying us with individual surge protectors. The individual protectors were to be used on things that we wanted covered by their insurance in case of electrical failure, such as the microwave, garage door opener, television, etc. (There were protectors that you could use with your phone and cable as well.)

Has it worked? I don't know if we have ever been hit with a power surge that was stopped by the protector but I doubt it. I think I would have heard from a neighbor that did not have the protection if there was a power surge. But it gives me some piece of mind that I have one more level of protection for my home and electrical "stuff".

Surge Protector at Electric Meter
 

At our previous home in KY we had the electric company install surge suppressors. We had 2 electric meters and the units were installed at the base of the meter. Having a total electric home I felt as though it was advisable. The way we found out they worked was I walked by the meter and heard a high pitched sound. It was an audible alarm that suggested there had been a spike in the system. I contacted customer service and they came out and replaced the surge unit for no cost. I'm sure SECO could explain the operation of the unit.

At our home here in TV I had 2 breakers installed in the fuse panel. "Supposedly" does the same thing for a nominal fee of $150. Hope I never have to prove that it works.

Didn't think we needed them, but.....
 

After being in Sarasota for 9 years without whole house protection we didn't think we needed it, until we were here in August.

A clap of thunder that seemed to be right outside our sliders then, combined with the several house fires in T.V changed my mind.

SECO's protector was in place when we returned in Nov.(it sits between the house and the glass head on the electric meter. It's labled and has a "ready" light on it).

I feel invincible now!:shrug: ???

We didn't have such a device on our house, just the box of wall plug in protectors

What did it cost six years ago?

I really don't remember, but I will try to check.

Should have metioned....
 

Separate inside plug-in protectors were also included.

How does one know it is working well?
 

Any differently than those who do not have it and are in the super majority that do not get struck??

btk

It's kinda like those bogus "deer whistles" that people put on their cars. If you don't hit a deer, you think they are working. If you do hit a deer, the company that made they says, "you didn't clean them out once a week, they weren't working right."

We rent the surge protection from SECO. The math does not work for me to purchase. I'm happy with my rental and would do it again.

Surge Protection from SECO
 

They installed a whole house protecor behind the meter with a new ground system and gave me the small protectors to use also for added protection. Have never had any problems and has been over 3 years.