[jrref]

Originally Posted by Rocksnap

Whole house level 1&2 surge protection has been code for the last several years. All new construction has it installed on the electric service panel on the outside of the house, Open your panel door below the elen meter and look for yourself. No need for the power company ring on the electric meter, or another electrician installed level 2 device on the inside service panel.
FYI - I had talked to one of the local electricians and was told with this already installed by code protection device on the outside panel, any other level 1 or 2 device would be a waste of money.
The only other surge devices recommended would be those at point of use/level 3, and at the A/C unit. And your power strips to plug into, at the wall outlet/point of use.
Level 1 & 2 only work for surges coming in on the electrical service line, which is what is fed from the power company.
Lightening strikes at or near the house? All bets are off, no surge suppressor will likely be any good for that. No matter level 1, 2 or 3. Everything has limitations.
Myself? Sticking with the by code installed device on my whole house outside service panel & I have another device installed on the A/C electric service panel at the outside A/C unit, and additional stage 3 plugs where needed for point of use items inside the house.

Generally speaking you are right but the Meter Surge Protector from Seco has a slightly different design than the Typical Type-2 protector like the Eaton Ultra which gives it the ability to block and or reduce very large surges coming from the power utility. The Type-2 Eaton Ultra or PSP Vortex will also protect you from surges coupling to any electrical circuit in your home as well as surges coming in from your electric provider. So, you will get better protection using both surge protectors. The typical mistake most make is assuming the Seco surge protector is all that you need for "whole house" surge protection. Remember, surge protection is a layered approach. You want to reduce very large surges so the surge protectors at your devices, Type-3 can block the surge.

[Gettingoutofdodge]

Install lightening rods! They are recommended as the first line of defense!
Then whole house surge protection and then the surge protection you are recommending. I also have power strips on my computer, printer and other electrical devices. Don’t forget your garage door opener and water filtration system!

Originally Posted by jrref

With all the recent storms we have had in the past month here in the Villages, many have realized the need for surge protection. When we have storms with cloud to ground lightning, when a lightning bolt hits a home, a tree or the ground for example, an electromagnetic pulse is generated which travels through the air and can couple to your electrical system at the HVAC, or pool and spa equipment, cable lines and any other electrical circuit in your home. When these events occur, since there is usually no spectacular fire, it often is never reported and the homeowner is left to work with the insurance company, pay the deductible and possible future policy increases to replace any damaged or destroyed appliances, HVAC and pool equipment, TVs, computers etc. What makes it worse is some surges do not destroy but can damage appliances which then fail months after the event and the insurance claim closed.

While lighting is a something we have to live with here in Central Florida, there are things us as homeowners can to "manage" this risk. First, you can install a whole house surge protector which is installed at your circuit breaker panel. The Eaton Ultra or PSP Vortexx surge protectors do an excellent job as this Type-2 surge protection device. Since it's located at the circuit breaker panel, any rise in voltage from the power utility or any branch circuits in your home will be blocked or reduced so the rest of the Type-3 or what we call point-of-use protectors such as power strips, cubes, etc., can handle whatever surge remains. This is why surge protection is a "layered" system. Focusing on surge protection for several years here in the Villages, it's my opinion that every homeowner should make it a priority to install this Type-2 whole house surge protection device because it's not if, but when this type of event can happen. The recent electrical code has changed so all the new home builds now have this type of surge protector installed. I know there will be people reading this that lived here for 10 years or more that never had this happen to them but with all the climate change occurring over the years, severe storms have increased this risk. If you still have cable TV, it's very common this induced surge can couple to your cable line as an entry to your home. If a lightning strike is close enough to your HVAC and or pool and spa equipment, the surge can couple directly to those entry points. Fortunately, you can install a surge protection device on your cable line entry point in your garage and at your HVAC and pool and spa disconnect boxes.

The installation of a whole house surge protector at the circuit breaker panel should be installed by an electrician since it's not a DIY project. You can use your own electrician or any of the electrical companies here in the Villages to have it installed but I want to point out that Lenhart and Pikes Electric have been actively involved in the Villages Hurricane and other similar expo's and events and understand this need for surge protection. They have done significant research, in my opinion, to provide the best surge protection devices at an affordable cost. I understand they can install all the surge protection devices discussed and can package them depending on your needs to keep the cost low. So, for the homeowner who wants their cable and or HVAC and pool and spa equipment protected in addition to the whole house protector, they can do that for you. As with several of the major electrical companies serving the Villages if you mention Talk of the Villages, they may give you a discount.

Concerning the surge protection device installed by Seco at your electrical meter, this device is specifically designed to block or reduce power surges coming from the power utility. It is not designed to protect sensitive electronic devices as the Eaton Ultra or the PSP Vortexx is designed to do and it specifically states this in their warranty documentation. According to a Leviton study, power surges from the power utility occur approximately 20% of the time whereas power surges from everywhere else occur 80% of the time. So, I would recommend getting this device to cover all possible power surge events but I would install this after installing the Type-2 protection at the circuit breaker panel and updating all of your Type-3, point-of-use protectors such as power strips, etc..

The focus of this post is to present facts concerning surge protection and solutions so us as homeowners can make an informed decision about this risk. If you decide to manage this risk for your home reach out to your favorite electrician or call Lenhart or Pikes Electric to provide a solution.

[Jalane]

Originally Posted by jrref

With all the recent storms we have had in the past month here in the Villages, many have realized the need for surge protection. When we have storms with cloud to ground lightning, when a lightning bolt hits a home, a tree or the ground for example, an electromagnetic pulse is generated which travels through the air and can couple to your electrical system at the HVAC, or pool and spa equipment, cable lines and any other electrical circuit in your home. When these events occur, since there is usually no spectacular fire, it often is never reported and the homeowner is left to work with the insurance company, pay the deductible and possible future policy increases to replace any damaged or destroyed appliances, HVAC and pool equipment, TVs, computers etc. What makes it worse is some surges do not destroy but can damage appliances which then fail months after the event and the insurance claim closed.

While lighting is a something we have to live with here in Central Florida, there are things us as homeowners can to "manage" this risk. First, you can install a whole house surge protector which is installed at your circuit breaker panel. The Eaton Ultra or PSP Vortexx surge protectors do an excellent job as this Type-2 surge protection device. Since it's located at the circuit breaker panel, any rise in voltage from the power utility or any branch circuits in your home will be blocked or reduced so the rest of the Type-3 or what we call point-of-use protectors such as power strips, cubes, etc., can handle whatever surge remains. This is why surge protection is a "layered" system. Focusing on surge protection for several years here in the Villages, it's my opinion that every homeowner should make it a priority to install this Type-2 whole house surge protection device because it's not if, but when this type of event can happen. The recent electrical code has changed so all the new home builds now have this type of surge protector installed. I know there will be people reading this that lived here for 10 years or more that never had this happen to them but with all the climate change occurring over the years, severe storms have increased this risk. If you still have cable TV, it's very common this induced surge can couple to your cable line as an entry to your home. If a lightning strike is close enough to your HVAC and or pool and spa equipment, the surge can couple directly to those entry points. Fortunately, you can install a surge protection device on your cable line entry point in your garage and at your HVAC and pool and spa disconnect boxes.

The installation of a whole house surge protector at the circuit breaker panel should be installed by an electrician since it's not a DIY project. You can use your own electrician or any of the electrical companies here in the Villages to have it installed but I want to point out that Lenhart and Pikes Electric have been actively involved in the Villages Hurricane and other similar expo's and events and understand this need for surge protection. They have done significant research, in my opinion, to provide the best surge protection devices at an affordable cost. I understand they can install all the surge protection devices discussed and can package them depending on your needs to keep the cost low. So, for the homeowner who wants their cable and or HVAC and pool and spa equipment protected in addition to the whole house protector, they can do that for you. As with several of the major electrical companies serving the Villages if you mention Talk of the Villages, they may give you a discount.

Concerning the surge protection device installed by Seco at your electrical meter, this device is specifically designed to block or reduce power surges coming from the power utility. It is not designed to protect sensitive electronic devices as the Eaton Ultra or the PSP Vortexx is designed to do and it specifically states this in their warranty documentation. According to a Leviton study, power surges from the power utility occur approximately 20% of the time whereas power surges from everywhere else occur 80% of the time. So, I would recommend getting this device to cover all possible power surge events but I would install this after installing the Type-2 protection at the circuit breaker panel and updating all of your Type-3, point-of-use protectors such as power strips, etc..

The focus of this post is to present facts concerning surge protection and solutions so us as homeowners can make an informed decision about this risk. If you decide to manage this risk for your home reach out to your favorite electrician or call Lenhart or Pikes Electric to provide a solution.

Great information! Thanks!

[PurePeach]

Originally Posted by VilGeorge

Thanks for your timely post. Think I'll reach out to Lenhart and have them install an Eaton Ultra!

I got one installed last year and used Pike’s. They were a little cheaper than Lenhart.

[Traveler1689]

Originally Posted by PurePeach

I got one installed last year and used Pike’s. They were a little cheaper than Lenhart.

I am currently comparing Pikes installing the Eaton Ultra and Lenhart installing the Vortexx and yes Pikes is a little cheaper but there seems to be a major difference in the warranty which I am hoping someone more knowledgeable that me could comment on.

The Eaton Ultra seems to be a limited warranty (5 years?), the Vortexx, as I understand it, is a lifetime warranty that covers the unit if it is damaged while protecting your home and $100,000 for equipment in the home that is damaged by a surge getting by the Vortexx.

If this information is accurate, the extra cost of Lenhart installing the Vortexx seems worth the extra cost.

[jrref]

Originally Posted by Traveler1689

I am currently comparing Pikes installing the Eaton Ultra and Lenhart installing the Vortexx and yes Pikes is a little cheaper but there seems to be a major difference in the warranty which I am hoping someone more knowledgeable that me could comment on.

The Eaton Ultra seems to be a limited warranty (5 years?), the Vortexx, as I understand it, is a lifetime warranty that covers the unit if it is damaged while protecting your home and $100,000 for equipment in the home that is damaged by a surge getting by the Vortexx.

If this information is accurate, the extra cost of Lenhart installing the Vortexx seems worth the extra cost.

Both devices have a lifetime replacement warranty but there is a basic difference between the Eaton Ultra and the PSP Vortex. The PSP Vortex uses a hybrid surge protector approach as described in a post I made a while back and re-posted below:

>>>>>
There was a question a while back in other surge protection posts here on TOTV about surge protectors that use both common MOV devices AND also Gas Discharge Tubes such as the PSP Vortex and why they may be better than a traditional surge protector that only uses MOV devices such as the Eaton Ultra. I finally found an answer that everyone can understand.

When a large power surge occurs in your electrical system with a surge protector that uses both MOVs and Gas Discharge Tubes:

A) The leading edge of the transient is clamped by the MOV to a value just above the normal operating voltage of your electrical system in your home.

B) As the surge increases, the current through the MOV increases and a voltage is developed across it which causes the gas discharge tube to fire. The energy of the transient is now quickly shunted through the gas discharge tube surge arrester and away from the protected circuit i.e. the MOV before the MOV reaches its maximum power and fails.

C) The gas discharge tube surge arrester remains in full conduction for the duration of the transient.

D) When the transient has passed, the gas discharge tube surge arrester opens—ready for the next transient thus saving the MOV.

So, what does this mean?
When you get a very large power surge, in a typical surge protector that only uses MOV devices to absorb the surge and clamp the over voltage, the surge voltage and duration can exceed the capacity of the MOV and destroy it. While this is not common if you are using a surge protector that has a very high capacity like the Eaton Ultra, it's one possibility of failure.

When you have a surge protector with hybrid protection, meaning both MOV and gas discharge tube devices such as the PSP Vortex, when you get a very large surge, the gas discharge tube will trigger and "crow-bar" or short circuit the surge before the power absorption of the MOV has reached its limit and burns out.

Since the Gas Discharge Tube protects the MOV from reaching its maximum capacity, is why a surge protector with hybrid circuitry should last longer and be able to survive more large events than the typical surge protector using only MOV devices for protection.
<<<<<<

Both the Eaton Ultra and the PSP Vortes Series-R are the best whole house surge protectors you can buy. You can't go wrong with either one although the PSP Vortex because of it's hybrid architecture has a slight edge in performance and longevity.

Also remember, you are purchasing and installing these devices to prevent damage to your electronic devices, not to cash-in on the damaged device warranty offered. Any damaged electrical devices go through your homeowner's insurance as the primary and the surge protector's insurance as the secondary.