[westom]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.