[Radiorara123]

I have read alot of what you guys have been posting and it has been good reading and very informative. I have been looking into upgrading my Intermatic panel protectors that were installed when we had a 400amp service heavy up. I have noticed that there are many players in the game. Intermatic, Leviton, Gridpoint, Cutler Hammer/Eaton, Stediwatt, Panamax, Sycom, APC, SquareD, MCG, Atlantic Scientific, Titan, TSI, SurgeAssure, MTL Surge Technologies, Alltec, SurgeX, Lighting Control and Design and many many others. I mainly want one with indicator lights that can be monitored as to the health and status of the unit. I know from Eatons website that manufacturers overstate thier tvss claims and capabilities in order to get sales so it is prudent to look beyond the high dollar value equipment warranty and flashy peak numbers. As I have researched Interally mounted devices seem to be a better option than ones that attach below or to the side of the main branch panels because of the increase in resistance and effectiveness of the unit the longer the lead wires are from the panel. Clamping voltage, response time and at least 60k amps are good points of reference to shoot for. I am not sure if all mode protection is necessary but this option would not be out of the question. Some of these companies offer UL 1449 3rd Edition Certification which I did not know existed as most are 2nd or less. Some have dual protection circuits for redundancy but that Is not necessary for me. I would not mind the permanent ones that have hot swappable modules but again that is overkill and not internal.


I know that proper grounding is everything and that must be made sacred at your location to provide effective protection and safety. Additionally seperate circuits for home theater and computer setups are a great idea for many reasons. I initially thought that MOv's were outdated and there were better options but for branch panel applications there seems to be nothing with the capacity that they can handle. SAD's and Gas Discharge arrestors are for smaller applications.


With all the options and manufacturers and all the claims it makes it hard for the average consumer to weed through the hype to separate fact from fiction. Oh I did buy as an inexpensive option and recommendation a couple of those APC Line-R 1200va power conditioners and they work great, better than getting a UPS especially if you do not need the power backup. The Line-R's will do a better job than most ups units anyway and they are cheaper than most all home theater "power conditioners' and will work if you do not mind the brick size vs. the vcr style. Anyhoo If anyone has had any personal experience with any of the above mentioned manufacturers products then I would love to hear from you. Happy New Year!!!

 

[AV Doogie]

We have tested many of the manufacturers units above...most will provide you with the basic protection you need. Don't forget to protect the incoming coax and phone lines too.


When it comes down to the actual operating levels (quality) of each unit, there are certainly differences. Eaton (IT) brand of products are consistently good performers as well as older panamax units.

 

[MauneyM]



Quote:
Originally Posted by AV Doogie /forum/post/15442468


We have tested many of the manufacturers units above...most will provide you with the basic protection you need. Don't forget to protect the incoming coax and phone lines too.


When it comes down to the actual operating levels (quality) of each unit, there are certainly differences. Eaton (IT) brand of products are consistently good performers as well as older panamax units.

Everything AV Doogie said - confirmed. You already seem to understand the basics:


> Joule ratings don't matter

> Clamping time and peak kA do matter

> Lead length and installationg is critical

> Get the grounding right, or nothing else matters.


One thing to keep in mind beyond this: an internally-connected TVSS DOES have the best possible performance. However, it also is the most difficult to service - you have to have a complete service outage if/when you get a transient big enough to take out a bank of MOVs. You have to decide if this trade-off makes sense for your application.


One other thing - higher kA ratings are important in one way - service life. While it is true that you may not ever actually see a transient big enough to need a 200 kA suppressor, the side effect is that the larger TVSS will absorb many more surges before the MOVs fail.

 

[saturation]

 p r a c t i c e g u i d e NIST r ecommended


See this too.


Eaton & Cutler Hammer have been around for a long time and oft used by certified electricians.


For convenience, see if any units can be bypassed so if they blow, a homeowner can reset or bypass them to restore power until the unit if serviced.