[Ultrarunner2017]

Hey guys;
I installed a whole-house surge protection device at the SE panel several years ago. It is located immediately next to the panel, and is protected by a 30A double-pole breaker.


Is the ground conductor connecting the surge protector to the ground/neutral bar in the panel enough, or should there be a much heavier (#6 copper) wire bonding this device to the SE ground rod directly?
There was nothing about doing this when I installed my device.

I believe that when such devices are installed in the meter box (by POCO) they are more effective, but I haven't talked to my POCO about that.


Your thoughts?
Ultrarunner2017

 

[RAL238]

If your SPD has pigtail wire connections, connect the pigtail directly to the ground/neutral bar. Keep the wire as straight and as short as possible, with no sharp bends.

If your SPD has a terminal block to connect your own wires to, use the heaviest gauge wire the manufacturer recommends. Some accept up to #6 stranded or #4 solid. Again, keep the wires as straight and short as possible.

Having a surge protector at your electric meter (a type 1 SPD) is a good thing. Diverting the surge before it enters you house is better than catching it at the breaker panel. That assumes the specs for the two types are about equal. There's nothing wrong with having both types.

Surge protectors can only protect you against the maximum surge they are designed to handle. Specs can vary quite a bit from one brand/model to another.

No surge protector will protect you from a direct lightning strike. There is just way too much energy is a direct strike to handle.

Given how many appliances contain electronics these days, it's a good idea to have a whole house surge protector.

 

[Ultrarunner2017]

Thanks for your reply;
The SPD does have pigtail wires, and it was connected directly to the breaker and the ground/neutral bus. I'm not sure whether the ground wire was connected to the neutral bus closest the SPD, as there is one on each side of the panel. It makes sense that it was, but I would need to remove the panel cover to confirm that. The only reason I can think of that the SPD ground would not have been wired to the closest ground bus is that it was full, but I doubt that is the case. Still, I will check it out.


I contacted my POCO by e-mail yesterday, and received an automatic response informing me that they will only respond to emergencies at this time. I knew that, but was just trying to get some info on a meter installed SPD. I will have to wait until the COVID emergency is past before I contact them again.

 

[RAL238]

Some power companies let you purchase your own type 1 SPD, though the poco or an electrician needs to install it. It's not a DIY job. Other power companies require that you lease the SPD through them. Do you know which way your poco handles this?

 

[Ultrarunner2017]

my poco won't even respond to my e-mail inquiry so long as the COVID emergency is effective. Once it's over, I'll re-send the e-mail.