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#1 |
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Hi folks,
This is my first post and most definitely will not be my last. I have tried looking for more information in here and come up short. It is a two part question: 1) Since surge protectors work by dumping excessive voltages to the grounding wire, an attempt to plug any sensitive equipment into a surge protector when a residence only has a two prong system (ungrounded) would only mean you are just using an expensive power strip correct? 2) What about plugging in a surge protector into a GFCI plug that has replaced a two prong plug (still ungrounded) but GFCI protected? What does this achieve? Same as above? Thanks in advance |
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#2 |
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If really don't know much about this but it will definitely work if installed at the panel. I have used the surge suppressors that you install in a panel on the buss bar. It looks like a breaker but isn't.
They have some that will replace a dp 20 amp circuit so that the breaker itself is a surge suppressor
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#3 |
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@Dennis Alwon, thanks for the reply. That is interesting...I'm more specifically referring to the power strip type.
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#4 |
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You are correct, most surge strips rely on the ground for protection, they use MOVs to shunt the surge current. However you can find surge protection devices that use other ways, some use silicone avalanche diodes or big chokes / inductors for series mode protection. You also may be able to use an isolation transformer.
As Dennis pointed out even if the circuits are two wire you can install protection at the panel, that type of protection is supposedly not quite as good for sensitive electronics as a quality surge strip, but I think it's still pretty good protection.
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#5 |
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We use MOVs and SASD such as a Transtector APEX IV and a lot of their other products.
Here is a link to transtector, lots of good information. https://www.transtector.com/
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2) still helps! It can still open the circuit on lightening strikes. Mine do all the time and remember the ground does nothing on a gfci (for detecting anything) Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk |
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#10 |
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A good quality plug strip SPD (Surge Protection Device) has 3 MOV's Line to neutral, neutral to ground, and line to ground.
The best protection is with multi level SPD one at the panel and one at point of use. A properly installed SPD at the panel will have leads as short as possible, as straight as possible no sharp bends and the conductors tightly ty-wrapped together. A GEC should also avoid sharp bends but no one does, inspectors sweat over two ground rods then the GEC to the rods has nice neat sharp bends, RePhase277 and Mike_kilroy like this.
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#11 | |
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Lightening was just a good example of a surge. If I ventured a guess, it causes 80% of all surges. Glad to hear you live where there is not lightening! So what clarification can I add to point 1? Hmmm... how about info on the MOVs used... 120Vac rms line has 160Vpeaks... So 180-200V MOVs typically are used. When the line voltage goes above their rated voltage, they CLAMP: means they short both their leads together. So the one across the line in the surge protector SHORTs out the surge, preventing it from remaining, thus protecting the equipment plugged into it. Just because there are not 2 more to ground does not mean the one will not work. For clarification on your point 2, perhaps google "how does a GFCI work." The ground has nothing to do with its operation. When it sees current not equal in both legs of the line, it opens the circuit to the load. Ground not involved at all. So if a surge makes huge current, it is likely to not be equal down to a few ma, thus it opens. So not having a ground attached makes zero difference in the case of the surge. Hope this helps? |
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Mike_kilroy likes this.
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#13 | |
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I am not sure how you relate the fact that power strip has 3 prong plug to requiring a GFCI... hmmm... well maybe I see where you are headed... If the gnd prong was real, and a 3 prong device is plugged in, there is a good chance the case of the thing plugged in will be grounded... so without that, adding a GFCI will offer a level of protection against current going somewhere other than between the hot and neutral... OK, I agree - good thinkin' |
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Maybe just instal a "whole House " surge suppressor at the panel ...it has much bigger MOVs and can probably survive surges a lot longer....it also has indication of failure of the MOVs.
splatz likes this.
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