Intermatic Whole-House Surge Protection: Intermatic Surge Protector

All the electronics in your house need surge protection. Learn about an Intermatic surge protector option here.

Sponsored by Intermatic

You know you need a surge protection device for your computer and printer. But most homeowners never think most the need to protect the other electronics in their dwelling house. That's a mistake because all electronic devices similar flat panel TVs, DVD players, modem/wireless routers and audio equipment tin be destroyed by power surges. Fifty-fifty newer appliances like washers, dryers, ranges, dishwashers, microwaves, garage door openers, and furnaces and A/C equipment incorporate expensive circuit boards that can be damaged by power surges.

You may recall that ability surges are only generated by lightning strikes. Not true. Lightning strikes tin can spread a powerful surge into every domicile around the strike area, and those surges can cause immediate and catastrophic damage to your appliances and electronics. Only they're non the merely source of dissentious power surges. In fact, internal switching of motors and appliances can also crusade transients and surges. Those continual power spikes take a toll on every electronic device and appliance in your home, eventually causing them to neglect without warning.

Your homeowner's insurance probably includes coverage for surge damage, simply that coverage only kicks in after you've met your deductible, which is e'er far more ($500 or $1,000) than the cost of a whole-house surge protection device. So relying on homeowner'due south insurance to pay for surge-related harm after the fact doesn't make much sense when you can prevent the damage from occurring in the outset place with a quality surge protection device.

The best way to protect all your electronic devices and appliances is with a whole-business firm surge protection device installed at the chief circuit breaker panel, along with smaller plug-in surge protection devices at each electronic device or modest appliance.

A whole-house surge protection device protects both incoming power line surges and internally generated surges generated by large appliances inside your home. The plug-in surge protection devices at each electronic device or small appliances stop all other types of surges. Together, the two types provide a "layered or cascading approach" to give you the ultimate power protection.

Which whole-house surge protection device should yous buy?

Many companies brand UL-listed whole-house surge protection devices that vary in price from every bit piddling as $30 to upward of $500. They're available in ii dissimilar styles: every bit a disposable sealed unit, or a cabinet style with replaceable modules. Almost manufacturers utilise metal oxide varistor (MOV) technology to suppress surges. Even so, since MOVs degrade slightly with every big surge, all surge protection devices eventually fail and must be replaced.

If you choose a sealed-type surge protection device, you'll have to replace the entire unit when information technology fails. That involves shutting off ability to the whole house, removing the breaker panel cover and wiring in a new device. That'south fine if you lot're comfortable working inside your principal panel. If not, you'll take to hire an electrician and that'll price about $300 each fourth dimension.

All the same, if y'all or your electrician installs a whole-house Surge Protective Device with Consumable Modules, yous can replace the individual modules yourself, without opening the main panel or shutting off ability to the entire house.

I installed a whole-business firm surge protection device at my son'southward house

My son simply built a new home and filled it with every conceivable electronic device. And, since all his appliances have a fancy digital display, that means they all accept electronic excursion boards that can be damaged by power surges. Surprisingly, even though the electricians wired his house to the gills with coaxial cablevision and high-speed Internet cables in every room, they didn't install a whole-house surge protection device.

Knowing that he's at hazard for surge damage, I decided to install an Intermatic IG2240-IMS whole-business firm surge protection device. I chose the Intermatic surge protector unit of measurement for several reasons. First, the Intermatic replaceable consumable models are built with an avant-garde thermally protected MOV technology (TPMOV) that disconnects the MOV from the circuit if the surge causes an overvoltage breakdown. That's an of import safety feature. In improver, the modules have two LEDs to let y'all know they're on and working, and when they require replacement. Plus, the cabinet has its own power shutoff. To replace a module, my son simply flips the switch, yanks the module and slides in a replacement.

Finally, the Intermatic whole-house surge protection device has first-class surge protection specifications and six modes of protection. Then it's definitely a high-quality unit. And, it carries a potent 10-yr warranty and a $25,000 connected equipment coverage warranty for all electronics and appliances in his home. The individual replacement modules cost virtually $fifty each.

Nosotros install the Intermatic surge protector unit

All whole-firm surge protection devices work best when they're connected to a circuit breaker located right after the chief billow. That style, they can divert surges immediately every bit they enter the panel from outside ability lines. To start the installation, nosotros shut off the main billow, removed the panel encompass, and moved the existing breakers downwards two spaces to let enough room to install a new 30-amp 220V breaker in the recommended location.

The primary panel in my son's house is mounted to studs on each side. Since nosotros wanted to locate the Intermatic surge protector as close as possible to the knockout most the new billow, nosotros had to drill a hole through one of the studs. Adjacent, we ran the wires from the Intermatic unit through a rigid ninety-caste first nipple, a coupler, and a rigid nipple, fitting and locknut. Nosotros secured the Intermatic chiffonier to wood blocking and continued the conduit to a 3/4-in. knockout in the main console.

We connected the two black wires direct to each last on the thirty-amp circuit breaker. Then we routed the white and bare copper wires (following the minimum bend radius) to the neutral/grounding bar and secured them.

So we reinstalled the main panel embrace and the encompass on the Intermatic surge protector unit, inserted the consumable modules and powered up the principal panel and the Intermatic unit. The lights came on in each module, letting us know that we were now protected against surges.

My son had already installed plug-in surge protection devices for his TV, modem/router, computers and prison cell telephone chargers. So he's now fully protected.

The Intermatic IG2240-IMS costs well-nigh $300, then information technology's a bit more than other units. But he'll never accept to rent an electrician (or phone call me!) when a module wears out. He and I at present have peace of mind that he'southward got the best surge protection available.

duffyraltals.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/intermatic-whole-house-surge-protection/

Share this post