Another lightning strike another Well Control Box

[EddieWalker]

I have surge protectors on my TV and Computer, but I'm not familiar with a whole house surge protector. Does it go before or after the breaker box? Can it handle a direct hit from lightning? The house that I mentioned earlier had the breakers that didn't stop the lightning from going through them. I'm guessing there was too much electricity for them to trip, or something like that. Maybe it just jumped across the breakers? I really don't know how that works or what lightning does when it's inside a house.

 

[psvfd]

The one I see goes by the main breaker box, have to have a open spot for a breaker for the surge protector.

 

[newbury]

I have surge protectors on my TV and Computer, but I'm not familiar with a whole house surge protector. Does it go before or after the breaker box? Can it handle a direct hit from lightning? The house that I mentioned earlier had the breakers that didn't stop the lightning from going through them. I'm guessing there was too much electricity for them to trip, or something like that. Maybe it just jumped across the breakers? I really don't know how that works or what lightning does when it's inside a house.

My whole house surge protector is wired in to my breaker box.

 

[ponytug]

I have surge protectors on my TV and Computer, but I'm not familiar with a whole house surge protector. Does it go before or after the breaker box? Can it handle a direct hit from lightning? The house that I mentioned earlier had the breakers that didn't stop the lightning from going through them. I'm guessing there was too much electricity for them to trip, or something like that. Maybe it just jumped across the breakers? I really don't know how that works or what lightning does when it's inside a house.

Some whole house surge protectors are built into a pair of breakers, some need to be wired to a pair of breakers. The whole house surge protectors should be wired as close to the supply wires as possible, e.g. in the top two breaker locations for top fed panels, bottom two for a bottom fed, or adjacent in a mid-supply panel. Time to clamp the surge voltage translates to distance (speed of light and all that), so the closer the surge protector is to the main wires and the shorter the surge protector wires, the more likely that the surge level will be limited at your electronics. That doesn't mean that you don't need good surge protectors at the outlets, you still do. The whole house surge protectors clamp at higher voltages than the surge suppressor strips. So the strips provide additional protection.

I have a Siemens 140kA model, as it was the largest that I could find at the time;

https://www.amazon.com/siemens-fs140-whole-house-protection/dp/B013WINMK6

Leviton also makes quality protectors in my opinion;

Leviton - Whole-House Surge Protectors - The Home Depot

Get free shipping on qualified Leviton Whole-House Surge Protectors products or Buy Online Pick Up in Store today in the Electrical Department.

www.homedepot.com

Eaton makes good ones as well, I think.

Larger ratings (Amps/joules) tend to mean longer life times (surviving more hits), but the strike size and distance to the house is a big factor in how much energy is transmitted.

If it were me, I would not buy an off brand surge protector, as I have seen too many that were built with questionable designs or components.

I would not overlook the importance of a good house ground. Lots of folks drive a ground rod or two and call it good. Ufer grounds are much better. It may be worth checking if lightning is an issue. Adding MgSO4 (epsom salts) to the area around the ground rod can help in some soils, but it does need renewing.

All the best,

Peter

 

[grsthegreat]

Some whole house surge protectors are built into a pair of breakers, some need to be wired to a pair of breakers. The whole house surge protectors should be wired as close to the supply wires as possible, e.g. in the top two breaker locations for top fed panels, bottom two for a bottom fed, or adjacent in a mid-supply panel. Time to clamp the surge voltage translates to distance (speed of light and all that), so the closer the surge protector is to the main wires and the shorter the surge protector wires, the more likely that the surge level will be limited at your electronics. That doesn't mean that you don't need good surge protectors at the outlets, you still do. The whole house surge protectors clamp at higher voltages than the surge suppressor strips. So the strips provide additional protection.

I have a Siemens 140kA model, as it was the largest that I could find at the time;

https://www.amazon.com/siemens-fs140-whole-house-protection/dp/B013WINMK6

Leviton also makes quality protectors in my opinion;

Leviton - Whole-House Surge Protectors - The Home Depot

Get free shipping on qualified Leviton Whole-House Surge Protectors products or Buy Online Pick Up in Store today in the Electrical Department.

www.homedepot.com

Eaton makes good ones as well, I think.

Larger ratings (Amps/joules) tend to mean longer life times (surviving more hits), but the strike size and distance to the house is a big factor in how much energy is transmitted.

If it were me, I would not buy an off brand surge protector, as I have seen too many that were built with questionable designs or components.

I would not overlook the importance of a good house ground. Lots of folks drive a ground rod or two and call it good. Ufer grounds are much better. It may be worth checking if lightning is an issue. Adding MgSO4 (epsom salts) to the area around the ground rod can help in some soils, but it does need renewing.

All the best,

Peter

I also use the siemens firstsurge FS140. I think that series has changed a bit.

 

[ponytug]

I also use the siemens firstsurge FS140. I think that series has changed a bit.

View attachment 3613783

I think that we have the same unit, but your installation is much cleaner.

All the best, Peter

 

[Chewwy]

Our whole house surge protection is installed in the meter panel, between the meter and the supply from the transformer. All our TVs and computer equipment a supplied from battery backed up supplies. They also provide some limited surge protection. Never had a GFCI breaker or outlet affected as of yet.

Our biggest damage with nearby lightning has been the power inserter (SWM) for the TV sattellite system. Supposedly the damage results from the induced current in the coax cable from the dish.

 

[duffer]

Several years ago I'm sitting in my living room watching TV. Thunderstorm in progress. All of a sudden "Crack/Boom" at the same time. I jumped a foot straight up off the couch from a sitting position. Lightning hit the elec transformer on the back corner of my yard. I saw it hit.

Luckily, no damage inside the house. Ever since then I've had whole house surge protectors in the breaker boxes. in every house since then.

 

[ponytug]

Our whole house surge protection is installed in the meter panel, between the meter and the supply from the transformer. All our TVs and computer equipment a supplied from battery backed up supplies. They also provide some limited surge protection. Never had a GFCI breaker or outlet affected as of yet.

Our biggest damage with nearby lightning has been the power inserter (SWM) for the TV sattellite system. Supposedly the damage results from the induced current in the coax cable from the dish.

This might be shutting the barn door after the cows have left, but there are surge protectors and lightning arresters for coax and Ethernet cables, ideally where they enter the house, and tied to their own ground rod. E.g.

https://www.amazon.com/Proxicast-Lightning-Arrester-Suppressor-Connectors/dp/B0CBW5MM13

And

Amazon.com

I would bear in mind that none of these are 100%, and if you have sensitive items several layers of surge protection might warranted, but, again, nothing is going to stop 100% of all lightning damage. (Well, ok, perhaps living in cave off of battery power...)

FWIW: I have both gas tube and MOV units; the gas tube arresters outside, just before entering the building in a junction box, and MOV based protectors inside at the first connection point.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Chewwy]

This might be shutting the barn door after the cows have left, but there are surge protectors and lightning arresters for coax and Ethernet cables, ideally where they enter the house, and tied to their own ground rod. E.g.

https://www.amazon.com/Proxicast-Lightning-Arrester-Suppressor-Connectors/dp/B0CBW5MM13

And

Amazon.com

I would bear in mind that none of these are 100%, and if you have sensitive items several layers of surge protection might warranted, but, again, nothing is going to stop 100% of all lightning damage. (Well, ok, perhaps living in cave off of battery power...)

FWIW: I have both gas tube and MOV units; the gas tube arresters outside, just before entering the building in a junction box, and MOV based protectors inside at the first connection point.

All the best,

Peter

It only damages the power inserter, which Directv replaces free of charge. They gave me a bunch several years ago and I still have three left. Part of the problem is the location of our dish. To get a clear line of sight to the satellite, the coax is well over 100 ft. Lomg, making it more susceptible to induced currents.

Over the years the circuitry from the dish has been modified several time by Directv. The original installation had three coax cables and a triple LNB at the dish. It also had a connection thru the land line phone system for update communications We are now down to only one coax from the same LNB and no land line phone connection. Updates are from internet via wifi and cellular.

Have not had any damage from lighting in the last four years (knocking on wood).