Mike Tomlinson wrote:
In article , Timothy Daniels
writes

Does that mean a combination of w_tom's "whole house protection"
and individual "surge protectors" at those "critical devices"? That's
what I've always felt would be prudent - not a single method of
protection, but a combination.

Yes, but the environment in which the protected dwelling is situated
should also be taken into account. For example, a house in Florida,
with its overhead power lines and frequent thunderstorms, would be a
more likely candidate for a combined approach to surge protection.

On the other hand, installing Florida-levels of protection in a house in
the UK with its infrequent storms, reliable underground power supply and
a decent electrical system with properly earthed sockets, would be a
waste of money.


Nice description. What you use depends on risk, and value of what you
are protecting.

The IEEE guide has, for max protection (not including lightning rods)
- adequate earthing
- short 'ground' wires from cable and phone entry protectors to the
'ground' at the power service (to limit the voltage between power and
signal wires)
- power service suppressor
- plug-in suppressor for high value "sensitive" electronics - especially
equipment with both power and signal connections (all wires to protected
equipment needs to go through the suppressor)



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