On Mar 22, 7:31 pm, Doug White wrote:
We've been thinking of getting one installed, so I did a little research.
Leviton seems to be the biggest vendor in the US. They have an
interesting dodge, which is a surge arrestor that goes in series with
electric meter, inside the metter housing. In my case, this is outside
of the house, which means if it turns into a fireball, it probably won't
do a lot of damage.

That Belkin did what plug-in protectors do too often. Threaten
human life. Any protector that fails during a surge was ineffective -
grossly undersized for that surge. The Leviton and 'whole house'
protectors from so many other companies much earth a direct lightning
strike - and remain functional.

A direct lightning strike is typically 20,000 amps. Therefore the
minimally sized 'whole house' protector is 50,000 amps. 50,000 amps
without failure.

The most rare of surges is 100,000 amps. An IEEE paper demonstrates
what happens when that 100,000 lightning strike hits the utility power
wire. Maybe 40,000 amps attempts to enter the home. (the IEEE
picture assumes the 'primary' surge protection system is also properly
installed).

Only more responsible companies sell 'whole house' protectors. Not
in the list are APC, Tripplite, Belkin, and Monster. Companies that
sell protectors for real world protection include Leviton, Square D,
General Electric, Intermatic, Keison, and Siemens. An effective
Cutler-Hammer solution sells in Lowes and Home Depot for less than
$50.

And again, no protector is protection - despite what others have
posted. Protection is always about where energy dissipates. Always.
Either the protector makes an always required short (ie 'less than 10
foot') connection to earth ground. Or that surge will hunt for earth
ground destructively via appliances.

Bud has kindly provided the IEEE citation that shows same. See:
http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_lhm/IEEE_Guide.pdf
On page 42 Figure 8 - the surge energy was permitted inside a
building. Since he was only using plug-in protectors, then the surge
found earth ground 8,000 volts destructively via the adjacent TV.
That is what protectors do. Earth a surge harmlessly outside the
building or destructively inside. Page 42 Figure 8 is only what that
Belkin can do.

All appliances already contain any protection that will work adjacent
to the appliance. Your concern is the rare surge that will overwhelm
internal appliance protection (ie my friend's 33,000 volt wire
dropping on local distribution). Any potentially destructive surge
earthed without entering a building will not go hunting 8000 volts
destructively via appliances - page 42 figure 8.

The only thing that makes a protector effective is its earth
ground. Therefore any money wasted on plug-in protectors is better
spent upgrading earth ground. Protection is always about where energy
dissipates - which is why earthing must meet and exceed post 1990
National Electrical code. Which is why informed homeowners upgrade
what dissipates energy harmlessly outside the building.

This is true of every protector. Why a 'whole house' protector is so
effective and why that Belkin does not even claim effective protection
in its specs. This: No earth ground means no effective protection.
A protector is only as effective as its earth ground. Protection is
always about where that energy dissipates – earth ground.