DIYbanter - View Single Post - Anyone using a surge suppressor on their washing machines?

bud--

On 5/20/2016 10:39 AM, wrote:

The surges a plug in surge protector protects from are not the ones
that do instant catastrophical damage, but the ones that to damage a
little bit at a time - causing things like hard drive failures and
accellerated aging of components.

From an expert investigation - maximum energy at a plug-in protector
was 35 joules, and almost all cases under 1 joule, with a power line
surge including those caused by a 100,000A lightning strike to the
primary wire at an adjacent utility pole. The maximum energy wasn't even
from the worst surge.

When the voltage at service panel busbars reaches about 6,000V there is
arc-over to the enclosure. The voltage of the established arc is
hundreds of volts. Since the enclosure is connected to the earthing
system that dumps most of the surge energy to earth. Since the "ground"
and neutral are also connected to the enclosure, the exposure beyond the
panel if far less than imagined.

A strong surge will drive the voltage on the busbars to 6,000V and
arc-over. With a weaker surge, a plug-in protector on a short branch
circuit may keep the service panel voltage below arc-over. The 35 joule
energy in the investigation was with one of those weaker surges.

I don't suggest that people use plug-in protectors. I suggest they make
decisions based on science.
Discussion centers on plug-in protectors because of the misinformation
posted by westom (and other misinformation that has been posted).