Surge Protection - Entire Home, Rack-Only, etc.¶
A few months back, I noticed one of my ESP32s, got smoked during a few nasty thunderstorms.
And- it got me thinking- what happens if a large surge hits my house?
Is, it going to smoke my fridge? My TV? How about my server rack full of expensive gear?
So- I went on a project to upgrade the surge protection for my house.
Protecting the house¶
So- first of all, I wanted to add a bit more protection to the general house.
There- are quite a few options here, ranging from a few bucks (cheap surge protection), up to the thousands.
I don't intend to being able to stop a DIRECT lightning strike- that takes a lot more then a small piece of hardware. My goal was to add some protection from near-strikes, or strikes to the distribution line.
Ideally, this would be handled through a surge device directly after your service-entrance meter.
After pondering, I decided to pick up a Eaton BRNSURGE Type BR. This fits into your breaker panel into an available double-slot, and provides protection for both poles.
The price, was very reasonable, under 100$. If- it gets used once- that can easily justify itself.
This- unit is rated to handle a 18,000 amp surge.
If, you want an even better option (Eaton's wording, not mine!)- Consider a brick. The CHSPT2ULTRA costs double-the price, but- there is a big-advantage-
Eaton's warranty on these devices, will pay to replace any damaged equipment.
See Eaton Residential Surge Protection
This- is not covered under the "basic" BRNSURGE which I am using.
Installing the unit¶
Danger
Obligatory disclaimer
If you aren't an electrician, Don't go digging around with mains voltage.
It can kill you. You have been warned.
Step 1. Identify your panel¶
The first part- before you consider ordering one of these- go find your panel.
Make sure you have an available slot for a double-breaker!
In my case, you can see what appears to be an ideal spot at the top-right, along with available slots on the bottom.
Step 2. Remove the front-cover¶
You have already been warned to not play with live-voltage!!!!
But- the next part, is to remain the front of the panel, to gain access to the breakers and wiring.
Now- a few things were discovered at this point-
- The conductors for the main breaker have stick-out- that is no bueno. But- a problem for another day.
- Remember that nice spot at the top-right? Its blocked.
- If- you are curious about the weird white things around half of the cables- that is my Per-Breaker Energy Monitoring.
As a random note- there is no romex here- everything is THHN/THWN, because it travels through conduit.
Step 3. Identify a suitable location for the surge arrestor¶
IDEALLY- you want this to be as close to the main-breaker as possible.
In my case- there isn't a ton of slack to go around, and the top-right spot is filled. So- I slapped it into the bottom socket.
Make sure to also connect the neutral leg.
The green light, lets you know the unit is functioning correctly. If you don't see a green light, something was done incorrectly.
Final Step - Reinstall the cover¶
BUT, BUT, BUT....¶
Yes... I know. The arm-chair warriors are furious this is not installed next to the main-breaker.
And- I am not worried. Would you like to know why?
First- the manufacturer documentation does not specify location. Eaton knows more then you do. I promise. They have been doing this for over one hundred years.
Next- I have received comments- It can't do ANYTHING at the bottom of the panel.
On the happy side- mains panels don't use a token ring for energy distribution. Everything runs in parallel along the massive back-plane.
The resistance from the main-breaker, to this surge protection device, is MUCH LESS then the resistance to the next-connected device.
Remember- that THHN/THWN I mentioned? There is 20 foot of it. Afterwards, it goes into a junction box, where it gets translated into romex, which travels throughout the house.
There is SIGNIFICANTLY less resistance through 8 inches of the 200amp panel's back-plane, then there is through 20 foot of 12/14AWG THHN/THWN + 20-80 foot of romex.
Not to mention- the amount of inductance along the length of the wire.
Long story short- I am not worried about it, and Eaton does not specify this needs to happen, and the product/warranty terms, also, do not specify this.
Yes- I will agree, that the closer to the mains it is, the more effective it should be. However, I am not in the least bit worried about it. And- neither is eaton's
Project Two- Better surge protection for my rack.¶
Since, none of the PDUs on my rack explicitly say, "Surge Protection"- I wanted to add an in-line device just as a fail-safe.
And- for under 10$, Monoprice 1 Outlet Surge both fits the bill, and fits the need.
The specifications list a rating of 400v, with a max current capacity of 15amps, and a < 1ns response, which fits my needs perfectly.
In, one nanosecond, light will travel 300 millimeters in a vacuum. Now- electricity, travels at the speed of light.
Theoretically- this means, a massive voltage-surge will travel roughly one foot, before the device reacts. Since- there is 6 foot of cable between this device, and the next-connected load (An APC PDU), everything should be just fine.
As a bonus- installation is very easy. You plug it in.
So- dirt-cheap, and effortless install. These are the best types of devices.
Closing notes¶
Not- really the most exciting topic to post about.
However, most of these posts are documented for my needs as well.
I have found myself frequently needing to review previous documentation to determine the state of something in the past, or exactly how something was done.
Or- maybe I have a friend, co-worker, or fellow Redditor looking to do something similar. In either case, this documentation comes in handy pretty frequently.
And- I don't mine sharing my experiences. So- Enjoy!
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