Replies

1. 
   DanH | Dec 20, 2009 10:49pm | #1

   A surge protector doesn't
   A surge protector doesn't protect against overvoltage from the PoCo. Do you know if something the PoCo did caused your problem? Have they admitted to anything?

1. 
   BilljustBill | Dec 20, 2009 11:12pm | #2

   What I do know is that the electric company had a subcontractor doing the work. Also, when the new 3phase lines were up and "Hot", they were replacing the old pole transformer with the black drippings going to my home. The fellow in the basket had a wireless yellow meter he held up near the new powerlines and said, "Whew! It's a wobbly 600."

   The office personnel said that "Power surges are usually prevented by the pole transformer."

   That last comment seemed rather opposite from when we had a power outage several years ago. We had several long "blinks" of no power scattered throughout a late afternoon and into the late evening, so I called to report them and understand what was going on. The emergency personnel answering the after-hours said that the crew was trying to get another leg tied back into the grid, but it kept throwing that leg's breaker. She said, "If I were you, I would turn off all your electrical applances and leave one 100watt bulb turned on. That way you will know when the power comes on."

   What does that tell you?

1. 
   Nuke | Dec 21, 2009 06:47am | #3

   The TV operates on 220V?

1. 
   BilljustBill | Dec 21, 2009 08:44am | #4

   No, the TV was hit with a power surge and it's built-in protection failed. It's the 220v wireless remotes for the 220v dust collector's two motors that got hit, too. It seems anything that had a remote, but not on a protector got zapped.

   I can easily find surge protection for the 110v, but what works for the 220v wall plugs the controllers plug into?

1. 
   PatchogPhil | Dec 26, 2009 09:56pm | #5

   A whole-house surge protector. Mounts at the main service panel.

   Be protected.

2. 
   DanH | Dec 27, 2009 10:09am | #7

   When power is going up and down it's wise to turn off unused appliances since things like brief power drops and undervoltage can damage many different kinds of equipment. (You'd be amazed at how many electronic devices can be damaged by turning the power off for precisely the "right" duration and then back on.) In addition, every time power cycles the various motors and other large inductive loads nearby generate voltage surges.

2. 
   woodturner9 | Dec 27, 2009 02:34pm | #8

   "A surge protector doesn't
   "A surge protector doesn't protect against overvoltage from the PoCo."

   Umm, that's what a surge protector DOES do - protect against surges e.g. overvoltage.

   There are various kinds of surge supressors available that install at the service panel or meter location. However, many of them are expensive and may not be all that effective.

   The most cost-effective approach, in my experience, is the whole-house surge suppressor that installs at the service panel and looks like a large plastic capacitor. They cost less than $50 and are very effective.

3. 
   DanH | Dec 27, 2009 03:20pm | #9

   Surge protectors only kick in at several hundred volts (300-500V for a standard unit). PoCo-induced over-voltage incidents are generally only 50-100% over line voltage, and thus not enough to trigger a surge protector. And even if they do trigger, the protector will likely burn out before the voltage transient is over, so nothing is "protected".

1. 
   woodturner9 | Dec 27, 2009 04:11pm | #10

   "Surge protectors only kick in at several hundred volts (300-500V for a standard unit). PoCo-induced over-voltage incidents are generally only 50-100% over line voltage, and thus not enough to trigger a surge protector. And even if they do trigger, the protector will likely burn out before the voltage transient is over, so nothing is "protected"."

   Not sure what you have in mind when you say "surge suppressor", but many or most devices sold as "surge suppressors" limit voltage to 125% of rated voltage in less than 1 nS. For example, this $23 surge suppressor limits voltage to 40V over nominal line voltage.

   http://www.apc.com/products/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=NET7

   Thus they can and do protect against the typical power line voltage fluctuations.

   Some of the older surge suppressors did contain devices that would burn out if subjected to significant overvoltage for periods of minutes or longer, but that is almost unheard of in practice. In any event, a typical contemporary device can protect against 20Kv or more indefinitely. I'm not saying they couldn't ever burn out, just saying I have never seen one burned out, even after a near direct hit by lightning.

1. 
   DanH | Dec 27, 2009 05:28pm | #11

   Pure and utter BS.

2. 
   joeh | Dec 26, 2009 10:28pm | #6

   Mr. Bill, stay tuned for a DIY whole house protector engineered by Junkhound.

   Be a couple months he said in a post lost somewhere in the old BT (just put in the message number in the search box) and it'll turn up.

   Joe H