If I have a whole house surge suppressor on my breaker panel how important is a 300v clamping surge suppresser power strip?

[0ICU812]

I have a whole house surge suppressor on my breaker panel and I am looking at surge suppresser power strips for the aquariums. Just wondering if I can go with a strip rated at 400v/500v clamp rating?

 

[Deleted member 14196]

what are the specs for the whole house one? and never cheap out on strips. Tripp lite make great high quality ones that come with 50,000 dollar guarantee against lightning damage to anything plugged into it.

this is my standard unit in the house and at work, (also used exclusively for an electric company i contracted at yrs ago)

 

[0ICU812]

That looks like a good one.Although I do need space between plugs for my adapters.Here are the specs on my EatonCHSPT2SURGE that is on my panel. "NEMA Voltage 120/240 VAC rated line voltage/Phase Single/Frequency (Hz) 60^/Maximum Continuous Operating Voltage 50 V L–N, 300 V L–L Voltage Protection Rating^600 V L–N, 1000 V L–L, 800 V N–G, 600 V L–G / Nominal Discharge Current 5kA / Surge Current Capacity 22 kA / Surge Current Capacity, Per Phase Rating 36 kA (L1–N 18 kA, L1–G 18 kA, L2–N 18 kA, L2–G 18 kA). Hope these specs clear things up. I was just wondering if I can skimp a we bit on the suppressor strips and still insure that I am sufficiently protected.

 

[AllanGH]

Well.....how old is the surge suppressor at the panel, and are you certain that it hasn't taken multiple hits over time?

 

[0ICU812]

Well.....how old is the surge suppressor at the panel, and are you certain that it hasn't taken multiple hits over time?
[/QUOTE It's about 5yrs old and as well as I know it's never taken a hit. Maybe 8 power outages in that time. No lightning strikes. I have never had to reset the breakers it is tied to.

 

[AllanGH]

Does that model have an indicator that is supposed to signal that it is functional?

Mind you, if it does, and the indicator is in the "protected" state, that's not necessarily a guarantee that it is fully protective, but if the indicator signals a fault condition, that's worth noting.

 

[AllanGH]

Nevertheless, you never do wrong by layering protection on the power mains, but I think that you would derive greater benefit from going in the direction of UPS units at strategic points of use.

It takes a while to cover everything in the house, but it IS worth the investment over time.

 

[0ICU812]

Fault indicaters are both green. I have confidence in the whole house suppressor's functionality. I am trying to find a decent power strip/suppressor and was wondering if I could get away with one rated at 400v/500v clamp voltage considering what I have on my main panel. UPS units would be nice but I spent my $$$ on a backup generator and panel for when the power goes out.

 

[AllanGH]

In your situation, I'd preferentially go with UPSses, and kill two birds with one wallet.

 

[0ICU812]

In your situation, I'd preferentially go with UPSses, and kill two birds with one wallet.

Good idea. I will revisit that option. Any suggestions? Well I just got wife to sign of on a 120g aquarium, so I am trying to limit setup costs at this time.

 

[AllanGH]

Understandable, but you can string it out over time, and you can get small, relatively inexpensive units for low load items like an aquarium setup--well, unless you have a billion power heads..... Check Amazon...I think I saw some at the 30-something price point.

 

[0ICU812]

Thanks. So I guess the minimum I could get by with on the 120g is a 300w heater, 12w + 20w canisters. Last time I found $80-$100 was the least $. So it's back to the searches again.

 

[oczdude8]

What is it exactly that you are trying to protect? an aquarium heater?

 

[AllanGH]

The heater is not really that crucial, and most of the heaters that I have torn apart actually have an MOV inside, and the canisters are motor (inductive) loads, again, non crucial.....Lighting and anything that is of the sensitive electronics nature is all you have to worry about, and LED lighting just isn't that sensitive.....so, what sensitive electronics are associated with the aquarium installation?

 

[0ICU812]

What is it exactly that you are trying to protect? an aquarium heater?

What is it exactly that you are trying to protect? an aquarium heater?

. 2x Canister filters, 2x Hood lamps (LED & Fluorescent), 2x heaters & 1x timer controller, & an air pump. I guess nothing is very "sensitive". I guess I fell down the rabbit hole when I started looking at power distribution. Ok I will just go with functionality and practicality. What ever fits the space and is easy to access. I guess I need to put on my low tech hat when I am not dealing with my computers, phones, and printers.

 

[AllanGH]

For that, a VERY inexpensive surge suppressed plug strip will be fine--mainly to have everything under the control of a single switch. Something on sale at Home Depot or WalMart, with enough outlets, will be adequate.

 

[0ICU812]

For that, a VERY inexpensive surge suppressed plug strip will be fine--mainly to have everything under the control of a single switch. Something on sale at Home Depot or WalMart, with enough outlets, will be adequate.

Thanks for pulling me back up from the rabbit hole, or back down to Earth. I was just trying to cover too many eventualities. I do like the thought of a UPS on the tank to run things if I am not home to hook up the generator. But the cost to run the watts that I need (on at least 2 of my tanks) for an undetermined amount of time is just not practical. It's not like I have $$$$$$$ invested in my creatures it's more of a personal thing.

 

[AllanGH]

Hey....we all love the rabbit hole at times....warm, dark, comfy....

Just concentrate on covering your electronics of significant worth...computers, televisions, stereos, security systems, networking equipment....

 

[0ICU812]