Question
What are your recommendations for a whole house surge protector? I want to be sure I protect my Geothermal system.
Whole house surge protection and UPS surge/battery back up protection. I am looking to protect against lightning and most importantly brown outs and lulls in the power coming into the home. I also have a Geo Thermal unit and I want to be sure I protect the Geo Thermal system.
Answer
Jennifer,
You have presented two different questions concerning two different devices. I will explain each separately.
Surge protection
A surge protector (or surge suppressor) is a device designed to protect electrical components from voltage spikes. A surge protector attempts to limit the voltage supplied by either blocking or by shunting to ground any excessive voltages above a specific threshold.
Whole-house surge suppressor devices are often installed in the main electrical service panel, to protect equipment in a household from voltage spike hazards.
- Assuming your ground source heat pump is wired from the main electrical panel a single surge suppressor protecting the main service entrance should protect everything connected to it.
- If you have a backup generator with its own main disconnect panel you would need to install another surge suppressor on that panel too.
- This is a job for a licensed and insured electrical contractor.
A professional can help you select a suppressor that will meet the voltage limits and response times needed to protect your home’s electrical devices.
Uninterruptible Power Supply
UPS surge/battery backup devices are used to prevent surges to vulnerable electronic equipment and provide electrical power for a short time after a power shortage.
UPS surge/battery backup protection is not normally provided for the entire home due to the expense involved. You can purchase small UPS surge/battery backup devices for specific electrical components in the home to ensure an even, safe electrical supply to vulnerable equipment.
- These devices provide adequate electrical power to allow you to protect computers from losing sensitive data during operation and a power outage.
- They don’t allow you to operate for a long period of time but you can complete a save and shut down safely until power is restored.
Based on your question I would suggest a whole house surge suppressor and independent UPS surge/battery backup for any equipment that would be harmful or inconvenient to have shut down due to a power outage.
