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Surge GuardTM Protection
What causes power line surges, and how do they damage my equipment?
Thunderstorms and lightning are the most dramatic and destructive causes of power line problems. However, downed utility poles, squirrels, birds, snakes, or even large motors switching on and off can create power surges.
Damage occurs when too much energy goes through a sensitive circuit causing a breakdown in the insulation. This can happen instantly from a high-energy surge or, over time, from several low energy surges. Surge protection products reduce the risk of premature equipment failure caused by circuit breakdown.
Can a surge harm my equipment if I am not using it?
Yes. Many electrical devices have electronic timers, clocks, or remote controls that remain in operation even when it is not in use. Also, some appliances cycle off and on at random like and they could be on during a surge.
Do I really need surge protection?
Yes. Electronics have become increasingly sophisticated and, as a result, more sensitive. Even slight power surges can shorten lifespan of today's DVD's, CD players, home computers, microwaves, etc.
Why do I need surge protection?
Most people have insurance to cover replacing damaged appliances, but there is no compensation for the inconvenience in replacing these appliances, such as a refrigerator or its contents. Surge protection is an investment that reduces the risk of such unpleasant experiences. The cost can be recovered simply in protecting against just one catastrophic impulse that might destroy or damage appliances in a modern home.
Won't my circuit breakers protect my equipment?
No. A common circuit breaker's reaction time is too slow. Meter-Treater® acts within nano-seconds, a nearly immeasurably amount of time.
Will these devices prevent my digital clocks from blinking after an outage?
No. Surge protection devices are designed to "stand by", waiting to block any unusually high voltage. Only the specialized uninterruptable power supply. (UPS) can step in to maintain the voltage during an outage. A UPS is usually only practical for critical computers, communications or medical equipment.
What does a surge arrestor do?
A surge arrestor acts like a trapdoor to excess electrical energy (sometimes called over voltages, transients, or surges). Unwanted bursts of electricity are lured to the trapdoor by what is called a low-impedance path to ground. The trapdoor is a metal oxide varistor (MOV) which automatically activates when the voltage exceeds a certain level, safely diverting most of the excess energy to the ground.
When the over voltage or transient is over, the MOV automatically resets and is ready for the next one. It is important to note that with lightning or other fast acting impulses, the leading edge of the impulse will pass the first MOV, even as the majority of the surge is racing to, and through, the trapdoor, hence the need for a second stage Point-of-Use arrestor inside the home or business.
Where does it install? How long does it take?
Meter-base devices go between the electric meter and the meter box on the outside of the house and takes between two and ten minutes to install. Hardwired devices take a little longer to install. A trained Coastal Electric Cooperative representative will install the unit free of charge.
Will Surge Guard protect me from all kinds of power disturbances?
No, though they do handle the most frequent and destructive ones. Very few people with both the Meter-Treater and a second stage internal plug-in arrestor have suffered damage.
However, there are many variations of power disturbances, and we can't handle all of them with just surge arresting, even with second stage arrestors with filters used inside. More sophisticated technologies, i.e. hybrid power conditioners or true online dual conversion uninterruptable power systems, are available to handle complex power problems.
Will Surge Guard also protect against Temporary Over Voltages?
Meter-Treater's have been documented by some utilities to have helped prevent damage to systems from utility TOV's (Temporary Over Voltages).
However, the units are not specifically designed for that purpose. Rather, they are designed for electrical transients, such as are associated with lightning, electrical grid switching, motors starting and stopping, furnace igniters, etc.
Faced with a TOV, Meter-Treater's will act just as if a large transient is occurring and clamp on it (diverting it to ground), but at a certain point the coordinated safety fusing will take effect, and the Meter-Treater will take itself out of the loop.
Will Surge Guard protect me a direct lightning strike?
No. Nothing is a complete guarantee from a direct lightning strike. No product on the market can effectively handle such a high level of energy.
What happens if Surge Guard fails? Will it cut off power to my house?
MOVs self sacrifice in a 'dead short' mode. When this happens on a Meter-Treater, the MOV ruptures and goes off line. The Meter-Treater will not cut off power to your house. Only the MOV surge circuit becomes inactive.
I have a ground rod outside at my meter won't that help?
Proper grounding is important in all phases of power transmission and distribution. Typically, the final grounding responsibility for Coastal Electric Cooperative is the grounding bond at the distribution transformer.
It is common for the homeowner to be responsible for his meter socket ground rod, and it is normally inspected and regulated by building code inspectors. A responsible utility company, however, typically will not connect service if there is a grounding deficiency at the building entrance.
During a surge, Meter-Treater reduces the surge voltage across any power leg with reference to ground and neutral. Damage to appliances typically occurs when the surge voltage on the hot or neutral leg exceeds some internal BIL (Basic Insulation Level). The MOVs in Meter-Treater are placed between each hot leg and the neutral/ground bond point. Conduction of the surge current is through each MOV thus placing, in parallel with the appliances, a desirable path for the surge current.
The lack of an adequate ground has little impact on the performance of the MOVs. It does have a great effect on the overall clamping voltages for those surges that are seeking a ground path (lighting).
A poor ground at a customer's home would make his "path" less attractive for a surge current seeking a ground within the utility network. A "good" ground is important for the regulation of voltage, surge path and customer safety. Meter-Treater installers test the customer's ground before installation.
If the test results are somewhat less than 100 ohms no additional ground rods are driven. If greater than 100 ohms, the Meter-Treater® installer will drive up to two additional rods. Seldom is a customer's ground any lower than 25 ohms (low is better) whereas Coastal Electric Cooperative's system ground is often as low as 5 ohms at the substation and not over 25 ohms downline - depending upon soil and other conditions.