EATON CHSPT2ULTRA Full Installation Video

Home-owner installation of a whole house Type 2 SPD (surge protection device). I know now why nobody has put a video up for this - it’s very boring and mundane, something really simple if you’ve ever wired a circuit before! That said, it would have cost me a few hundred dollars if I hired an electrician - very happy to be saving that money and doing it myself.
More info on SPDs - kbelectricpa.c...
I know I am not required to install this, but I have been really interested in protecting my equipment from surges. I have an EATON CH plug-on neutral load center. Here’s the supplies I used:
EATON CHSPT2ULTRA Surge Protector - www.amazon.com...
CH 50-amp 2 Pole Breaker (it’s still out of stock early 2022) - www.lowes.com/...
#electricalwork #diy

[@dantebroadway5056]

I'm not an electrical engineer, but because the protector is not installed near the supply, the surge will hit all the circuits before it can be limited by the protector. I'd move it to the top of the panel so that the surge can be controlled before it runs down the bus bar.

[@jonathanDIYs]

Hi there, thanks for commenting! I wondered the same thing and did an investigation on that... shot another video you can see here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHK8pKydjJekq9U. My general findings is that electricity travels instantly over all the lines, not sequentially from top to bottom. It is more important that the surge protection device is as close to the bus bar as possible rather than being on the 1st slot. Surges can actually occur from the house and does not always come from the mains. In fact, these type of surge protection are not designed to protect against direct lightning strike, it can only protect against secondary surges from lightning events. Thanks again for commenting!

[@markg7963]

i'm seeing a lot of comments about the SPD should be at the top of the panel. That's probably better if the wire run is also short to the SPD itself, like out the side rather than the bottom. But with life we have limitations. If we don't have room there because we can't move breakers, then adjust with logic. If the surge breaker is at the top and the SPD is at the bottom, the surge still has to run the length of wire and will still get all through the breakers, but should be somewhat damped out by the SPD before that power actually gets the distance out to the use device. Also, there is some chance the surge is coming from within the house, a discharging capcitor in a device, etc. So who knows. Bottom line is that a SPD installed in that panel is better than one that isn't.

[@jonathanDIYs]

Hi Mark g, Thanks for commenting! Have you had a chance to check out my follow up video on this topic - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHK8pKydjJekq9U ? There was some pretty good discussion in the comments where ratspam found some pretty definitive opinion from an Eaton representative that it would be ok near the top or bottom. The most important factor is that the leads to the SPD be kept as short as possible. Check out the other video if you have a chance - many of your arguments are also discussed too. Thanks again!

[@cmearls55]

Instructions page 2 under important.

[@ratspam7655]

5:56 You forgot to twist the red and black wires together according to the instruction manual.

[@jonathanDIYs]

Thanks for pointing this out! I looked in the manual and you're absolutely correct - in the IMPORTANT section, it states: • To maximize the CHSP’s performance, twist and bind the wires together to reduce the impedance of the wire (one twist / inch). Next time I am working on the breaker panel, I'm going to go in and fix that. Thank you for commenting!

[@Petrochemtester]

Is it just the red and black or all the wires…vague directions

[@ratspam7655]

Page 4: To maximize the CHSP’s performance, twist and bind the wires together to reduce the impedance of the wire (one twist per inch). The white and green wires will diverge from the twisted bundle on their way to their bus bars and the red and black should remain twisted all the way to the breaker.

[@cmearls55]

Should be installed AS CLOSE TO THE INPUT POWER CABLES as possible.

[@jtmiller15]

You could just say "I don't understand how electricity works". If its in the first or the last all the other circuits are still going to receive current. The 2ft of travel to reach the surge protector is still much shorter than the nearest 20ft it needs to travel to reach the nearest appliance.

[@Re5ist_ance]

@@jtmiller15 My licensed electrician installed this exact one closest to the disconnect switch .. he even moved the subpanel breaker (which was originally closest to the disconnect switch) and connected the surge protector there. Dude was a 30+ year electrician. Your logic does sound right .. but that's just how he did mine.

[@mintheman7]

@@Re5ist_ance That’s called “best practice” but by no means the only way. Look up how a surge protector works and concept of “path of least resistance.”

[@whiteywhitney-my6gl]

Eaton says it doesn't matter where you put the protector!

[@whiteywhitney-my6gl]

@@mintheman7 Eaton says to use a 50 amp breaker with this in the installation instructions and per Eaton it doesn't matter where you put in in the load center

[@telosfd]

I assume that the central electrical panel is outside the house. What happens if there is a problem and it is raining or the weather is bad?

[@whiteywhitney-my6gl]

It's NEMA rated for outdoor and indoor use

[@whiteywhitney-my6gl]

Eaton says it doesn't matter where you put the protector,some of their load centers come with this protector factory installed at the bottom of the buss,be sure to follow the installation instruction sheet word for word.

[@jonathanDIYs]

I made a video pointing those exact facts out. Thanks for commenting!

[@allabouthim03]

I'm confused. FULL INSTATION? Didn't say a word about where the wires were bring connected.

[@JeffJennings82]

So does this make the main kick if it detects a surge?

[@GameboyZoneRocks]

Where did your green and white wire go? And if the wires for the surge protector come short, can the surge protector be on the side (instead of the bottom)?

[@jonathanDIYs]

The green wire goes to the ground bus while the white wire goes to the neutral bus. Short answer: Yes, the examples in the manual even show it being installed from the side. If the panel is an outdoor panel, please exercise care that you are not introducing a spot for rain to get into the panel. Long Answer: Many people on the internet believe I am doing this wrong and that the surge protector should ALWAYS be the closest slot in the box to the incoming power. However, from my understanding of electricity, I don't believe this makes a difference as a surge would travel all slots at the same time - it does not travel to the first slot first and then to the others. This leads me to believe that putting this anywhere in the box would be sufficient. Additionally, there are prebuilt panels that always keep the surge protector at the bottom while the power comes from the top. Lastly, the instructions only state: "Locate a dedicated unused, or install a new 2-pole circuit breaker in an available space closest to the location where the CHSP is to be installed." You should be good to put it anywhere that is convenient inside the box.

[@SteveSaladino]

I installed the whole house surge protector into my main panel, now id like to layer one into the small panel for my outdoor condensing unit. This panel only has a pull block and not a breaker. Also the power supply there is only 220v with a ground, no neutral wire. So, do the white and green wires from the surge protector go onto the panel ground since they are referenced to each other or does the white wire from the surge protector get taped off?

[@jonathanDIYs]

I do not know if the CHSPT2ULTRA would be appropriate for that installation. You can contact Eaton on their website. They did reply when I asked them questions about their products and was generally very helpful. They probably would be able to tell you if you can install this at the condenser unit or not. That said, there are other SPD2 devices built specifically for AC Condensers. Here is one I found online that just has L1 and L2 hot and a neutral/ground just like your setup. It is designed to go in the pull block as well, so it would seem to be rated for your specific use case: www.five-two-one.com/pdf/LT521SPD_Web.pdf

[@vincemajestyk9497]

Not a fan of Eaton panels. At all. You can see why. BTW, you should have the SPD tied to the very first breaker in the panel if the service entrance cable is on top or the bottom if it enters the panel from below. Ideally, the very first device the surge should see is the SPD once it hits the distribution panel. The way you have it it's last. Not optimal.

[@whiteywhitney-my6gl]

Eaton says it doesn't matter where you put the protector

[@Petrochemtester]

You should read the install manual before throwing out "you should" comments.

[@BoriPR82]

You are supposed to install the breaker at the very top of the panel

[@jonathanDIYs]

Thanks for your comment. Please check my video response on that kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHK8pKydjJekq9U.

[@jtmiller15]

You could just say "I don't understand how electricity works". If its in the first or the last all the other circuits are still going to receive current. The 2ft of travel to reach the surge protector is still much shorter than the nearest 20ft it needs to travel to reach the nearest appliance.

[@BoriPR82]

@@jtmiller15 the manual says to install it at the beginning, that is why i mentioned at the top.

[@whiteywhitney-my6gl]

Eaton says it doesn't matter where you put the protector

[@josephballance2319]

I have a main panel with a whole house spd installed. I also have a sub panel should there be a spd installed there ? Will that be better than a small spd for each work device? TIA

[@jonathanDIYs]

SPD devices are like insurance... you really don't need it until you need it... More SPD is always better, Eaton recommends a layered approach, a whole house SPD and then UPS or surge protection at the device - www.eaton.com/us/en-us/products/backup-power-ups-surge-it-power-distribution/surge-protection/surge-protection-faq.html I personally only have a whole house SPD at the main panel and no extra surge protection at my sub panel. I have UPSes (Cyberpower PFC1500 - amzn.to/3ScaCxh) on all my sensitive electronics like my computer, my TV, and my internet box. In this manner, if the power goes out, I have about 5-10 minutes to either turn everything off or connect the generator.

[@SwingboyPA]

You should actually install a type 1 surge protector in a panel or meter if you're not protecting from internal surges.

[@jonathanDIYs]

A type 1 surge protector would need to be installed on the line side (either before or after the meter?). I have yet to see a residential installation for that. Do you have any references or links? Thanks for commenting!

[@SwingboyPA]

@@jonathanDIYs I'm not sure what kind of reference you are looking for... I mean I install them because most _damaging_ surges come from outside the house. Type 2 surge protectors are really for the little surges you get from things like a refrigerator motor, stuff inside the house. They don't do nearly as good a job as a type 1 when it comes to things like a lightning strike, transformer issue, downed power lines, power company construction/upgrades, etc. A nice bonus is that they don't take up two slots in a panel. Square D, Eaton, Siemens, etc make them in different sizes. You can spend as little as $45 for crap on Amazon to about $200 for a good Siemens or square D product. For something industrial or with features like monitoring, you can spend thousands of dollars. The problem is that people aren't as familiar with type 1 surge protectors because many electricians won't work on Live feeders. My preference is to install them on a meter socket because they are just a little further from the main panel. It also makes the leads very short. :-) To be completely honest, I also hope that it prevents homeowners and DIYers from messing with my work and breaking things -or worse, actually getting hurt. (I'm not saying that to be snarky, it's just truly the way I feel about this particular kind of ...because I have no problem with people doing simple electrical work. That's cool and commendable. However: nothing is more dangerous working around electricity than someone who doesn't know what they don't know).

[@jonathanDIYs]

​@@SwingboyPA That's exactly what I thought. I appreciate your input. I totally would want an electrician to install a Type 1 SPD if it is going on the meter socket. Definitely don't think that is a DIY thing. :) I do appreciate all the electricians out there!

[@KevinBalkissoon]

Does this protect against high currant alone or also low currant

[@jonathanDIYs]

@@KevinBalkissoon this only protects against high voltage, and only as much as this is rated for. High current is protected by standard breakers that trip based on current. This directs transient high voltage to neutral, protecting your equipment. Your equipment will see a spike in voltage, but only 600V instead of potentially thousands of volts.

[@louisviciedo]

does the manufacture recommend a 50A 2 Pole or 15A 2 Pole?

[@jonathanDIYs]

It depends on which model you have. For the ultra, 50 amp is the recommendation. For the other one, it is 15 if I recall correctly.

[@GlennWilson-g8i]

Why the 50Amp maybe a 20Amp would be better considering the wire size.

[@jonathanDIYs]

Thanks for commenting. I used a 50 amp breaker because this is what was specified in the manufacturer user manual. "A dedicated 2-pole 15 ampere circuit breaker is recommended for use with CHSP devices, but use a 2-pole 50 ampere circuit breaker to achieve the full published ratings of the CHSPT2ULTRA device." I have a CHSPT2ULTRA model. For reference: www.eaton.com/content/dam/eaton/products/backup-power-ups-surge-it-power-distribution/complete-home-surge-protection/recommended-installation-practices-for-chspt1-and-chspt2-products-pct348102.pdf Original manual: manualzz.com/doc/en/56076471/eaton-chspt2micro-instruction-bulletin

[@juanramirez3679]

Se puede poner este equipo en cualquier panel de control?, yo tengo 3 paneles de control que estan enlazados en diferentes lugares de mi casa......... y lo recomendable para protegerlo con cual capacidad de breik minimo y maximo partiendo de lo especificado.

[@harrydoherty8299]

yes any make panel will do . however the brand of the 50 amp breaker must be the same as the panel brand or comparable.

[@davedohmann5443]

Will this item prevent EMP damage?

[@jonathanDIYs]

Probably not. In the event of an EMP, current will probably be surging on the grounds, neutrals, and everything else that was not designed to carry voltage.I don't know of any effective way of preventing EMP damage other than totally isolating equipment within a faraday cage. As I have never experienced an EMP, I do not have the means to test this theory or have really considered this to be the biggest concern in a doomsday scenario.

[@robertsimpson7113]

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are supposed to twist the wires 1 turn for every inch of length!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@wills4544]

Why didn't you explain what you were doing during the installation step by step?

[@jonathanDIYs]

So when I first created this channel, I literally just wanted to film working on stuff and let people see an example about how different things are done, I didn't know it would be so popular or that people would actually be looking to learn how to do things from watching my videos. I was just imagining hanging out with a buddy looking over my shoulder (KZbin audience) while doing this work. Since that time, I've seen how popular this has become and the type of instructional content people are looking for which I'm definitely adjusting for. I'll definitely be adding more explanation in the future - Thanks for commenting!

[@jonathanDIYs]

I made a video response to all the comments about whether it is ok to install this device at the "last" breaker slot - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHK8pKydjJekq9U. Please let me know what you think - thanks!

[@jtmiller15]

Don't listen to these goobers they don't understand how electricity works. If its in the first or the last all the other circuits are still going to receive current, they're clueless goobers. The 2ft of travel to reach the surge protector is still much shorter than the nearest 20ft it needs to travel to reach the nearest appliance.

[@wikywak]

If the Panel is 200amp how is the 50amp surge protector going to help? I think this is for a specific item, such as a 50amp hot tub. A "whole house" surge protector would need to be rated for the whole house, correct?

[@jonathanDIYs]

Hi Bruce, great question! The surge protector is not a 50 amp surge protector. If you look on the spec sheet, it is rated for 108kA (that's 108,000 amps!) surge current (www.eaton.com/us/en-us/skuPage.CHSPT2ULTRA.specifications.html). It is advertised to reduce high voltage surge currents to 600V L-N, 1000V L-L, 800V N-G, 600V L-G (this is the clamping voltage or in the link the "protection" specification). What this means is that the maximum voltage allowed is 600V measured from line to neutral, 1000V measured from line to line, 800V measured from neutral to ground, and 600V measured from line to ground. So you might be wondering now, how in the world is it able to do that on a 50 amp breaker??? Well, the way breakers work is that it does not actually trip instantaneously when a certain amount of amps goes through the breaker. The rating is actually for sustained power draw. The actual mechanism inside the breaker is some element that heats up as a large amount of current flows and then trips the breaker. For surges, the amount of power that flows through is too fast to trip the breaker and is able to absorb the surge in the device. All this said, the manual that comes with the surge protector states that you should connect this to a 50 amp double pole breaker. I'm assuming they have tested and done all the calculations to ensure that the breaker would be sufficiently large enough to allow the unit to absorb the maximum amount of surge that this unit supports. When buying whole house surge protectors, you are looking for the maximum amount of surge current and the lowest clamping voltage that they can provide. There is no "matching" of the rated capacity of the panel to the surge protector - it really is just about how big of a surge the surge protector can handle. This said, none of the type 2 surge protectors on the market will be able to protect you against a direct lightning strike - that is in the order of magnitude of 300 million Volts and about 30,000 Amps. Type 2 surge protectors though can save your equipment from lightning that strikes main power lines and ripples down to push a surge to your house. The higher the surge current rating and the lower the clamping voltage, the larger the surge the surge protector can handle and the better it is for your equipment. Hope this explanation helps!

[@remarkzero]

@@jonathanDIYs That was a great response and answered a different question I had. Thank you!

[@vincemajestyk9497]

That's a thermal-magnetic breaker to protect the circuit if the SPD dead shorts from a direct strike or if the MOV's fail in spectacular fashion as they sometimes will. The duration of the 'over-voltage' spikes we are talking about are in the micro and millisecond range (10's or 100's).

[@dtntnw]

Just bought one myself. The CH Surge Protector, for a weekend project. Waiting for 50A 2P Siemens breaker i ordered. Had a recent surge spike in my area. Blew my garage door opener’s, control board. Don’t want to have to replace the whole unit again. My new opener, has even more electronics WIFI, and bluetooth connectivity…

[@vincemajestyk9497]

@@dtntnw Those 'CH' units are OK but they're made for the consumer market. There are better units that you can find cheaper. (not the breaker mounted ones either). If you got one I would get the 'Ultra'. I think it's rated @108k. I have the same openers, Chamberlain I think with the battery back-up. I had a problem with my refrigerator. Thank God it was still under extended warranty. They changed $1000 worth of circuit boards in it.

[@wisdomwisdom817]

Wonderful job thank you so much

[@JK-hd2zb]

If looking for the wrong and potentially deadly way to install a SPD this is the video for you

[@elcano9l52]

Could you elaborate so we know what NOT to do?

[@Maatson_]

Yea this person is just blowing smoke. I’ve seen electrician install them many different ways with no issue . So I don’t see what’s wrong with how he is installing it

[@quisitari]

Didn't show connection of wires, white and green

[@CMill78]

Uhm 3:55

[@anthonyelectric6045]

Looks like amateur hour right here. Hope that panel isn’t live. Nice surge suppressor however

[@addminusDIY]

😂😂😂😂 practice more , should place it on the top 1st slot to protect it from surge. Just use common sense and get the concept. It doesnt mean when it went green light its working

[@jonathanDIYs]

I contacted Eaton and they had this guidance: Eaton: Eaton recommends it be installed in the first spot if possible. However, Eaton recognizes that is not always the case and it can be installed in any location within the load center. The main concern is to not extend the wires used to connect the device to the breaker Me: Understood. Installing the surge protector to another location other than the first breaker does not degrade the performance of the unit in stopping surges? Eaton: No it does not change the function of the unit.

[@jtmiller15]

You could just say "I don't understand how electricity works". If its in the first or the last all the other circuits are still going to receive current. The 2ft of travel to reach the surge protector is still much shorter than the nearest 20ft it needs to travel to reach the nearest appliance.

[@iamdavecrigger]

You just voided the warranty because you're not licensed. Read the paperwork it'll tell you right there.

[@petermcadam953]

Don’t know what you are doing

[@jtmiller15]

You could just say "I don't understand how electricity works". If its in the first or the last all the other circuits are still going to receive current. The 2ft of travel to reach the surge protector is still much shorter than the nearest 20ft it needs to travel to reach the nearest appliance.

[@yyyiyi]

Wow no PPE at all looks trustworthy to follow your guidance

[@hansjansen5224]

Dud, you are scary to watch

[@chrisstanley1131]

Wow I can’t believe this clown posted this. Talk about amateur hour. Completely wrong install

[@jtmiller15]

You could just say "I don't understand how electricity works". If its in the first or the last all the other circuits are still going to receive current. The 2ft of travel to reach the surge protector is still much shorter than the nearest 20ft it needs to travel to reach the nearest appliance.

[@chrisstanley1131]

@@jtmiller15 are you an electrician? I certainly am and this install is completely wrong

[@jtmiller15]

@@chrisstanley1131 I doubt that, otherwise you would realize why it wouldn't make a difference where this is installed. Or you just have a surface level understanding of electricity, without understanding any deeper concepts.

[@antonioabru6372]

Please don’t do anything this clown is showing you

[@jtmiller15]

You could just say "I don't understand how electricity works". If its in the first or the last all the other circuits are still going to receive current. The 2ft of travel to reach the surge protector is still much shorter than the nearest 20ft it needs to travel to reach the nearest appliance.

[@shaneboone5911]

If you are not an electrician, you should not be installing this. You don't have the schooling on panels. And you installed it wrong. Call a electrician and pay for it to be installed correctly. Stay out of the panel you could start a fire.

[@jtmiller15]

You could just say "I don't understand how electricity works". If its in the first or the last all the other circuits are still going to receive current. The 2ft of travel to reach the surge protector is still much shorter than the nearest 20ft it needs to travel to reach the nearest appliance.