SURGE PROTECTORS (SPDs) - What They Are, How They Work, What You Need To Know

[@IceBergGeo]

Honestly, I recommend you to my apprentices. You have great information that cannot always be conveyed on the job, where time constraints exist. The best ones always listen and want to learn and the worst... Well, you know... Will never read this comment.

[@Brandon-oc6sh]

) I’m gcg, thanks here going home high C gcgcc

[@wildbill23c]

The worst are usually the ones that claim they already know.

[@echtigren8188]

@@wildbill23c When they show up their first day with all brand new tools, somethings up

[@kylelikeskjvbible]

I've seen a lot from Dustin, and its great, but i mainly do industrial and right now our main job is for Formet/Magna automation sector and its mostly installing cable tray, mounting panels and doing cable aesthetics. I've been on the same site about a year and a half and didn't learn all that much. Should I move on?

[@NishobdoGolpo]

I am an Electrical Engineer but honestly, the most experienced Electrical engineer from my group wasn't able to explain this as good as you did. I was still confused when they explained, but not after watching this. Really appreciate you for making these videos.

[@Decktrio]

Thank you so much! You have taught me so much! I'm an apprentice, and a lot of times when I see something at work that I don't understand, I turn to you to teach me about it!

[@fern5341]

I’m glad you said it’s confusing. I’ve fallen down so many rabbit holes trying to understand SPDs. Thank you for this explanation!

[@jasonmarroking4357]

I hope to meet you one day man and shake your hand you were the one to get me into the trades and I have been busting my ass going to school and with the help of your videos got raises and more in depth knowledge there is so much a class can teach you God bless you man 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@macgyver03ga]

In 2018 We had lightning strike a tree in our backyard about 25’ from the house. It traveled across the ground, blew a small trench in the dirt across the yard, arced on the metal astragal on the French door in our basement that I was standing 5’ away from, blew the ramset nails off the wood piece under the door threshold. We had WHSP on both panels. We lost all the TV’s, AV equipment, garage door openers upstairs on both garages, a fridge in the garage, a ceiling fan on the opposite side of the house on the 2nd story furthest away from the strike, the LED string lights on the back deck, a remote control switch for my dust collection in my workshop, an HDMI cable (had to cut open the ceiling and re-fish a new one because the old one got stuck on something grrr), and the main control board on our Trane Heat Pump in the basement. It was totally random the things we lost and didn’t lose.

[@EnthalpyUplusPV]

Im not an electrician but this information needs to be liberated to the public, thank you for putting this out there 🙏

[@walterwhite553]

Perfect timing for this video!! Just finished installing my first panel with surge protection, my journeyman wants to test me on how the surge protection works tomorrow aha

[@steve-o6413]

You have one of the best explanations I've heard so far, an yet it's still as clear as Mud lol...

[@glenjamindle]

Hmm, I wonder if Dustin could explain this if we tied his hands down 😂🤣

[@marks4374]

Restless arm syndrome!

[@luisalvarez8266]

😁

[@Honeybatger]

You just reminded me of Scott Gilmer the car review guy 😅

[@matttyler390]

No

[@apod2020]

He's just making imaginary pizza dough. That's all

[@j.maxwaddell2557]

I greatly enjoy learning from you Dustin. You have tapped into one of your gifts- teaching.

[@TheElectricalExpert41]

Hi Dustin - Electrician U! I liked this video and wanted to say that you are right on! I get a lot of emails from people and everyone contacts me all the time asking me about portable surge protector power strips and what ones are best for lightning protection and what people do not seem to fully understand just like you as well were saying in this video is that a surge protector is not lightning protection. A surge protector can sometimes help from light surges from far away from lightning that might come through the lines but not direct strikes as you and i know. I also get a lot of people contacting me asking me by one of my videos on my youtube channel videos why i was saying its so important for people to replace there surge protector power strips every 3 to 4 years and people do not seem to understand that either how even if the Green LED lights that say Grounded & Protected are still lit that it does not mean that people are still getting full surge protection anymore and surge protection power strips are only good for so long and after 3 to 4 years if people do not replace them then they might not be getting the full protection anymore regardless if the LED lights are on or not. Do you ever get people contacting you about that to? Another thing i get from other people is people who think that surge protectors last forever and and are a one time deal however that is not the case and all surge protectors all have there lifetime to. I have told people before how i know that some surge protectors are expensive or sometimes even surge protector power strips to but they are a lot cheaper than all the electronics and appliances Owners have bought and rather than risking destroying all there things to just keep there surge protectors up to date and replace surge protector power strips every 3 to 4 years and avoid damaging there stuff. I also have told people before during severe weather that the best solution for sure is to just unplug any expensive things they cannot afford to lose until any severe storms are over. I was going to see if you want to join in with me and make a video about these topics as well?

[@donreid358]

SPDs operate by passing CURRENT to (ground, neutral, common) which reduces the VOLTAGE due to the resistance of the source. The rating is how much current they can handle. The combination of voltage, current, and time is energy (joules). Again, the rating is how much energy they can bypass or absorb.

[@swansontec]

I wanted to say the same thing, but you beat me to it. The SPD works like a switch. When the voltage is normal, the switch is off and no current flows. When the voltage is too high, the switch closes to intentionally create a short-circuit between hot and neutral. This adsorbs the energy from the transient event, converting it into heat inside the SPD. Energy = voltage * current * time, so a higher the Joule rating means the SPD can short more current for a longer time. The voltage should stay constant if the SPD is doing its job.

[@thedude5040]

Ive lost so many electronics and LED light bulbs from transients that im glad its finally a code.

[@db0nn3r]

Hey, just a homeowner here, not electrician, looking for some clarification. Dustin mentioned certain high drain loads like a central ac that strains the system could have an effect on other devices in the home over time. If I were to install surge protected breakers on the large appliances in place of regular breakers, would this protect the other devices and breakers in the home or does that only protect surges coming in from the service line to that particular breaker? Thanks in advance.

[@swansontec]

@@db0nn3r Putting an SPD at the panel should protect your property from all types of surges, including ones caused by your own appliances. It's like the overflow drain on a sink - once the water reaches a certain level, the sink will stop filling, no matter where the water comes from. An SPD is like an overflow drain for electrons - once the voltage reaches a certain level, the SPD will "drain" it down, no matter where the extra voltage comes from.

[@johncspine2787]

@@db0nn3r the AC is less likely a source as the electronics are high quality..you have capacitors helping start the motor and keep it running..the swamp cooler motor I had however, it may have caused my attic fire, but of course no one actually investigated. The power surge which was evidenced in a power strip surge protector, and a fried transformer and control board on the furnace, well, who can say, chicken and egg, did the surge cause the fire, 0r did the fire cause wires to melt which caused a surge in the other stuff??..

[@mikeienuso1926]

Hi. I have a Siemens CB Panel. My interlock and 30 amp CB for my generator is on the top right. If I put a type 1 SPD and wire it below that breaker. Will all my loads below be protected? Will the whole left side be protected as well? Or do I have to put another SPD on the Left side top of the panel on the load side? I hope I’m clear. Thank you. All the best to you and family. Mike i.

[@filanfyretracker]

The mention on monitoring made me check my UPS and it records why it went to battery and so far thankfully only a few flutters from storms but it does switch off grid for under and over voltage as well.

[@jleesjerry]

Just want to thank you for sharing your knowledge in a clear and concise manner. Your explanations always clear things up and allow my understanding to get to the next level.

[@bongpay]

Hi Dustin, Love your video. First of all I am not an Electrician. I just know the basic and that is why I watch video like yours to learn more. I have a question regarding Surge Protector and how some surge protector work. I'm talking about the one you install next to the unit like the AC compressor unit. I saw a video in installing a ICM493 and the connection to this connected is like a series connection. I can understand how it work. The surge will get detected by the ICM493 first before the AC compressor so it can cut off the power to the compressor. But the one that connect like a parallel connection like the ICM518 or the RSH50. Its connected or pigtailed to the L1 and L2 of the wires that goes into the AC compressor unit. Since it shares the same wire, when the line get a surge, it will send that surge to the AC compressor and the surge protector. Can you shed a little more light in how protector like the ICM518 or RSH50 protect my AC compressor. Thanks, Phil

[@judjohnson4640]

Question: I just purchased and connect a whole home generator, and after its first test run…both of my refrigerators are now having issues. It’s obviously from the generator, but Not sure what the issue is. When the air conditioners kick on while on the generator the lights to the house dim pretty aggressively for 1 second and then go back to normal. Could this be because of a voltage dip, which then causes the refrigerators to have an issue? And if so is there a surge protector that protects against dips? Thanks so much!

[@fourtwizzy]

Love your passion for the technical accuracy on the topic. Reminds me of using a capacitor to filter AC current.

[@iancameron3144]

Thank you for using the terminologies correctly! I just found your channel and I’m into it, keep up the good work bro

[@thomaschatham9971]

I have a home built in 2003 which has a square D breaker panel with a QO Surge breaker installed. It says that it is a whole house surge protector. When I had a Generac 22 kw generator installed a couple of years ago, the company installed another whole house SPD in the automatic transfer switch under the lugs of the customer load terminals. One of the LED's for the L1 is out meaning that the MOV's for this leg are no longer capable of doing their job. The whole house SPD QO2175SB green LED still is burning brightly and therefore this device is supposedly still functioning normally. My question is, do I really need to worry about replacing the SPD with one leg LED being out? I am thinking that I don't need the one which was installed in the Generac automatic transfer switch. By the way, you produce awesome and informative content.

[@Carlg6]

Best info I've seen on surges. I would add the importance of a bonafide outlet ground for type 3 SPD's, otherwise no protection. And equally important, the system ground rod minimum of 2 rods when upgrading with SPD's, though some would say even more, in order to adequately dissipate surges.

[@LaurenSellsEstates]

I don’t think the ground rods have anything to do with this

[@Carlg6]

Surges go to ground. The less resistance to ground, which is where ground rods enter the equation, the better the surge protection.

[@Inkling777]

Many thanks, you cleared up much of my confusion. For that upcoming video you might get into dedicated surge protectors for particularly surge-prone devices such as HVACs. The exist as much to stop a surge from leaving the device as to protect it from them. My sister was regularly having control boards blow out in her A/Cs. The two were installed alongside one another, so a surge from one would hit the other. I suggested she get HVAC protection on both and that seems to have helped.

[@geraldpatrick9463]

I was in computer sale for a time. One of our customers was a bookkeeping service and as a result had numerous computers. There was a lot of sensitive data on these devices. We put in a surge proctor in the circuit that powered their computers. One day a large truck hit a power pole right outside their offices. it brought down a transmission line (the one that feeds the transformer) across the line from the transformer to the building. I'm told it was 35K volts. It indeed blew up the surge protector. The result was the computers were fine, but the surge protector was toast.

[@richardzapor1983]

I greatly appreciate your videos. Really quite good . As you say it is a very complex subject and some percentage of what your are saying is going over my head, yet it still has a lot of value for me . I am 72 and still working part time as a handyman. In my career I have worked in the AirForce , residential homeowner properties and rental plus commercial restaurant and hotel chief of maintenance and high rise certified safety. so I have had a fair amount of exposure . But you are broadening my knowledge base . I find it very scary that there is so much unsafe grandfathered or stuff done unsafely by people who didnt know what they were doing type electrical situations out there . And finally you are reinforcing in me that I should not take on projects that are beyond my knowledge and experience .

[@michaelmaker8169]

I would say to anyone studying out there to keep trying and learning you will eventually get it. Sometimes other lessons will turn a light on so to speak. Never stop learning.

[@exponentmantissa5598]

There are 3 types of non desirable voltage fluctuations as follows. To start with we normally get a 120 VAC (RMS) 60 Hz sine wave. A surge is when we have condition where the RMS voltage of the mains increase past the nominal 120V. An overvoltage surge typically lasts for several cycles or even minutes. The second type is spikes. These are short term (ms range) high voltage transients that are only present for small fraction of a cycle. The last type is EMI/RFI interference. These are typically low voltage high frequency waveforms that appear in addition to the 120 VAC waveform. These can extend right up into radio frequencies. All electronic devices should contain circuitry to filter EMI/RFI interference and it has very little impact on power equipment. The types of protection that are needed against Surges and Spikes are completely different. Obviously you cant have a piece of equipment that cuts power every time the waveform slightly rises otherwise stuff would continually be turned on and off. Instead surge protection will kick in after a few wave cycles. A spike by its definition is very short term. If one was hit by a very high spike say 10,000V the event will be over before a surge protector can act. Spikes must be acted on and very quickly (typically in mS or uS). Some electronic equipment contain basic spike protection. What they do is run the AC lines on the PCB near a ground line. When the voltage rises on the AC traces it will arc over to the ground line dissipating the energy. For those of you who think that power bars provide adequate spike protection think again as most are useless against a high voltage transient. ALso dont fall for snake oil salesmen trying to sell you power conditioning equipment for your home audio, a complete waste of money. Most spike protectors work by dissipating energy in a spike. This is why they are rated in Joules. I live in Canada and my experience is that power surges that damage equipment are pretty rare. The only one I can think of is when a utility installed the wrong transformer and people got a much higher voltage deliver to their homes. The utility paid damages in that case. Spike damage I have seen and usually it is because the dissipating/switching device has failed. EMI/RFI are annoying but not damaging.

[@ralphcrawford9741]

exponent mantissa, you are absolutely 100% correct, unlike electrician U in this video. It is essentially important to know the DIFFERENCE between surges and spikes, as you have described above, as well as the Joule rating of the protective device, to get the protection you actually need for sensitive devices. If your device needs SPIKE protection there is no reason to purchase any but the (misnamed) "Surge Protector" with the HIGHEST Joule rating. Another source of over-voltages, or surges, is an open neutral wire in a residential 120/240V system (common in the USA). The 240V remains the same but the two 120V "legs" fluctuate up and down as loads are turned on and off, often resulting in burned out equipment and house fires. Open neutrals do not threaten the building's wiring unless the building burns. The Utility is usually responsible for "open-neutral" damage and may try to duck that responsibility by claiming the neutral - ground connection was faulty or the devices were not "surge protected" which is actually "spike protected." Neither of these are actually relevant to the over and under voltage "surges" caused by open neutrals. As an expert witness forensic engineer in many disputed cases, by understanding the difference between surges and spikes, I have caused the Utility company to pay for their open-neutral damages,

[@abashtari7336]

I was confused how abriviations stands gor

[@siamchief]

Man! That was an awesome explanation, nice way to convey in a few minutes a subject you obviously have devoted a lot of time to, I was planning to hit the suscribe button as soon as you mention the NEC update 👨‍🏫 Thank you!

[@JamesRibe]

Type 1 vs Type 2 is particularly relevant if you have an old panel without a main breaker. Our house has a split-bus panel, so we'd need to use a Type 1 device if we wanted to add surge protection to the top half of the panel.

[@erwinbordallo]

Dude, my forte is mostly in avionics, so I've had some technical classes and getting to know construction electrical in my retirement years can be so interesting and yet confusing. I'm sure you have your own business going, but because of your uncanny ability to instruct and in an understandably effective way, you should always keep training/consulting as future aspirations. If the money is there, you should go for it. Be the next Mike Holt and beyond. Thanks once again for sharing your knowledge, it's what makes the world a better place to live. God bless you and all of your endevours!

[@donh6416]

I've made service calls to residential customers. Many had no surge protection. One customer used surge protection with a cheap $5-10 protector. After a car crash sent a major spike down the line and into her house, her $10/15 k printer survived. Not the same could be said for her other electronic devices. Never thought a low joule rated surge protector would ever work that well. Now I recommend these for all your electronic devices.

[@MrsBuddevil]

Any brand recommendations?

[@thebamplayer]

@@MrsBuddevil Phoenixcontact, but I don't know, if they produce for the american market.

[@angelab9819]

Great information thankyou. Question.. my computer backup device has been jumping up and down to 245 volts the appliances say 220 to 240 volts is 245 dangerous for my house and device's. Thankyou so much!

[@vbottoni]

hey man, really appreciate your videos. i work for a municipal utility and its good to know more about how electricians operate.

[@MrBrettrx7]

Wow, so much good info! I’m a real estate inspector in Texas and these videos are helping me have a better understanding of these systems. Thank you sir!

[@charlesstone8262]

Very good presentation. I now have a better understanding of the SPD, thank you

[@MuttMuttOutdoors]

Excellent info. I am currently upgrading systems in the house I just got. Still has knob and tube in it if that says anything. One of the things I thought I splurged on was a Type 1 SPD. I put in a 200A shutoff outside with a 200A panel inside and ran 3/0 copper between the two. Small town so who knows how many surges happen but with my computer equipment I have always tried to keep them on a surge protector and often with battery backup abilities. Anyway I have to wonder something. If there is a surge does the meter recognize that and if that is shunted to ground are you charged for it? If you are then wouldn't it be feasible assumption that we need to change something in the system so that the SPD sits before the meter or in the meter box?

[@davidmcmullan3180]

Do SPD's still protect when power comes back into main panel or does the surge protector always need to have power to be able to protect and dampen surges?

[@chengtsai8323]

I wish you had also mentioned more technical specs related to selecting devices. technical things like L-L, L-N clamping voltage, response time, and joule ratings. Perhaps this would be an idea for a future video.

[@rdross80]

I have an old home, and there are quite a few outlets that are only 2 wire (no ground), which makes plug-in surge protectors useless. If I were to buy one of these SPDs to install in my breaker box, would this protect the devices using the 2 wire outlets from power surges?

[@19993gt]

Great info, a lot to take in, but you did a great job explaining it. I understand what and how you describe the 4 different types. I also left understanding that you barely scratch the topic. Keep the content coming. Idk if I’m nerdy enough, but I do enjoy it!

[@juicebocs574]

This was a great video. I thought I have a good understanding but you're a Master for a reason! Reevaluating my priorities and saving up for those practice exams

[@JFKreations]

Question on power strip/surge protectors. I realize that’s not quite what this video is about, but are the outlets on a power strip typically wired in series or parallel? Asking because I’m designing an automated dust collection system and part of it will include building a hardwired power strip using emt and 4 square boxes to tie all the tools into the automated dust collector switch. Just wondering if each outlet should be wired in parallel or just use the pass through terminals on each outlet and wire them in series

[@claudebeaulieu607]

Does it has to be mounted at the Main panel or can it be mounted in a sub panel like example in a garage and still still give a whole house protection

[@reikisponge]

For surge protector like Siemens QSPD, from their instruction video looks like it doesn't have to be on the first slot that's closest to the breaker main switch. If there's a surge, say it's installed on far away from the breaker main switch, does it mean those before the surge protector will fry? Or it will go to the surge protector as a least resistant path? How does it work really?

[@dane5167]

@ElectricianU i just noticed the first book on the left you have on your shelf introduction to electrical theory I have the same one! wasn't ever able to get through any of the math. instead I read mike holts electrical theory. book a few times

[@outlet6989]

Very informative video, though it did bring up a few questions. My house has a surge protector located in my meter box. It was installed by my electric service company. I am charged for this service. On my electric company bill, the extra fee is listed as SURGE. Does this protect me from surges, except for direct lighting hits? Should I replace my regular breakers with SPD breakers? Do I only need to use them to protect my high AMP breakers such as AC, electric stove, water heater, cloths dryer, etc.?

[@AnthonyCelata]

I was thinking of making an electrician youtube channel for a long time. But I always though, who the hell would watch this stuff? Great job dude. You've proved me wrong. Are you IBEW too?

[@Spiritbearrr]

Do all surge protector strips have a built in circuit breaker? is it necessary to have the outlets have that sliding cover to all access or close off access when no in use? What watts, amps and joules are important when getting a good surge protector that will be used by a lot of electrical equipment? is it ok to use the same wall electrical outlet to plug in a surge protector that you plug in a window ac unit?

[@urbanturbine]

How do you do surge protection on 3 or 4 family apartment buildings?. Would you put one in each load center in each apartment?

[@uncrunch398]

I'm using an ebike and trailer to haul around electric lawn equipment. Is there a surge suppressor that will protect a charging li-ion battery and charger while operating high amp equipment from it? I'm looking at the TrippLite Isobar line currently.

[@harveypaxton1232]

As service electrician I quite regularly find the DP breaker feeding the in panel surge protector tripped. The service calls are unrelated to surges. Because the status leds are never monitored by the consumer it is hard ascertain as to when the trip may have occurred. I have only had to replace one Siemens unit. All others showed status ok after the breaker was reset. Any ideas?

[@commandertim575]

Very informative, thanks. What about protecting DC PV systems?

[@YardpigTSI]

This guys good, I've already learned a lot from a couple of his videos. Keep them coming thanks. A+++

[@WillATL]

Finally in the US SPD is required) But, what can you say about how should we design surge protection systems for different facilities?? I didn't find near to nothing about it in the US. In Europe, where I'm from, we used pretty clear IEC 62305. And it was pretty useful and easy to use. What would you recommend in the United States?

[@virgilsmith5792]

do you have a video that shows the installation of spd on the transfer switch for a standby generator?

[@Sparkeycarp]

I need to put in surge protection. However there is not enough room in the 100 amp main meter panel. It is small with no room. So the sub panel I installed (replacing a Pushmatic by the way) has plenty of room. My question is will the surge protector protect the whole system or only the sub panel I install it in? Update: So I just got my answer by watching your SPD install video. Protection is reduced, the "let in voltage" increases by the distance coming in from the main panel to the device location. Thanks.

[@WastedMoment]

I had lightning hit my transformer, blew my LED light fixtures in my home 2 days ago. last night lightning hit my neighbors transformer, blew mine again. Now my garage door motor is broken, more LED lights broke, and blew my modem, and EGO charging station. Living in FL, in a strong lightning strike area I think I need to do some protection upgrades like this and other devices

[@rm-on9co]

Thanks for sharing the coolest

[@npiwnicki]

This was exactly the explanation I was hoping for

[@matthewkent1865]

I lost a tv to surge through my cable service. What is the best surge protection for cable? I currently have those little line devices that screw onto the cable.

[@grounded-b937]

Type 1 SPD's are on the line side of the service disconnect, like you said. Typical "type 1" devices are installed between your meter and the meter socket. They need to be approved by the Poco, and installed by the Poco.

[@michaelbeckerman7532]

Do you happen to know what companies make such Type-1 SPDs? I would love to look up the specs on some of these. About how much does one of them cost?

[@josephballance2319]

I also have a sub panel , will it be practical to install a spd in sub where most(90%) of equipment are powered from instead of a small protector at ea😢ch work station or tv 3rd ? TIA

[@solargoat]

Love the video! Really recommend type 2 if you have solar panels. Replace a lot of solar products because of power surges.

[@johncspine2787]

I actually had to explain to an electrician why my sub panel needed a surge protector in addition to the main panel..the sub panel has a circuit which goes back outside via aerial to a chicken coop, rendering it vulnerable to any outside variables..

[@MrsBuddevil]

Please explain more

[@johncspine2787]

In addition to the main panel that the overhead neighborhood supply line comes into the house where the “main” surge protector is, I have two breakers panels inside, one upstairs and one down, the downstairs panel I had a line w two breakers run outside to the chicken coop, so if a lightning strike happened to hit near the coop line, it would go to that downstairs panel (and fry everything that panel provides power to) and bypass the surge protector in the main incoming panel..so, I had an additional surge protector placed into that downstairs panel. The electrician was saying the other protector would still provide protection, (which is dubious) but agreed that it was proper to go ahead with the caution.@@MrsBuddevil

[@theseattlegreen1871]

Do you have a video on the new 2020 NEC emergency disconnect service disconnect? Now every ourside Meter needs a disconnect outside for the First Responders. Thank you in advance

[@marcellovelame3463]

You’re an awesome teacher! Thank you for the thorough explanation!

[@josephballance2319]

Hi, in sub panel where neutrals and grounds are separated do you cnnect your white from spd to white or ground bar? Tia

[@leeoien3645]

An excellent overview of Type 1 to 4 and one of the better explanations of what an SPD can and can't with respect to spikes and lightning strikes.

[@daveglu]

I was hoping for HOW they work, but lots of good information. I am also trying to understand WHY I would want one. My Tv's and computers have always aged out prior to failure, Like many appliances, I doubt the oven is affected, But I also don't have a bluetooth refrigerator. What is the justification for making this mandatory?

[@demetriotizcareno980]

Highly appreciate it bro just a lot to learn in the tray with this new technology I do commercial and residential currently in California and there’s a lot to learn take care Happy new year!!

[@garywidom]

Will a battery backup like an APC device prevent surges to electronic equipment?

[@edsoncaetanoalbuquerque8214]

Which is the over and under voltage protector you recommend for single phase 20A

[@jankuehl4207]

Surge protection: Best wiring practice? If an appliance (Dishwasher) requires 13.5 Amps or less. Is it best to use the minimum code: 15A, 14Awg circuit and wire, or to upgrade (Future Proof) to 20A,12Awg circuit and wire. If a surge should occur does the 15A or 20A circuit provide more protection to the Dishwasher? Does the smaller 15A provide more protection for the appliance by limiting the Amount of current/Amperage surge allowed past the breaker?

[@camdendexter]

Can you provide clarity on the power/line conditioner, a UPS, and their role (if any) in surge protection?

[@DraculSturm]

A UPS is a power conditioner with a battery and inverter for sustained power during an outage.

[@michaelhuebel9231]

Power/line conditioners are able to take less severe but more frequent fluctuations in the sine wave and smooth them out, for cleaner power better for sensitive electronics. Many UPS’s are able to accomplish this because the take in the “dirty” power to charge a battery, then output from the battery via an inverter a cleaner wave for the device(s) it serves, with the added function of being able to continue to power those devices for a time when power is lost depending on how they are sized. Neither of these would be designed to handle the magnitude of the surges and spikes in this video. Many of the local UPS you might get for desktop workstations would also have a surge protector build into them to handle those.

[@willbedone888]

👍clear as mud, most concepts and terms are new to me, I'll have to review a few times. Thank you so much

[@colincrooky]

Although I’m not a registered electrician I am quite capable. Correct me if I am wrong please, if I have only one device and it is electronic in my house, is it more vulnerable than if I have many appliances on the consumer (fuse box) unit along side with it? This is without any surge protection device. Do capacitors in other devices protect against spikes or surges. Many thanks for your video.

[@jacob.davis334]

So question, we have installed an external surge protector on a panel feeding an IT room. It’s just tied to a 40A breaker. I’m wondering how does it work when it’s only tied to the bussing instead of having feeders coming in and loading the rest of the panel off the surge protector.

[@johnnadeau3830]

I am still a bit unsure about Surge protectors. Do you still need GFCI in bath and kitchen?

[@bob19611000]

So if I understand correctly, w/o a true ground SPDs don't protect anything. I have a really old house (~175 yrs) and although some of the curcuits have been upgraded to grounded, many were "bootlegged" grounded by some past flipper. I've fixed (brought back to code) them by either replacing with a two prong outlet or installed a GFI w/ the "no equipment ground" sticker. I've always thought I was just taking the risk on the electronics in terms of lacking surge protection; that seems what you are saying is happening without a true ground; correct??

[@J235304204]

Do you need both Type 1 and Type 2 protector installed? I saw most only install type 2, but you seem to have both, what is the reason?

[@hubercats]

Thank you! Your presentation is clear and concise.

[@jonathanDIYs]

Great video! If I put a Type 2 SPD on my main service panel (outdoors), do I still need one on the subpanel indoors? All the 240V devices are directly on the main service panel - all the 120 outlets and lights are on the subpanel.

[@mamumonkan]

Hello there, we have problems with Voltage fluctuations, where the voltage dips briefly and then comes back on right away. This causes my AC compressor many problems, so I installed a ICM Delay on Make Timer. The strange thing is that the timer does not cut out at those dips but only delays once the electricity goes off completely ( same counts for the built in delay in my Air handler thermostat. So here my question : Is this Ditek Surge Protector a solution or do I need to install something else ? Thank you so much !

[@davidkirby3667]

Does a type 2 surge protectors require a dedicated circuit breaker or can they be pig tailed to an existing breaker

[@johnbaptist7476]

I have 1 question please ; under the main breaker , I have a 50 amps on both side , there is no away to move any of those , but the one under I am able to move them , can I put that SP 1 below the one wich I can not move ? What will happen if I put 1 below ?

[@jesseestrada4290]

5 year electrical here, Very informative thank you, I am going to buy that book you mention at first, I study the 2017 nec with my electrical courses, I am going to get the 2020 edition, So on that bathroom you could have designed a placement of a two gang gfci on the wall between the two sinks that's my observation on that...again thank you...!

[@ceeball9525]

Hey Dustin! Any chance you can make a video on explaining how heat detectors work for shunt trip on a relay? Thanks

[@martinsnibbor7691]

For Elevator Recall?

[@firpofutbol]

Love your channel man, I've learned a ton .

[@jeromewelch7409]

Love you too! that was awesome, can't wait for the future video ,were you cover the RMS and non-RMS voltage gradients, Peace

[@holidayrap]

@6:33 But if the surge protector blows up because of a lightning strike it will no longer allow electricity to flow to your electronic device. Thus protecting it. Isn't that "protection"?

[@holidayrap]

@@eloquent-nuance Thank you.

[@mattrob15]

ElectricianU can you please do a video on ground vs neutral, bonding, etc.

[@brockpetersen2837]

Kinda weird question put I feel like it’d be a cool video. Could we get a GoPro POV of you doing rough in? I’d love to see it. Great video and great content

[@elab7731]

What about SPD's at sub panels? Neutral and Ground should be separated correct?

[@cstar2839]

Wow, who would of thunk! Great video very informative. Thank you

[@wolfierobblack]

Wow 😯 well done and well explained. Feeling smarter 🤓after watching this lol . Ty 😎👍👍

[@boyka1827]

There was a power outage in my neighborhood and the power kept turning on and off like 10 times. Now my routers and modem don’t turn on at all so I guess, the component were damaged. If I get a surge protector for entire house, this will get rid of that problem right?

[@steven7650]

As an engineer they are not that confusing. Simply search metal oxide varistor's. It simply changes resistance in the presence of voltage. For SPD's they are chosen so that resistance is about zero below a threshold voltage say 300V past that it becomes more resistive, This causes the excess voltage to be converted into heat. Over time these heating cycles will break the device down or if a spike it too large melt it. This is where the joule rating comes in. The joules of heat the device can soak up because there is a time component to it and how long the spikes are.

[@antonioramos1636]

Can I put a surge protector when I connect a generator to my house for back up? And what is the best

[@robertthegrape2192]

Great video, thanks for the information! Keep up the good work.

[@tamakifan]

Thank you for your valuable knowledge! And up to date too!

[@zensational.]

I appreciate you a lot man 🙏 its refreshing to find someone genuinely and passionately trying to help spread knowledge (especially without acting like a 12 year old on/for YT) Keep up the good work!