Leviton 51120-1 Whole House Surge Suppressor Installation

In this video I install a whole house surge suppressor. We have had a series of voltage spikes and lightning strikes that have damaged electronics and burnt up four well motors.
Lightning Strikes Well in NC Four Times!. • Lightning Strikes Well...
I still want to do is check for short to the earth in the buried service line between the house and the transformer. To do that I will need a 100,000 ohm test meter and Duke will have to come out and turn off the transformer. 

[@telegix]

Thank you for your excellent video. We are selling our home on the Big Island of Hawaii, and the inspector visiting our house complained about the installation, which was done exactly the same way as you showed! Here is his comment::No circuit breaker inside the panel should ever be double tapped. Under any circumstances.

[@mars1952]

Local building codes vary. I am unfamiliar with the codes in your local. I use the national code book as my guide.

[@yockanookany]

I'm glad I'm not the only person still spooked to touch things inside the power box even when power is turned off.

[@Jcarolinajr]

Thoroughly and interestingly informative and charmingly entertaining…who knew? A star is born! And he double-checked his work.

[@Nic7320]

It was good to see how you kept the surge device close to the main breaker and how you installed it in a fireproof steel box. Surge devices can fail quite catastrophically, and with a big strike they can be downright explosive. But there are some other issues you brought up that can be clarified here. Skin effect is where high frequency current travels mostly in the outer layer of a wire, but this is almost non-existent at 60 cycle line current. It more of a problem at hundreds of kilohertz, and much more at radio frequencies, but not at 60 cycles. The voltage loss at 60 cycles is mostly determined by the copper cross sectional area (aka circular mils), so using thicker copper is better and you won't find much difference with solid vs. stranded. Also using stranded wire makes it harder to pinch tightly at the breaker connection, and the strands can flare out and become loose if they're not screwed down tightly. This is particularly a problem if you're sharing a connection with another wire on the same terminal, because the failure of the stranded side compromises the other wire as well. Now with a surge pulse, the high rate of change (i.e. dv/dt) effects do act more like radio frequencies. But the voltage rise from a surge pulse is mostly determined by the suppression voltage of the arrester, PLUS any inductive voltage rise of the wiring going to the arrester. Skin effect is not dominant, so it's more important to minimize the wire length, and reduce the loop area of the wiring by keeping the arrester's L1, L2, N and GND wires bundled as close as possible. Tight bends like you mention do slightly increase the inductance, but they're not as important as keeping the wires short. I hope this helps clarify some of these tricky technical issues for you.

[@ColdWarVet607]

Nice video...I was a Nuclear Electrician operating and repair/maintenance of reactors on Nuc submarines serving in the US Navy. I've seen alot of people lit up on "electrikery" Very pleased at the explicit warning you gave for non-quals doing this and for still not touching any part of the circuit even though it was dead. Her's a point that might help. You ran the neutral through the side with the rest of the wires, you could have brought it down from the top which would make it shorter not having to go around opposite side of box and then over and down . I'm sure you know there are 90 degree curved metal electrical conduits, hot leads can also come up the bottom as well if it works out better. To clamp 2 different gauges of wires, you can fan out the braided wire a bit on the physically larger wire, still the same area making contact. Again, for you all, I'd go with the warning, get an experienced electrician to do this. Working in the incoming power box is not the same as hooking up a fan, the most dangerous thing is that you don't know what you don't know. 150-200$ at most is better than being dead. Another thing you didn't know is that you don't have to touch the hot circuit to die, just get close enough to it added with or with out the right conditions and zap - your dead. Electricity will jump through air, think lighting or that funny little op you hear when you turn on a switch or that spark you saw when you pulled a plug from the wall. If you are reading this and still insist on doing it by yourself, have some else there with a phone and wearing eye protection so they can still see and call 911 should you cause a short a=followed by an electrical fireball. Have a rope tied around your wrist, same one and only one you place in the panel and the other person holding the rope. If you get locked up on the circuit (say your forgot to isolate it or some one did not install it correctly or the main breaker shirts somehow) they can not pull you off as they will become dead as well just by touching you. A wooden broom stick or closet pole can also be there the help get someone off the circuit. Sounds ridiculous doesn't it, all the non-quals are probably laughing, but the unexpected happens, even pro's make mistakes, if you aren't a pro, the safety bells are not fully engaged in your head and you are also likely to make a sloppy or careless move. Spend the bucks and stay alive, thats why we call it "Electrickery".

[@TRS-Tech]

Greetings Sir. I was an EE and Comms man, Made it to S. Lt until a spinal injury took me out on an MD :-( I will of cap just in case as I don't know your rank. Well said about the safety aspect of the install ! Though the principle of knockout's and grommets was not quite understood I think. ........ Tripped a 30A breaker ??? When at 230v 30ma can take you out. He must have a lot or iron in his diet - Nice to meet a fellow sailor anyway. Were you on a boomer as you call them in US ? Im off for some scrag followed by a trip to the head now ;-)

[@guyinsj6591]

Nah ... Electric doesn't jump on 120V or 220V ... It will jump around 10,000 Volts .....Also the electric spark due to the INDUCTANCE of some machines, like washer, dryer ....that temporarily opened and causes the SPARK due to the reduction of CURRENT in the circuit within the device so the VOLTAGE JUMP, but only temporarily. It looks scare but no harm .... If NO DEVICE connect to the circuit, there is NO SPARK

[@guyinsj6591]

@@ColdWarVet607 It's spark due to the change in inductance / Transformer of a Module (when the current drop, the Inductance cause the Voltage to increase rapidly and thus create the short spark) ... The 120V is no way can jump ... The electric will jump around 30,000 Volts ...

[@guyinsj6591]

@@ColdWarVet607 You are so wrong ... The INDUCTANCE is the one that STORE the ENERGY temporarily to compensate for the circuit. It store energy by the coil of wire and the electromagnetic, that is called EMF .... The CAPACITOR never give a spark unless the + & - touched ... The INDUCTANCE otherwise, if you pull the plug, the current dropped across it, then its energy released so the VOLTAGE suddenly surge rapidly (due to current dropped) and start to make a quick spark .,.. No other VOLTAGE jump unless it is > 30,000 Volts ...

[@mars1952]

@@TRS-Tech "When at 230v 30ma" I am sure you meant 30 amp, not milliamp. Anyway, the wires coming from outside are unrestricted by any breakers so they have the potential of 1000's of amps. "Tripped a 30A breaker ???" The breaker was 30 amp 120 volts but it was on one leg of a 3-phase system so it was probably around 108 volts. And other things were running on that circuit while I was soaking up some of the juice. I don't know why it tripped but I still am here because it did.

[@phillysupra]

I use step drill bits every day. They are not made to start a hole( even though I often do) but are made to enlarge an existing hole. Otherwise they burn out real quickly

[@dancolucci]

Excellent video and thank you for sharing your cautionary tale! Glad that breaker tripped and you're still with us. I also wear gloves as a partial insulator when working on a box.

[@jamespetry3337]

Sir - Great Vid!! Appreciate you sharing your electrical experience with us! Just purchased this device and going to install myself. Note: I am an Union Building Engineer in a suburb of Chicago and work with various low / high voltage applications. Thanks!

[@walshrd]

Excellent instructive video. He shows how to safely install the best, top-of-the-line whole house surge protector.

[@ruthlessluder]

I really appreciate the thoroughness and the safety briefing.

[@masscomnet]

Nice work. Stranded wire carries more current because it has more surface area. Thanks for the video. I know everyone is a critic, but the prior comments about stripping wire toward the panel are really best practice. Also some safety glasses / light gloves would help too. Not trying to be critical, just comitted to constant improvement! Thanks sir!

[@mars1952]

masscomnet Thanks for the tips.

[@richardleland4763]

Excellent video. I appreciate your including minor set backs and frustrations so characteristic of do it yourself projects. Whenever I have had to go digging around in my main panel, I feel more secure putting an insulation over the wires that remain hot even when the main circuit breaker is off. I've used a thick strip of rubber easily taped to the outer sides of the panel, and have also used an inexpensive plastic food storage container easily cut out to fit snugly over the hot wires. Also, being prone to mistakes, I use screwdrivers dedicated for electrical work on which I have wrapped the metal shaft with electrical tape to prevent the hand wandering down into contact with a potential conductor. Again, thanks for a great video.

[@AndTheCorrectAnswerIs]

You should NOT put more than 1 wire onto the nut of a circuit breaker. It is called "double-tapping" and is against the National Electrical Code. The best solution is to buy another double pole breaker for less than $10 and connect the surge protector wires to that. If your panel is loaded up, you can cut existing wires and "pigtail" splice in the new wire with a properly sized wirenut connector. Double-tapped connections will fail you on any home inspection if you're trying to sell your home, and could cause issues with your insurance co. if you're trying to get paid out on an electrical caused house fire. Double tapping was common on older fuse panels, which most will recommend upgrading to circuit breaker panels anyway.

[@mars1952]

@6:56. The breaker is designed to hold two wires. While it is against code to double tap a breaker is some localities it is was not against the national code when I made this video.

[@ItsMeJbird]

Looks like you might need a little Sub Panel to free up some space.

[@aiaklilu]

Very true , I’ve had work over many jobs that failed inspection due to doubling wires on breakers

[@vlad1889]

Can't have wire-nuts in the panel where i live/work also.

[@davidblue435]

You are giving great advise on dealing with Fire Insurance underwriter's I have been a building Inspector for thirty years and I had a total loss on a house fire and it took Alstate three months trying their best not to pay out sending their own inspectors trying to find ways not to pay out. They sent three different investigator's out on three different dates and interviewing me under recording treating me as an arson. I eventually hired a PE Engineer who also attended the Chicago Fire Institute and he found the cause of the fire within one hour. He videoed the source and told me not to tell Allstate his finding and if we ended up in Court he would give evidence at that time. the amount totaling cost to 300.000 structure and contents. Not much but on a civil service budget it was a lot to me. The small town Building Inspector calls me and says that Allstate underwriter folks are here wanting any work thats been done at my address trying to find any new work that had not been permitted so they could avoid paying for the loss. I had installed my own gas water heater without a permit and they made a big deal out of that but because I had owned my own company as a state certified and licensed Master Plumber and Master Gas Fitter prior to becoming a Building Inspector and with a push back from my brother in law who happened to be a Corporate lawyer they dropped that avenue. And the water heater was not the source of the fire but I wonder what would have happened if I had not had the Engineer and a lawyer in my corner? I have seen over thirty years in the inspection department the less resources you have the increase in abuse by insurance companies taking advantage to their profit margins. I also had an insider tat worked at Allstate giving me advise as to be one step ahead of their tactic's which he said if they found out he would be terminated. He said it's all about the Profits even when people have lost everything. Thank God for good honest employees that work at large corporations doing the right thing. I recently retired and moved to Florida and went from overhead to underground Power and upgraded to a 200 Amp Panel. I contacted Florida Power and Light and had their field engineer come to give me an estimate and then contacted local inspection department and had to draw diagram of all wiring for the upgrade for the Electrical Reviewer in the department prior to them issuing me a permit. All went as planned and passed inspection. I say all of this to tell you what the field inspector told me. He said after giving me a written approval form to keep this in a safe place so if you ever have a problem you can show evidence to your insurance company that this work inspection. He also said his office has had problems losing this information with computer crashes and to have a hard copy in hand is always your best insurance. Said all this to let you know get a permit not because I was in inspections but because you are NEVER in good hands with any insurance company!

[@nompro7268]

Great Job! Excellent and clear instructions. You have neat and tidy skills. Such a joy to see a clean panel box!! I will be adding one to my home asap.!

[@Recovering_Californian]

Great video ... thank you. Was looking at this very product for my home tonight (during one of many Spring time thunderstorms I get here in MO) and this video will be very helpful.

[@danbarbour7488]

At 60 Hz in copper, the skin depth is about 8.5 mm. That is about 1/3". So the current will easily flow in all of the copper of an 8 gauge wire. But the flexibility is the main advantage. Overall, great demonstration.

[@victormendez9186]

Thank you for the lesson, well presented and I'm ready to Install the Whole House Surge Suppressor. I'm a novice, but have install breakers on the Panel and done some wiring for new outlets on my Lanai.... thx, again... Victor

[@ls033189]

Great video. A condo I recently purchased has an existing surge protector, but it's double tapped into the main lugs. Luckily there's a breaker outside right after the meter so I can turn the whole panel off inside. I'll be sure to check this model Leviton out when the time comes to tackle my project. Side note: Removing the ground wire from the protector would make it easier to attach to the ground stud inside the box. Then just reattach to the protector.

[@rlta8352]

One of the best safety oriented videos I’ve seen on KZbin! Only thing I would like to suggest is teaching people the “live-dead-live” principle to confirm your meter is working. Excellent video though. Could tell you respect that energy by the comment about not to touch the wiring even after you killed the power! ALWAYS TREAT ELECTRICITY LIKE A WILD ANIMAL! Never trust it!

[@BigBrotherIsTooBig]

You installed this as a Type 2 SPD; installed on the load side. The SPD you installed is meant as a Type one; installed on the line side. Great video though, very thorough and detailed.

[@Brindle_Boxer]

Can you please elaborate? I’m getting ready to install one of these.

[@czeddie71]

FALSE. This is a Type 2 device: www.leviton.com/en/products/51120-1

[@williamhanson6461]

Damn, excellent commentary and visual representation. Nicely done mars1952!

[@karlbrown3214]

Nice detail in your instructions. The reason you keep the wires as straight as possible is due to high voltage spikes can jump out of the wire if there is a 90 degree bend, mainly lightning, and try to find it's quickest way to ground. Again nice content in your video, thank you.

[@iotapi322]

Outstanding video, one of the first useful videos I've seen on youtube ever. Thank you.

[@asesinodelring1]

thanks for taking ure time to teach your knoledgment ......keep up the good work !!

[@mars1952]

The surge suppressor has indicator lights that go out when the unit fails. I can endure a variable number of surges based on the severity of the surge. When the lights go out you have to replace it.

[@aruls3782]

Superb explanation. Thanks a lot

[@Formulabruce]

As you said at 0:035-0:037 "this wont deal with a direct lightning strike" Your problem starts in the ground itself, rather than a spike, or surge on the hot. Hope to see an update on this later this year.. Keep up the fight!!

[@northcacalacka545]

I like the fact that the two pro electricians never pointed out what you did wrong. I don't know what the box is made of, but my time working with SS I learned that drilling SS needs a really slow drilling bit. I Hope it worked for you!

[@frankw8876]

Cheap knockout punch kit from Harbor Freight will save time and result in cleaner installation. Bending the wire will increase the inductance, limiting instantaneous current to the suppressor which may slow it down in the protection scheme. Sharp bends are also not good since instantaneous current like to travel in smooth paths, restricting the paths to to your surge protector. In the extreme case like a lighting strike (high frequency, surges and spikes as well) that you see the electrical path will jump from the wire to the shortest ground path. In any case, nice job.

[@frankw8876]

I think that would be Tesla? He is not Italian. Were you thinking about Guglielmo Marconi? Current, more pronounce in higher frequencies like surges and spikes, travel on the outside of the conductor and is know as skin effect. Good advice on working with one hand - daddy taught me when I was little. I too had an encounter, touching 480V, 2,000A bus bar in the rain. No idea why I'm still alive other than the one hand thing!

[@ruly8037]

Very nice video. I am thinking in install one of those device to protect my equipments. Thanks for the video. Cons. About double tapping is correct, you should use a separate double breaker for that but I know that moving all those breakers down some times is impossible because the length of the wires. Also I will run a ground wire from the surge protector housing to the panel ground for future protection against rust. Thanks. Very helpful. Nice explanation about stranded wires!!!

[@mars1952]

You will still need small surge suppressors for your sensitive equipment.

[@JustinCaseSolarPower]

Very neat wiring inside that box. You must have had a nice contractor. :)

[@tedlahm5740]

2020 NEC addition. As each jurisdiction uses this new code. Surge protection for whole house. thank you nice video. P.S. The term is " Split Phase"

[@mars1952]

The instructions showed two ways to connect the device. It could be connected between the meter and the main panel or to a single or paired breakers.

[@jimanddiana4103]

Always helpful videos, thanks.

[@mars1952]

The house had two owners before me. The first owner was the builder. I have neatened up the arrangement of the wires on the inside and the outside of the box a couple of times but the box is overfull so there is only so much I could do with it.

[@mars1952]

I agree. I have 5 UPS's and 5 additional surge supressors installed on everything that has a computer chip in it.

[@raymondjackson6069]

I really liked this, especially when he was doing stuff (and forgetting stuff) like a regular person. Thanks.

[@KVUSMC-KU4SMC]

Great Video Mars

[@sparkplug1018]

Good video. If no one has told you before, its a split-phase or single-phase 3-wire service

[@raybratton4230]

mars1952, the reply from "and the correct answers" is correct, you should have a dedicated breaker for the surge suppressor. The other important wiring advice that I want to add is the NEC requirement for bonding, see Article 250. the NEC Table 250-122 requires a #12 AWG green equipment bonding wire to bond all metal parts to the ground/neutral bar. See the following pdf. www.inw-training.com/site/images/Documents/Grounding%20&%20Bonding%20Mind%20Map.pdf. Also, all electricians I have worked with install a plastic bushing on the threaded portion of the fittings entering a box to prevent chaffing of the wire insulation.

[@cra523]

Thank you for share your knowledge and experience.

[@user-hk6nj8eh1h]

Good explanation. Thank you.

[@mars1952]

I am not an electrician either. As soon as the surge suppressor clamps the voltage spike will seek the path of least resistance. I am pretty sure that the voltage spike will travel to every device that is plugged in but the duration of the leaked spike will be shortened to the point that nothing will be destroyed. I have an APC UPS hooked up to my computer and Powerchute has not reported any over voltages in the last 90 days.

[@gabybouras]

To Mark Karter... Maybe you have a better tools... But he did a very good job... Keep up the good work.

[@antoniofernandez1605]

Hello Mars, your video is very informative, I can see you spent a lot of time putting it together, and for that we are all thankful, I just purchased this unit and your video was very helpful with installing it. I was a little troubled to find that the instructions listed on the Leviton webpage, figure 3, indicates you could run a fourth cable, a ground cable to your grounding bar, in addition to grounding the box with the nut on the back as you did. The additional ground wire seems to help with discharging the excess current, can you elaborate on why you chose to install with three wires rather than four ? Thanks!

[@mars1952]

Wow! It has been 4-1/2 years without a lightning strike! The surge protector really works! I am going to knock on some wood.

[@mars1952]

I should have said without a burnt up well pump motor. Obviously, lightening still strikes nearby it just gets diverted.

[@davidblue435]

Great job! About to install in my Florida home away from home. Living the Dream of Retirement :)

[@mars1952]

I looked up UFERS, that's interesting but it is pretty wet here. I have improved the grounding using "Wiring Simplified" as a reference but I am willing to do more.

[@underourrock]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. When you added the wires to the top breaker, was there already a wire under each lug? To my knowledge, there is only one brand / type of breaker that I know of that is rated / allowed to have 2 wires under breaker 1 lug (double tapped). Is that breaker a "Squared D" rated for double tapping? If not, the solution is to use a pigtail instead. Have the wire come out of the breaker, wire nut it with the 2 other wires you want to tie to that breaker, and repeat the same for the other one. Square D breakers that have the second notch for double tapping have a dedicated space for the second wire to fit snugly. The way the lug clamps down on the metal band means that both wires get a somewhat equal amount of force applied to them. When you stack wires in a breaker that isn't rated for double tapping, the bite on the wire is not uniform and it can come lose over time.

[@civilwar1234]

Thank you it was very informative.

[@algallego]

Get yourself a copy of the NEC and lookup grounding and bonding options; you'll need to consult with your local Authority Having Jurisdiction as to the types of grounding options in your area. In AZ we use UFERS in some of our subdivisions. The Unibit or Step drill bits are perfect for your application.

[@mars1952]

I think that there were instructions to connect it between the meter and the circuit breaker box but I would have had to get the power switched off at the transformer and there wasn't a good spot for the unit outside anyway.

[@dannewlon5825]

I have heard that these don't replace the need for surge suppressors for your delicate electronics in your house. The purpose of the w.h.s. is to protect those things you cannot put suppressors on. It's still important to have UPS or suppressors on your TV, computer, etc. Note: I don't work for a company that sells this equipment, this is just what I heard.

[@erikev]

The instructions emphasize that the wires should be twisted (to reduce the inductive coupling)

[@ajgd]

That system is one "phase - two wires" (one phase splitted at the end with a transformer 180 deg "out of phase") ....... two phases are 208V (120 deg out of phase) .... it's just a technical stuff

[@weebandit]

Thanks for putting together the video. However, the two incoming 120 volt lines are on the same phase rather than two phases of the three phase generation source from the power plant. "Split-phase" is not the same as "two-phase" or "two phases of a three phase system". See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-phase_electric_power

[@SG-zh5xd]

That is why I like square D covers for the hot lugs ,I have the same protector in my house I did notice he put it on that bottom ran too much wire ? Alessandro Volta

[@TURBOSHANE101]

Thanks Dad. Looks like a piece of cake.

[@vlad1889]

I've seen in one of my jobs a guy used a single pole for his surge protection :D Pay handyman prices get handyman work.

[@mars1952]

The step drill would have cut faster at a higher speed but I was trying to keep the bit cool with a low speed and cutting oil to extend it's life.

[@Pinoyphilly]

Thanks.. You are very thorough. NOw I can by this Leviton Surge Suppressor.

[@danwat1234]

If you use a breaker below all the rest of the breakers to connect the surge arrestor, will it not protect circuits above it at all? I want to install one, but all the existing breakers, the hot wires don't have enough length to reinstall any of them lower to make room to install the surge arrestor at the top. New house. Electrician didn't leave extra wire length. Want to install Siemens FS140

[@MrBobby1963]

i really enjoyed your video. the information on how to install the whole house surge protector was well done. for my taste the wire look like they were too short?? i will be installing my surge protector this weekend.

[@NorthernWindNut]

Of course you can make it longer, just get a wire stretcher from Lowe's. They're in the aisle next to the metric crescent wrenches.

[@mars1952]

NorthernWindNut I have several metric cresent wrenches.

[@RSYou99]

The phenomenon of electron flow at or near the surface/s of conductors is referred to as 'skin effect' and was discovered by Marconi. Skin effect does not occur in direct current (zero hertz) and has so little degradation at power frequencies it is usually not considered unless in long hi--tension power line transmission where the twisted multi-conductors are actually hollow! The effect is so profound in in the Super (SHF) and Extremely high frequency (EHF) ranges that wave guides are used to radiate the signals from the transmitter to the antenna. I.e. microwaves as used in radar systems, etc.

[@ColdWarVet607]

Skin effect does occur in DC circuits. I'm a former Nuclear engineer in the US Navy and have 10 US patents in fault tolerant computer systems. I do both design and signal integrity work. Looking at the DC circuit when you turn it on or when there is a spike of voltage it is now an AC circuit, it is the rate of the rising or falling edge which causes a magnetic field, not necessarily the frequency which is of interest. Also a DC circuit with a varying current is also like an AC signal, the change in current produces a magnetic field and the di/dt of that field, the amount of current and size of conductor are factors for skin effect. Yes the transmission frequencies of AC are low and relative to the Ghz speeds we run our DC signals and power supplies at on computer and networking boards 60 Hz is quite slow, but again a DC circuit is very much like an AC circuit when current changes, it happens all the time in our power supplies, even with a constant current there is still high frequency ripple. Got over technical here, in general you mostly correct.

[@mars1952]

Thanks for the tip.

[@cactusladysouth1000]

Does the ground have to be in a straight line down from the box to under my house? Right now I have it hooked in to the ground to my whole house ground outside under the electrical meter which would make the ground wire about 15 feet from the surge supprssor. thank you for your help

[@davidhazen2394]

Does it matter where the breaker is located that you hook up to? Can it be any where on the panel board or should it be the first one at the top?

[@george5120]

I wish I knew exactly what piece of metal conduit and connectors that he uses to shield wires from the surge protector to the circuit panel. Then, I could order that conduit and connectors from Amazon. Looks like we need about a 3-inch piece of conduit with connectors on both ends. Also, the manufacturer of a competing surge protector told me that their particular model does not benefit from having it connected to the first breaker, next to the main switch. That brand is the Siemens FirstSurge FS140.

[@baddoggie101]

My Leviton surge suppressor instructions said nothing about placing the surge protector nearest the power source.

[@northcacalacka545]

BTW, what is your assessment of the Leviton model. I plan on doing the same thing to mine.

[@patriot7633]

Thanks I learned something new. Thanks Good presentation.

[@clintwarren1187]

Thanks very helpful.

[@mars1952]

It has been over a year since I installed this surge suppressor and so far everything is okay. My UPS software has not reported any voltage spikes since I installed the Leviton 51120-1. (Knock on wood) And the well pump has not burnt out. But thunder storm season is coming soon. (Knock on wood again)

[@mars1952]

MEGAONE302 I have checked over all of the grounds and it all checks out. One thing I still want to do is check for short to the earth in the buried service line between the house and the transformer. To do that I will need a 100,000 ohm test meter and Duke will have to come out and turn off the transformer. 

[@mars1952]

18 months now and everything is still okay.

[@68Squid]

mars1952 thanks for the updates; very thorough

[@inspectyerbooty]

thx for the updated comments, and i really liked the detailed video and the personal stories and safety tips :-) as a side note i have heard that it is only very high frequency electric waves that travel on the outside of a conductor, that is why i thought they used hollow conductors for high power antennas and such. you may be right about all electricity traveling on the surface of the conductor, i truly do not know for sure. thx again

[@safetythirdified]

I couldn't really see all that well, but what was your reason/logic behind double tapping the double pole breaker with the red line wire?

[@richardduran3156]

OUR CASE IS THAT OF THE PUBLIC NETWORK IS COMING NOS 245 and 250V CURRENT LINE FOR biphasic AND MONO 118 and 124V THIS EQUIPMENT TO REGULATE THE LINES 220 AND 110.

[@lynale990]

if i also have surge protected outlets inside the house, would it be too extra?

[@mattbachman4599]

Great video, it helped convince me of two things I could do this and I'd be smarter at this point 2 let a Pro complete the installation because they'll do a smarter cleaner better job than I will even though I will put it in in working order. The experience of a pro gives you things like this gauge wire will be much better in this situation Etc of course not to mention the safety issues. Thank you very informative great video. And - the fact that the power company wants $10 a month for something that may cost me $250 or less installed - it'll pay for itself in less than 2 years considering that $100 of the cost minimum you have to spend for the equipment.

[@larrywilliams1209]

So, did you hook this up to a circuit breaker that was being used for another existing circuit?

[@robertdale001]

good video!

[@CharlesBuell]

Is that breaker rated for double lugging?

[@dansvideovault2186]

Is 24 the max you are allowed for breakers in a residential panel ?

[@algallego]

With the unibit, set your drill at a higher RPM.

[@buzzincalifornia]

am wondering why since the surge protector had a ground lug you didn’t run a bare wire from the protector into the breaker box and connect the ground to the ground buss bar, I am of the opinion that this direct connect method is much more conductive than the wire connected to the protector relying on the box connection only

[@raddadization]

will these protect DC inverters and circuit boards on AC equipment?

[@MeadeLX50]

THERE ARE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS VIDEO WHERE NEC CODE IS NOT OBSERVED. #1 Only ONE wire is allowed under a breaker clamp. #2 You must use plastic bushings on either end of the conduit offset to protect the wires.

[@rlta8352]

The NEC is a benchmark, you know those signs you see on the highway that say 55 mph speed limit…..that’s a law, do you ever go over it? That’s breaking a law! but hey the many of times you did it you were fine but what about the next? You “professionals” use scare tactics like your the ultimate electrician when it comes to safety. Try not charging and arm and a leg to install something and maybe everyone would call just like when the State Troopers say hey really that one chance you take doing 65 in a 55 will be be the one the takes you! Wow gotta love the professionals on here that have never posted squat on how to do something! Wonder why…..

[@LiloUkulele]

Do you recommend the Leviton 51120-1 vs a Siemens 20 Amp 6.5 in. Whole House Surge Protected-Circuit Breaker. I installed the complete electrical system in my home, but replacing a circuit breaker is a simpler operation.

[@HasbeHal]

THE ABOVE VIDEO IS VERY NICE AND SYSTEMATIC ONE. LIKE IT VERY MUCH.

[@mars1952]

Thanks!

[@kennethsmith863]

USE SLUG BUSTER NEXT TIME. INSTEAD OF AN OFFSET CONNECTER, USE TWO CHASE NIPPLES AND A PIPE CONNECTER. CONNECT SUPPRESSOR LEADS TO AN UNUSED BREAKER (PREFERRED) OR USE A SURGE PROTECTOR BREAKER. YOUR PANEL IS FULL. USE HALF- HEIGHT BREAKERS IF YOUR PANEL ALLOWS. CHANGE OUT THE LIGHTNING PROTECTOR YOU HAVE TO A DELTA 802 (BIG SANDY TEXAS) LIGHTNING PROTECTOR AND WIRE IT TO THE PUMP DISCONNECT AT THE WELL DRIVE A GROUND ROD OR CONNECT TO METAL WELL CASING. GROUNDING ISSUES MAY BE YOUR PROBLEM.

[@ItsMeJbird]

Good job! Sorry, I'm glad your ok but it was kind of funny when you said you tripped the 30 amp breaker, I hope you can have a sense of humor about it now. Take care.

[@jasonling2367]

I think it adds up to ~240 volts because the power coming into your house is AC. The two lines are out of phase by 90 degrees so when one line reaches peak voltage at ~+120 volts, the other line which is at a 90 degree phase offset is at the trough at ~-120V.

[@ricochofsky8293]

The lines are 180 degrees out of phase, and peak voltage to neutral on a 125 volt line is about 177 volts (1.414 x 125). 125 is the "root mean square" (RMS) voltage. Peak-to-peak voltage on this service -- peak pos. on one line to peak neg. on the other -- is about 354. Btw, line voltage to this guy's panel is too high. It should be about 120/240, and in this pro's opinion should not exceed that. 125/250 is at the top of the acceptable range.

[@dalenassar9152]

180 degrees

[@cuylarHD]

wouldn't a line conditioner work better for your well pump?

[@wlipman]

Next time your encounter a burr with either a knockout or a drilled hole, use the jaws of your linesman's pliers to deburr the hole.

[@mars1952]

I still need to improve the grounding stakes.

[@cactusladysouth1000]

Can you be more specific? thanks

[@enkrypt3d]

The knock out holes are not 3/4" as stated in the installation manual they are 1/2"...

[@PuluCeeBagumba]

Red to red, black to black although this is single phase so it really doesn’t matter. Not sure why Leviton does black and red on this model? The 511110 has two blacks along with the neut and ground. Nice vid!👍

[@jlpeg50]

so what im doing is connecting the original wires in the breaker with the ones from the surge protector into t a 20 amp breaker

[@Cypresshtcom]

I noticed you double tapped that breaker. It's advised that you never do that.

[@dansvideovault2186]

Its hard to see, but is there a double tap on the breaker bottom left?

[@brois841]

Question, why did you install it and then cut the wires short? That effectively ensures you can't pull that device out without disconnecting it from the panel first. Is that not an issue? Also, how does this device actually function? I figured the mains would go through it and then feed the panel. Lastly, you mentioned 4-years and no issues from lightning strikes - have you been suffering many issues in the past?? Thanks! :)

[@mars1952]

Thanks for watching!

[@TonyWadkins]

Just a quick comment about the ampacity of solid vs. stranded copper with the same cross sectional area. At 60 Hz power line current the skin effect is almost zilch. At higher frequencies......for sure. For example; with 6 ga wire the skin effect doesn't begin to become a factor until you get over apprx 1000 Hz. With 12 ga wire it's around 4,000 Hz. At least that's my understanding.

[@lesliesweeney368]

Is the leviton suppressor rated for 200 amps