WHOLE HOME SURGE PROTECTION

Whole home surge protection installs at the panel and clamps voltage spikes before they reach anything plugged in. Gengatorz Power Systems installs panel mounted surge protective devices for homes and businesses, wired by licensed electricians.

Most damage does not come from a direct lightning strike. It comes from smaller, repeated surges: utility switching, a well pump or compressor cycling, power coming back after an outage. Each one shortens the life of HVAC control boards, appliance electronics, LED drivers, and anything with a circuit board inside.

The 2020 NEC added Article 230.67, which requires surge protection on dwelling unit services. Later editions extend it to service replacements. If your panel predates that, you likely have none. A surge protective device costs a fraction of what it protects, and it mounts in the panel you already have.

HOW WHOLE HOUSE SURGE PROTECTION WORKS

Power comes into the house through the meter and lands at the panel, where it splits across every circuit. A surge protective device sits at that split point. It is wired to a two pole breaker slot and monitors voltage continuously. Normal voltage passes through untouched.

When voltage climbs past the device’s clamping threshold, metal oxide varistors inside drop their resistance in nanoseconds and divert the excess down the equipment grounding conductor instead of letting it run out to your circuits. The spike dissipates before it reaches a receptacle. Type 1 devices mount ahead of the main breaker, on the line side. Type 2 devices mount inside the panel on the load side. Both do the same job from a different position.

CHOOSING A WHOLE HOUSE SURGE PROTECTOR

Two specs decide quality. Voltage protection rating, or VPR, is the let-through voltage, and lower is better. On a 120/240 volt service, 700 volts or below is the mark to look for. Surge current rating, listed in kA, tells you how much energy the device absorbs over its life. Both appear on the UL 1449 listing.

Installation matters as much as the spec. Lead length raises let-through voltage, so the device belongs close to the breaker with short, straight conductors. Grounding and bonding have to be correct per NEC Article 250 or the device has nowhere to send the surge. Pick one with a status indicator, because a spent protector looks identical to a working one.

ADD SURGE PROTECTION AT THE PANEL WITH GENGATORZ POWER SYSTEMS

Most installs are a short visit and need one open double slot in the panel. If the panel is full, out of date, or on a known problem list, we will tell you that before quoting the surge device, since protection bolted to a failing panel is money in the wrong place.

Gengatorz Power Systems installs whole home surge protection for houses and commercial buildings, and we check grounding and bonding while we are in there. Call 985-308-5070 or send the form. If a surge already took out equipment, say so when you call, because there is usually more damage than the one device you noticed.