How To Look At A House
McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of
site-built, mobile/manufactured and modular homes
Does a whole-house surge protector need a dedicated circuit breaker?
Thursday, April 14, 2022
Manufacturer instructions for Type 2 surge protectors (installed load side, after main breaker) specify connection to a dedicated unused breaker. Here’s an example from an Eaton surge protector installation manual:
So a double-tap to a 240-volt breaker that is already serving another circuit is not acceptable. The example shown below also has an additional problem: it is both double-tapped to a breaker for another circuit (top arrows) and the device is installed inside the panel box, so that the small green light that indicates whether the device is still functional is not visible without removing the dead front (bottom arrow).
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Field Guide for Home Inspectors, a quick reference for finding the age of 154 brands of HVAC systems, water heaters, and electrical panels, plus 210 code standards for site-built and manufactured homes, and the life expectancy rating of 195 home components. Available at amazon.com for $19.95.
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Here’s a few related articles about SURGE PROTECTORS:
• How do I find the right whole house surge protector?
• Why is an undersized wire between a circuit breaker and whole-house surge protector acceptable?
• Can a home surge protector be installed loose in the bottom of an electrical box?
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