Lightning Surge Arrestors and Protectors Part #1
Wikipedia defines it as, “A lightning arrester is a device used on electrical power systems to protect the insulation on the system from the damaging effect of lightning.”
Metal oxide varistors (MOVs) have been used for power system protection since the mid 1970s. The traditional lightning arrester commonly referred to or also known as surge arrester, had a high voltage terminal and a ground terminal.
When a surge: lightning surge or switching surge, travels out or down the power system to the arrester, the current from the surge is diverted around the protected insulation in most cases to earth. The arrestor senses the over voltage and instead of allowing it to travel through the supply system and damaging electrical loads such as appliances and electronics, it I shorted to the ground. This is why your power often goes out for a second when there is a close by lighting surge. You are actually seeing in real time either your lighting surge arrestor actually working or you are seeing the power company primary lighting surge arrestor operating and protecting your electrical equipment. So do not think of your blinking lights are a bad thing, it is actually a very good thing.
Do You Know What A Surge Protector Is?
From Wikipedia: “A surge protector (or surge suppressor) is an appliance designed to protect electrical devices from voltage spikes. A surge protector attempts to limit the voltage supplied to an electric device by either blocking or by shorting to ground any unwanted voltages above a safe threshold.”
This article primarily discusses specifications and components relevant to the type of protector that diverts (shorts) a voltage spike to ground; however, there is some coverage of other methods.
The preferred terminology today is Surge Protection Device (SPD). The obsolescent term from the previous two decades is Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor (TVSS). Both of these terms are used to describe electrical devices typically installed in power distribution panels, process control systems, communications systems, and other heavy-duty industrial systems, commercial systems, residential systems, industrial, institutional, and military. Their designed purpose is to protect against electrical surges and spikes, including those caused by lightning and utility company customers.
There are numerous scaled-down versions of these devices. They are installed in every imaginable application from agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, military applications, to space industry applications. Most of the time, surge protectors are installed at the service entrance electrical panels, to protect equipment down line and protect against voltage surges that would otherwise create electrical damage if not an electrical hazard.
Many power strips have basic surge protection built in; these are typically clearly labeled as such. However, persons who do not understand their purpose and function sometimes erroneously refer to power strips that do not provide surge protection as “surge protectors”.
In an age when electrical appliances dominate the house, be it the kitchen, the bathroom or the many technical appliances used to give the drawing room a better look, a primary concern is the concept of surge protection. This is especially true when you connect a device to anything from a low to a high voltage electrical system. As the gadgets are most vulnerable to surges and spikes, the requirement of protection measures becomes necessary.
One of the measures that you need to take to assure the safety of your gadgets is installing a lightning surge arrestor. Sometimes a lightning surge arrestor goes by the name of surge arrestors and these work on the insulation of your electrical power systems. Since the 1970s, metal oxide varistors (MOV) have been used in measures for power system protection; MOV’s are the backbone of most lightning surge arrestors.
Part 2 continued tomorrow.
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Lightning Surge Arrestors and Protectors Part #1
Wikipedia defines it as, “A lightning arrester is a device used on electrical power systems to protect the insulation on the system from the damaging effect of lightning.”
Metal oxide varistors (MOVs) have been used for power system protection since the mid 1970s. The traditional lightning arrester commonly referred to or also known as surge arrester, had a high voltage terminal and a ground terminal.
When a surge: lightning surge or switching surge, travels out or down the power system to the arrester, the current from the surge is diverted around the protected insulation in most cases to earth. The arrestor senses the over voltage and instead of allowing it to travel through the supply system and damaging electrical loads such as appliances and electronics, it I shorted to the ground. This is why your power often goes out for a second when there is a close by lighting surge. You are actually seeing in real time either your lighting surge arrestor actually working or you are seeing the power company primary lighting surge arrestor operating and protecting your electrical equipment. So do not think of your blinking lights are a bad thing, it is actually a very good thing.
Do You Know What A Surge Protector Is?
From Wikipedia: “A surge protector (or surge suppressor) is an appliance designed to protect electrical devices from voltage spikes. A surge protector attempts to limit the voltage supplied to an electric device by either blocking or by shorting to ground any unwanted voltages above a safe threshold.”
This article primarily discusses specifications and components relevant to the type of protector that diverts (shorts) a voltage spike to ground; however, there is some coverage of other methods.
The preferred terminology today is Surge Protection Device (SPD). The obsolescent term from the previous two decades is Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor (TVSS). Both of these terms are used to describe electrical devices typically installed in power distribution panels, process control systems, communications systems, and other heavy-duty industrial systems, commercial systems, residential systems, industrial, institutional, and military. Their designed purpose is to protect against electrical surges and spikes, including those caused by lightning and utility company customers.
There are numerous scaled-down versions of these devices. They are installed in every imaginable application from agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, military applications, to space industry applications. Most of the time, surge protectors are installed at the service entrance electrical panels, to protect equipment down line and protect against voltage surges that would otherwise create electrical damage if not an electrical hazard.
Many power strips have basic surge protection built in; these are typically clearly labeled as such. However, persons who do not understand their purpose and function sometimes erroneously refer to power strips that do not provide surge protection as “surge protectors”.
In an age when electrical appliances dominate the house, be it the kitchen, the bathroom or the many technical appliances used to give the drawing room a better look, a primary concern is the concept of surge protection. This is especially true when you connect a device to anything from a low to a high voltage electrical system. As the gadgets are most vulnerable to surges and spikes, the requirement of protection measures becomes necessary.
One of the measures that you need to take to assure the safety of your gadgets is installing a lightning surge arrestor. Sometimes a lightning surge arrestor goes by the name of surge arrestors and these work on the insulation of your electrical power systems. Since the 1970s, metal oxide varistors (MOV) have been used in measures for power system protection; MOV’s are the backbone of most lightning surge arrestors.
Part 2 continued tomorrow.