Lightning Surge Arrestors and Protectors Part #4
Response time
Surge protectors do not quite operate instantaneously; a very slight delay exists. The longer the response time, the longer the connected equipment will be exposed to the surge. However, surges don’t happen instantly either. Surges usually take around a few microseconds to reach their peak voltage, and a surge protector with a nanosecond response time would kick in fast enough to suppress the most damaging portion of the spike saving our electronics, appliances, motors, and light bulbs.
What is a nano second? From Wikipedia: A nanosecond (ns) is one billionth of a second (10−9 s). One nanosecond is to one second as one second is to 31.7 years.
Therefore, response time under standard testing is not a useful measure of a surge protector’s ability when comparing MOV devices. All MOVs have response times measured in nanoseconds, while test waveforms usually used to design and calibrate surge protectors are all based on modeled waveforms of surges measured in microseconds. As a result, MOV-based protectors have no trouble producing impressive response-time specs.
OK, what is a micro second? From Wikipedia: A microsecond is an SI unit of time equal to one millionth (10−6) of a second. Its symbol is µs. A microsecond is equal to 1000 nanoseconds or 1/1000 millisecond. Because the next SI unit is 1000 times larger, measurements of 10−5 and 10−4 seconds are typically expressed as tens or hundreds of microseconds. 1 microsecond (1 μs) – cycle time for frequency 1 x 106 hertz (1 MHz), the inverse unit. This corresponds to radio wavelength 300 m (AM mediumwave band), as can be calculated by multiplying 1 µs by the speed of light (approximately 3×108 m/s) to determine the distance travelled. 1 microsecond – the length of time of a high-speed, commercial strobe light flash.
Slower-responding technologies (notably, GDTs) may have difficulty protecting against fast spikes. Therefore, good designs incorporating slower but otherwise useful technologies usually combine them with faster-acting components, to provide more comprehensive protection.
How does a Lightning Surge Arrestor Work?
A surge arrestor possesses two high voltage terminals, a neutral terminal, and another terminal wired to the ground. When targeted, the lightning surge, or perhaps a switching surge moves towards your precious appliances, traveling down to the arrestor through the power system, the harmful current is diverted around the protective insulation, usually into the earth ground. This is why the ground is so critically vital to safety for both humans, electronics, or any connected load. If you are not sure your ground is perfect, call your master electrician to check and repair or improve it if necessary.
Selection and Application
The concept of lightning surge arrestors is extremely broad with many categories and sub categories to it. Each day, as the sheer number of gadgets increases, so does the requirement for surge arrestors. Anything, and absolutely anything from personal computers to the toaster in the kitchen is susceptible to these surges and spikes and their destructive effects.
During the arrestor application, the main objective of the consumer is to set up the lowest rated surge arrestor. This will be rated such that it should have the most satisfactory service life when it is connected to your power system as it should provide the most protection it can to your gadgets. Preferably, it should be an arrestor of minimum rating as it will then provide the highest protection to your devices. Between the service life and the protection capability of a surge protector there is an extremely thin line. Higher arrestor ratings increases capacity of the surge protector to live and survive on a particular system while the less the ratings are, the higher the protection will be. When you are going to be buying a surge protector, you need to keep both the longevity of the equipment you are buying and the protection it will provide you in mind. Don’t buy cheap, you get what you pay for.
Installation of the Equipment
The nearer the surge protector is placed to the equipment in need of protection, the better. Preferably, it should be placed at the terminals where the service is connecting to the equipment loads. We install our surge protectors in the main breaker as close to the main circuit breaker as practical. We also install each surge arrestor on its own two pole circuit breaker. If and when the breaker trips, the surge is over, the two pole breaker will than physically have to be reset or turned back to the on position. The LEDs on the front of the lightning surge arrestor / protector will be lit when the arrestor is energized. If the LEDs are off on the arrestor, it protected you from a major surge and turned itself off in the process. Buy the right equipment for yourself. Stay safe, save your electronics, save your motors, and save your money my having a quality lightning surge arrestor in your home and on your building. The End.
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Lightning Surge Arrestors and Protectors Part #4
Response time
Surge protectors do not quite operate instantaneously; a very slight delay exists. The longer the response time, the longer the connected equipment will be exposed to the surge. However, surges don’t happen instantly either. Surges usually take around a few microseconds to reach their peak voltage, and a surge protector with a nanosecond response time would kick in fast enough to suppress the most damaging portion of the spike saving our electronics, appliances, motors, and light bulbs.
What is a nano second? From Wikipedia: A nanosecond (ns) is one billionth of a second (10−9 s). One nanosecond is to one second as one second is to 31.7 years.
Therefore, response time under standard testing is not a useful measure of a surge protector’s ability when comparing MOV devices. All MOVs have response times measured in nanoseconds, while test waveforms usually used to design and calibrate surge protectors are all based on modeled waveforms of surges measured in microseconds. As a result, MOV-based protectors have no trouble producing impressive response-time specs.
OK, what is a micro second? From Wikipedia: A microsecond is an SI unit of time equal to one millionth (10−6) of a second. Its symbol is µs. A microsecond is equal to 1000 nanoseconds or 1/1000 millisecond. Because the next SI unit is 1000 times larger, measurements of 10−5 and 10−4 seconds are typically expressed as tens or hundreds of microseconds. 1 microsecond (1 μs) – cycle time for frequency 1 x 106 hertz (1 MHz), the inverse unit. This corresponds to radio wavelength 300 m (AM mediumwave band), as can be calculated by multiplying 1 µs by the speed of light (approximately 3×108 m/s) to determine the distance travelled. 1 microsecond – the length of time of a high-speed, commercial strobe light flash.
Slower-responding technologies (notably, GDTs) may have difficulty protecting against fast spikes. Therefore, good designs incorporating slower but otherwise useful technologies usually combine them with faster-acting components, to provide more comprehensive protection.
How does a Lightning Surge Arrestor Work?
A surge arrestor possesses two high voltage terminals, a neutral terminal, and another terminal wired to the ground. When targeted, the lightning surge, or perhaps a switching surge moves towards your precious appliances, traveling down to the arrestor through the power system, the harmful current is diverted around the protective insulation, usually into the earth ground. This is why the ground is so critically vital to safety for both humans, electronics, or any connected load. If you are not sure your ground is perfect, call your master electrician to check and repair or improve it if necessary.
Selection and Application
The concept of lightning surge arrestors is extremely broad with many categories and sub categories to it. Each day, as the sheer number of gadgets increases, so does the requirement for surge arrestors. Anything, and absolutely anything from personal computers to the toaster in the kitchen is susceptible to these surges and spikes and their destructive effects.
During the arrestor application, the main objective of the consumer is to set up the lowest rated surge arrestor. This will be rated such that it should have the most satisfactory service life when it is connected to your power system as it should provide the most protection it can to your gadgets. Preferably, it should be an arrestor of minimum rating as it will then provide the highest protection to your devices. Between the service life and the protection capability of a surge protector there is an extremely thin line. Higher arrestor ratings increases capacity of the surge protector to live and survive on a particular system while the less the ratings are, the higher the protection will be. When you are going to be buying a surge protector, you need to keep both the longevity of the equipment you are buying and the protection it will provide you in mind. Don’t buy cheap, you get what you pay for.
Installation of the Equipment
The nearer the surge protector is placed to the equipment in need of protection, the better. Preferably, it should be placed at the terminals where the service is connecting to the equipment loads. We install our surge protectors in the main breaker as close to the main circuit breaker as practical. We also install each surge arrestor on its own two pole circuit breaker. If and when the breaker trips, the surge is over, the two pole breaker will than physically have to be reset or turned back to the on position. The LEDs on the front of the lightning surge arrestor / protector will be lit when the arrestor is energized. If the LEDs are off on the arrestor, it protected you from a major surge and turned itself off in the process. Buy the right equipment for yourself. Stay safe, save your electronics, save your motors, and save your money my having a quality lightning surge arrestor in your home and on your building. The End.