[Sandy and Ed]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

If a $350 device attached to your electric meter is needed to prevent harmful power surges in your house, why doesn't the power company incorporate the device into the meter in the first place? I think it is shameful for the power company to try to sell an add-on product to your house for extra profit, that is obviously not needed or it would already be part of their equipment.

Amen to that. Or simply bury the cost of this “extra” (??) protection into their rate (it’s not like you can go to competition). All homes should have surge protection at the meter added as part of SECO standard installation. Also why not include as part of building code?

[Ptmckiou]

Our electric company came out and installed one for free. We upgraded the warranty to include all electronics and I believe it’s $11 a month. Covers everything with the upgrade, otherwise around $5 a month and doesn’t cover electronics.

[jrref]

Whole house surge protectors reduce the level of the incoming surge so your individual surge protectors at your electronics have a better chance of stopping the surge and protecting your equipment. Surge protection is a multi step process. Whole house surge protectors are best located at the source, i.e., your meter because as one responder correctly stated you want as little distance as possible between the power source and the surge protector to catch very fast spikes but the ones installed in your electrical panel will work fine as well.

The power company supplied surge protector will give you the most protection for your appliances such as your HVAC system where you can't install individual surge protectors. You appliances should be covered by the insurance.

Although nothing is 100% especially if you house takes a direct hit or a hit very close by, it's worth the money to get a whole house surge protector.

[FredJacobs]

Originally Posted by ohhtay

Can anyone give a recommendation and price on a whole house surge protector?

Lenart Electric sells and installs one for about $150. It's usually advertised in the Daily Sun.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by FredJacobs

Lenart Electric sells and installs one for about $150. It's usually advertised in the Daily Sun.

I do like the idea of installing it outside our house to hopefully eliminate or reduce surge before it gets into our house.

[Oneiric]

When we bought our house, A1 Lightning Protecton Services installed a lightning rod system that came with a Ditek D50 whole house surge protector on the electric panel and small individual surge protectors on each appliance. In 8 years, we have had no damage, while several of my neighbors without lightning protection and whole house surge protector have had all of their electronics and/or appliances destroyed.
For us,the cost was well worth the protection and peace of mind.

[tallyhoer]

Lenart Electric. $175. Connected to main electric box

[Windguy]

I don’t know if anyone can realistically recommend a specific surge protector. The best you can hope for is a negative review to know who to eliminate. I have a Pike-installed system ($300 in 2015) with individual protectors on all the expensive stuff and also on the co-ax coming in for cable.

It’s like insurance. You don’t really know if it’s any good until you need it. I’ve not been hit, so I can’t say it’s good. If I had been hit and my stuff was still damaged, then I could give you a negative review.

One thing to keep in mind (besides price) is the joule capacity, which is how much energy it can absorb. The bigger the better.

Another thing to remember is that protectors are good for one hit, as the sacrifice themselves. Pike said a replacement would cost the same as a new installation.

[Dana1963]

I'll wait for the VillageTinkerer to chime in we have one installed on side of the home from SECO.
Unless poster are Electrical Engineers it's blah, blah, blah.

[Lightning]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

SECO charges $349, or you can rent it for $5.95 per month. There are a lot of other threads on this topic. Do a search. The surge protector is attached to the back side of your electric meter. Most people don't have them. In my opinion, they are not worth buying because they don't provide much protection to your house, and, if you have damage, the warranty will exclude almost everything. Read the warranty.

SECO's meter-based surge protectors are highly reliable for surges that come through the power lines. However, you still need point-of-use surge protectors for all high valued appliances and electronics for surges from other sources such as telephone, cable, and even induction into the homes wiring. Many fail to route coax cable for TVs though a surge protector. This is only for INDIRECT lightning strikes. If your concern is a DIRECT lightning strike consider a lightning protection system installed by a UL listed contractor. There is considerable supporting information elsewhere on this site.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Dana1963

Unless poster are Electrical Engineers it's blah, blah, blah.

But I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[Rick M]

I did the same thing as a new consumer with Duke electric how can you beat it.

[Proveone]

Originally Posted by ohhtay

Can anyone give a recommendation and price on a whole house surge protector?

If you are on SECO, rent it by the month or buy it from them outright. It has a ten year replacement warranty.

[Driller703]

Originally Posted by ohhtay

Can anyone give a recommendation and price on a whole house surge protector?

We just moved in to a new designer home in Hawkins. It already had one in place when we bought it. An electrician pointed it out to us.

[villagetinker]

Originally Posted by Dana1963

I'll wait for the VillageTinkerer to chime in we have one installed on side of the home from SECO.
Unless poster are Electrical Engineers it's blah, blah, blah.

VT here, we have the SECO unit, and when there was a very close in lightning strike, the neighbor suffered around $7000 is damages, we had nothing inside, about 18 months later the cable TV feed failed. The neighbor's damage was almost all outdoor equipment, GFCIs, pool computer, pool pumps, landscape lighting, etc, and I think a few inside the house. We believe the strike was to a pole or sign post about 75 feet from each house.

There is a situation called 'ground potential rise' which occurs during a close in strike, and this can cause the lightning strike surge to be conducted into the house by ANY conductor that leaves the house and is in the vicinity of the strike. The SECO units help with reducing these surges, and individual surge protectors on sensitive electronics provide additional protection.

IMHO, I believe these are useful items, either in the breaker panel or in the meter base.

VERY IMPORTANT, make sure any power strips you but that state "surge protector" are actually UL rated (tested) as SURGE PROTECTORS and not as extensions cords, as I recall the correct UL standard is 1449.