Edit: Updated on 09/27/2020 to include detailed step by step how to guide for installing the Eaton CHSPT2ULTRA
[qa qa=”Whole House Surge Protectors and destructive surge defense|How often do destructive surges occur and how can I protect against them?|A whole house surge protector is the only protector capable of protecting in the event of destructive surges. These types of surges are quite rare – perhaps once every six years. But in terms of magnitude, these surges are potentially destructive to everything in a house – refrigerator, GFCIs, furnace, dimmer switches, garage door opener, clock radios, central air, LED & CFL bulbs, and smoke detectors.”]
Almost everything in your home (except your couch and other furniture pieces) relies on electricity. If anything goes wrong in the electrical system, the entire house will be affected and at risk. This single fact means that you are not immune to a power surge if it occurs.
The whole house surge protector protects all your electronic devices and electrical appliances from power surges. Luckily a whole house surge protector can help protect every single outlet in your home against both internal and external power surges.
What does a whole house surge protector do?
A whole-house surge protector acts as a voltage breaker. It will continuously regulate the voltage that flows through your wiring. Connected to the circuits in the electrical panel, a whole-house surge protector works by redirecting the surge.
They do so by blocking or grounding the high voltage flow and limiting the current that flows through your house. Think of it as a pressure relief valve. This is different from other types of protectors that may attempt to absorb the surge.
Is it affordable?
The best defense against electrical spikes is the installation of a whole house surge protector in your home. A whole house surge protection device is an affordable option that is capable of protecting your electrical devices from up to 80% of power surges. The average cost is $100 to $250. You can expect a whole house surge protector to last between 2 and 5 years.
This article provides a comprehensive buyer’s guide to the leading whole house surge protectors on the market; this includes reviews and photos. Whole house surge protectors require electrical installation. So we will also walk you through a step-by-step installation tutorial.
In a rush to find the answers? Our comprehensive research and comparison has led to the choice of Eaton CHSPT2ULTRA as our top pick. It is true that the CHSPT2ULTRA can help protect the appliances and electronics in your home form those frequent and unpredictable voltage boosts. Overall I am impressed with how well it works. Priced under $100, it is one of the best whole home surge protectors that offers great value for money.
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Whole-house surge protection type 1 refers to an SPDs (surge protection device). These act as a defender of the overvoltage of the whole house. When a surge protective device senses a transient voltage spike, it uses internal components called Metal Oxide Varistors (MOVs). PH and PV products of Eaton are devices with filtering and get connected to a home’s electrical service box for working.
You need both power strip and whole-house surge protectors to protect your home from the majority of power surges. whole home protection is great for large power surges which originates from outside your home. With these surge protectors, there can be a protection to sensitive electronic equipment from transients and electrical wiring line noise.
Whole-house surge protectors by Eaton
Eaton is an absolute brand leader in electrical equipment. They are a fierce market competitor in whole house surge protectors, in addition to standard electrical receptacles, UPS battery backups, and wiring devices.
They have the location at the place where one can easily access it. Nowadays, there are modern surge protectors that shunt power surges using metal oxide varistors names as MOVs.
If Eaton’s PH and PV devices get installed in the right way, then the protection would be great. There is a need to install these devices in series with the load. Only small capacitive current gets drawn from the line by these PH and PV devices. The portion of disturbance will get removes by these devices if there will be any electrical surges or line noise.
Review of the Eaton Whole House Surge Protector CHSPT2ULTRA
[displayproduct prepend_title=”🏆 ” asin=”B01AQAKRSS” p_1_headbig=”About the Eaton CHSPT2ULTRA:” p_1=”The Eaton whole house surge protector (model CHSPT2ULTRA) is a great product to provide safety against electrical shocks. There is a need of at least 30K amps for the surge protection to work efficiently. This surge protector is amazing as it comes with 108kA with which it can probably block a couple more surges.” p_2=”There are some modes of protection that should be there in surge protection devices such as L-N stands for the line to neutral, L-G stands for the line to ground, L-L stands for line to line, and N-G stands for neutral to ground. The Eaton CHSPT2ULTRA surge protection device comes with all these comprehensive modes of protection. ” p_3=”The Short Circuit Current Rating of this surge protector is 22kA SCCR, which is decently good and well above many industry brands. There is a really good Voltage Protective Rating of this device, which helps to let-through a surge protection device after a power surge gets blocked. The voltage-protective ratings of these products are L-N as 600V, L-G as 600V, L-L as 1000V, and N-G as 800V.” p_4=”This device comes with NEMA Enclosure Type 4, which keeps the dirt, water, and other stuff out, making this device a great choice for indoor and outdoor use. It doesn’t protect against direct lightning strikes. You should use a 2-pole 50 Amp circuit breaker for this device. This model of the whole Eaton surge protectors uses some of the shortest lead lengths. It can surge up to 108,000 volts safely and efficiently.” p_5_head=”Attributes:” p_5_ul=”Maximum Surge Current Capacity (MSCC): 108,000 amps |Enclosure Type: NEMA 4, indoor or outdoor |Alarm or Indicator Light: Yes |Type: 2 |Certifications: UL, cUL |Weight: 1 pound|Product Dimensions: 2.4 x 5.2 x 7.5 inches|Warranty: Lifetime” pros=”Great price |Very easy to use |Equipped with really bright LED lights indicators |SCCR of 22kA |Universally connects to any manufacturer’s breaker box |Easy to install |Great protection|Whole house protection” cons=”Can have an issue with pigtail|A new 50 amp double pole circuit breaker may be needed|Some of the wires are very short|DIY or It has high installation cost” comment=”🏆 Best Whole House Surge Protector” ]
DIY Guide to Installing an Eaton Whole House Surge Protector [CHSPT2ULTRA]
As I’ve stated, whole house surge protectors certainly provide elevated levels of safety for your home appliances. But the challenge is that these devices are not what we would call plug and play. Although it does not take extreme expertise, you do have to be somewhat handy to perform the installation.
You can always opt to call your local electrician. But if you do want to take a shot at installing your eaton whole house surge protector by yourself, here is the step-by-step guide. DIYers, let’s get ready to install…
Total Time Needed :
120
Minutes
Total Cost:
95
USD
Required Tools:
Things Needed?
Steps to install the Eaton Whole House Surge Protector:
Step 1
While installing an Eaton whole house surge protector, you should place the Eaton PH and PV device close to the load you want to get protected so that it can get optimal protection. Try keeping the wiring of the device as short and straight as possible from the Eaton output terminals to the electronic equipment’s input terminals. In such a way, the device would not act as an antenna and avoid picking up high-frequency noise from the environment. It is not obligatory for the wiring length to the input terminals of the Eaton PH and PV to be short as it is not critical.
Step 2
Have you ever felt the pain of an electrical shock? Spoiler Alert: That crap hurts. So, in an effort to avoid that at all costs, lets practice SAFETY FIRST.
Before installing an Eaton whole house surge protector:
A.) You should Turn Off and Lock Out all power sources to the electric circuit before installing an Eaton whole house surge protector so that there would not be a risk of getting an electrical shock
B.) Use a portable voltmeter or other measuring devices to verify the disconnection of the power
Step 3
DIN rails are designed for securely attaching electrical products. In every Eaton chspt2ultra device, there would be a DIN Rail and two mounting screws to enclosure mounting. Do these two steps engage the DIN rail:
A.) By using the DIN Rail as a template, you’ll do the drilling of appropriate hole sizes. The hole size would depend on the material and thickness of the screws.
B.) When you secure the DIN rail, you have to engage the Eaton Whole House Surge Protector base of the DIN Clip onto the DIN Rail.
C.) You would have to compress the DIN clip spring until engaging in the DIN Rails with the opposite side of the DIN Clip hook. For this, you would be a need to push the enclosure towards the Input terminal side of the enclosure bottom.
D.) After compressing the DIN clip spring, it’s time to release the DIN clip’s spring pressure. All this process would secure the surge protector enclosure to the DIN Rail.
Step 4
It would be helpful to follow the wiring diagram that comes with your device. I’ll also provide you some helpful tips to simplify the wiring process. You have to go on the input side of the Eaton device to install an overcurrent protection device. The following are some wiring instruction for Eaton PH device:
A.) From the overcurrent protection device, you have to take the wire to the input terminal of the Eaton chspt2ultra surge protector. The terminals on the device have marked as L, N, and G.
B.) To match the amperage of the Eaton overcurrent protection device you have to select wire gauge
C.) Select and ensure that you got the wires of the proper color. The ground can be green or yellow. The neutral should be of white or light blue, and the phase should be black or red. It would make it easy to detect the wiring onwards if there would be any need.
D.) After selecting the wires, now tighten all input and output terminal connections to 9 lb-in.
E.) You have to take the wire from the Eaton PH output terminals to the input terminals of the load you want to get protected.
F.) Now again, you need to tight all input and output terminal connections to 9 lb-in.
Step 5
Ok. Time to finish up the last few steps to get Eaton whole house surge protector operational.
A.) Go ahead and install the terminal block covers by pressing them into place on both the input and output terminals.
B.) There would be one N .O and one N .C contact in case the Form C contact gets used for remote monitoring. You can see the labeling of the terminal connections on the top of the enclosure.
C.) If you want to activate the system, you have to connect the Form C output terminals to an alarm, building monitoring system, or light.
D.) Now you should tight all Form C terminal connections to 4 lb-in to avoid any risk onwards.
E.) You should recheck all the connections to ensure there is nothing to worry about it.
F.) Now, as the installation got done so, you can restore power to the electrical circuit.
G.) You can check the status of the system through a green LED indicator as it would get illuminated.
Step 6
Anytime you complete an electrical installation, it is especially important to ensure all of your connections are tight and the wires are secured. In addition to that, you’ll need to monitor your Eaton Whole House Surge Protector on a regular basis. Check monthly to make sure that the LED indicators on you surge protector are displaying properly. If you ever experience a massive power surge at your home, you should immediately check your Eaton chspt2ultra to ensure it is still functioning properly.
Eaton is great, but it’s not your only option for a whole house surge protector…
The surge protection market is huge and there are multiple players. Both Levington and Seimens have models that are worth mentioning. Although not as popular, these are equally effective in protecting your home against sudden spikes in voltage.
[displayproduct prepend_title=”2. ” asin=”B013WINMK6″ p_1_headbig=”About the Siemens FS140:” p_1=”The Siemens FS140 Surge Protection device is of quality materials and is durable for long-lasting use. This surge protector contains all the four major modes of protections that include, L-N, L-G, and N-G and L-L mode, which ensures that this device would work efficiently.” p_2=”It meets the standard of maximum continuous operating Voltage. When the model is in L-N, L-G, and N-G modes, it provides a maximum continuous operating voltage of 150 volts. If it’s in L-L mode, it can also provide 300 volts. In the L-N, L-G, and N-G modes, this model will provide voltage protective rating of 600 volts, and in L-L mode, the user can attain 900 volts of protection as this surge protector can manage a surge of up to 140,000 amps, so it is for larger homes. ” p_3=”Whenever there is any problem with your home’s electrical grid, you would get alert that would indicate that there is a problem. You would get to know about the alert or notifications through audible alarms and a series of color-coded lights. Each set of sounds and lights represents one type of notification or warning. This model is of type 4, which makes it an outdoor grade enclosure. You get ten years of warranty with this surge protector device. It protects against electrical power surges entering from the main telephone connection or other applications. You would get peace of mind by installing this surge protector in your house.” p_4_head=”Attributes:” p_4_ul=”Modes of Protection: L-L=900V, L-N, L-G, N-G=600V|Dimensions: 10 x 6 x 4 inches.|Certifications: UL 1449|Item weight: 0.01 ounces” pros=”Response time of less than one nanosecond.|Use for both indoors and outdoors.|Attentive and knowledgeable customer service|Well-made and durable|Minimalistic appearance|Three types of commercial class notifiers|Easy to use|Modes of protection|Easy to install” cons=”Threads stripped|More price|Quite large|Difficult to fit under breaker box”]
[displayproduct prepend_title=”3. ” asin=”B000U3FZ34″ p_1_headbig=”About the Leviton Whole Home Surge Protector:” p_1=”Leviton 51120-3 3-Phase Panel Protector meets standards for Category A, B, and C environments for operation and safety, which makes it a great option to get. For homeowners who have numerous sensitive electronics in their house, it would be good. This surge protector provides two basic 150 volts (L-N) and 300 volts (L-L) Maximum Continuous Operating Voltage.” p_2=”The Leviton 51120-1’s provides two Voltage protecting ratings, including an 800 volt and 1,200-volt VPR for its L-N and L-L modes, respectively. One can go for lower Voltage protecting ratings if they are homeowners with a variety of sensitive electronics.” p_3=”In this surge protector model, you would get four modes of protection in which the main ones are L-L and L-N, and it can have N-G and L-G. This model can provide around 26,000 amps of protection and can protect most mid-sized homes with ease. You can get this model as it’s a good option if you want to protect your house from an unexpected power surge. This model can also withstand light outdoor wear. ” p_4_head=”Attributes:” p_4_ul=”Type: 2 |Modes of Protection: 4|Product Dimensions: 8.25 x 8 x 4.75 inches|Certifications: UL, NEMA 1|Item Weight: 3.2 ounces|Voltage: 240 volts|Warranty Description: 10 Year Limited|Type of Bulb: LED” pros=”Highest specifications for single-phase residential use|The strong metal design|Durable and reliable|Offers four modes of protection|Displays the current status|Real-time visual indicators|Comes with a 10-year warranty” cons=”Specifically for indoor use only|Slightly expensive” ]
As you can see, you have quite a few options as you look to protect your home (and your valuable devices) from unexpected power surges. Picking the right whole house surge protector can be overwhelming. But whether you are installing an eaton whole house surge protector, or decide on another model, we hope the information provided in this article helps :-).
Eaton is a brand leader in whole house surge protectors, but I thought I’d mention these others for comparison:
[productthumbs meta=”Whole-House-Surge-Protectors” includelinks=”no” asins=”B0052MG5K0,B00SBC0LTE,B00UICHLEI,B01MFFHQG6″]
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Sergio “Dr Surge” Miller
Best Surge Protection Staff Writer
Sergio Miller has been a staff writer at Best Surge Protection since 2016. He has been a science journalist for over eight years, covering a wide variety of topics, from computer algorithms to high tech electronics. Since joining Best Surge Protection, he has researched, tested, and written about surge protectors, power banks, generators, water heaters, and more.