Floyd wrote:
Looked like a power hit but there were no storms
in the area, so it was the powerco sending out trash power,
voltage up and down, surges, etc.
The manager of the other system on Seabrook Island, just
down the road, said they were getting voltage readings on a
480V line of 420-540V,
It was exactly the time my AC unit board blew out
She says the powerco won't guarantee clean power on the
Island, so we are all pretty much screwed on the cost of
the equipment. Nice. So I need to look at getting some
surge protectors on my AC units (220V 30A circuits) -- are
there line surge protectors I can wire in at the shutoffs
by the units? Or at the panel?
The best place for that kind of protection is at the service
entrance. I know there are devices that sorta attached
between the meter and the meter base. That will do a _great_
job of keeping the uglies out of the house. It will _not_
keep lightning out if the strike is close by - 'cause it will
come in through the walls and "infect" all electrically
conductive substances.
I guess I need to get some little UPSs or surge protectors
for my TVs and stereo equipment too. I have been thinking
about that anyway as there are lightning hits around quite
often, so that makes sense, and now with the AC unit.
The basic job of a UPS is to replace the power when gets too
low. It may do nothing if it's too high.
SurgeX is a top brand for high quality TVSS (transient
voltage suppression system), especially for audio, video, and
other system that have non-power wires between gear plugged
into different outlets.
Lowell Mfg makes good units for similar applications.
That said, if the air conditioner is NOT connected to any
other gear plugged into other outlets, a cheap MOV TVSS is
suitable. Keep in mind, the MOV is a sacrificial type
protector and once it's "worn out" it usually fails
silently. That is, everything still works, but the
protection is gone.
The idea in almost all TVS systems is to short the supply
line anytime the voltage is too high. This happens very
fast. But if the transient is big enough, or long enough, it
will trip the fuse or circuit breaker. So for computer gear,
it's a good idea to put the TVSS in front of the UPS.
Also, I recall Mitch mentioning some forums recommending a
independent ground rod for the air conditioner.
!!! THIS IS A BAD IDEA !!!
It will _cause_ problems, not solve them. And it's
dangerous. NEC (National Electric Code) is very clear about
NOT using independent grounds rods. ALL ground wires MUST
connect to one ground point. The ground point can have
multiple rods connected together but all service equipment
grounds must be connected at the same place.
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