How To Install A Defiant Surge Protector
April 09, 2014
Like that it screws into the outlet so when you have to pull plugs out the surge protector stays in the wall. No need to keep plugging it back in like others brands we have seen on the market. Also, like no long cord hanging down the wall. The green lights to show that it's working and protected.
Protect Your Pellet Stove with a Surge Protector & Updated Wiring
Connecting your pellet stove to a surge protector effectively protects digital control boards. I have mine connected to one at all times. They keep damaging surges caused by electrical storms or faulty wiring from cripling your pellet stove. Granted a large voltage spike from an intense electrical storm can immediately blow out a circuit board or control panel. However just like small doses of arsenic in humans, small voltage swings can create accumulative damage of time. In other words this damage can slowly poison the components in the control panel making it act flakey. This condition makes it very hard to diagnose the issue. For example, I worked on 2 Breckwell Big E pellet stoves. Great stoves that crank out alot of heat. Both stoves had no surge protection and after power fluctuations the room fan speed would no longer increase as the heat level was increased. The stove worked but did not put out much heat. After installing a new control panel the stoves heated like new again.
GFCI outlets are not needed for pellet stoves. The older pellet stoves ground design can actually keep tripping a GFI. I had a 1996 Breckwell P2000 that would not stay running on a GFCI.
Ground and polarity is also an important reason to consider using a surge protector. This is most relevant for older Whitfield Pellet Stoves which do not have a modern grounding design. They may have ground loops and be a shock hazard inside the stove. Not having a good ground polarity can be a real safety hazard. This can be checked with a simple polarity or phase tester.
The Breckwell Big E manual on Page 9 states what needs to be changed in an older home with a 2 wire outlet and no ground.
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION
This stove is provided with a 6-foot grounded electrical cord
extending from the rear of the stove. We recommend connecting to
a good quality surge protector that is plugged into a standard threeprong,
120V, 60 Hz electrical outlet. Voltage variations can lead to
serious performance problems. The Breckwell electrical system is
designed for 120V AC with no more than 5% variation. Breckwell
cannot accept responsibility for poor performance or damage due to
inadequate voltage. If connected to an older, two-prong outlet, a
separate ground wire should be run to a proper ground (refer this to
a qualified technician). Always route the electrical cord so that it will
not come in contact with any hot part of the stove.
This grounding issue can be exemplified with our old Glenwood kitchen stove. It was an old 3 wire stove.It had two hot wires and a neutral also used as the ground. However, there was no complete wiring of the neutral to a common bus. The front mounted control panel had the neutral grounded to this metal panel so to complete the circuit, the current ran through the stove body! It seemed like a good design at the time. Also it may have saved manufacturing costs for not using the proper amount of ground and neutral wires!
The problem with this configuration is that as the stove got older, the screws that hold the front metal panel to the stove got very rusty! This resulted in a very poor electrical connection. One day my wife was wiping the counter with a sponge in one hand and coincidently turned on the stove with the other hand. Current always flows through the path of least resistance and went right through her instead of those rusty old screws. Stove designers didn't realize that flaw back then. Thankfully she was ok, but I have heard of cases where people lose their eyesight from the current. The nerves in the eyes are like a weak filament in a light bulb.
The kitchen stoves we have today never run neutral to the stove body. That is why we have a 4 wire stoves. Another reason is if the neutral breaks connection and touches the stove body, the current still makes a solid run to the electrical box and not through us. It helps protect us from power surges and lightning.
Polarity was more important years ago for two prong household wiring and appliances (No separate case ground wire). If the polarity is reversed then the neutral and case of the appliance can become hot and give you a shock. This is the exact condition that trips a GFCI breaker! Back then household appliances such as hair dryers had metal cases instead of the plastic ones we see today. Pellet stoves still currently have a metal shell so polarity may still be an issue. If the polarity is incorrect, then the On/Off button which normally turns the power off where the hot line enters the stove, will disconnect the power upon exit. Even though the stove is off, there may be power in the stove that can cause a shock hazzard and give the wrong side of sensitive components on a digital circuit board a high potential. Even a surge protector cannot eliminate this safety hazard to you and hazard to the circuit board or control panel!
If you are looking for a surge protector, East Coast Hearth can help. Here are some links below to surge protectors and a Multi tester to help determine if your AC voltage is too high or too low.
There are two types of common surge protectors:
You can purchase it here with PayPal or a major credit card. Orders can also be called in by phone
http://www.eastcoasthearth.com/collections/pellet-stove-accessories/products/surge-protector-pellet-stove-defiant
The UltraBlok428 is the highest rated by absorbing up to 1,410 joules
You can purchase it here with PayPal or a major credit card. Orders can also be called in by phone
http://www.eastcoasthearth.com/collections/pellet-stove-accessories/products/tripp-lite-ultrablok-isobar-surge-protector-suppressor-2-outlets-direct-plug-in-1410-joules
Too high or too low AC line voltage can also create problems and keep your pellet stove from running right
The voltage should be 115 plus or minus 5 volts AC
You can easily measure this with our multi tester
You can purchase it here with PayPal or a major credit card. Orders can also be called in by phone
http://www.eastcoasthearth.com/collections/pellet-stove-accessories/products/ohm-meter-pellet-stove-tester-digital-multi-meter
Most of us lead lives filled with electrical gadgets. We have computers and televisions,toasters and mixers. Each member of the family has a phone or tablet or another item that needs recharging. So many gizmos, all competing for limited electrical outlets.
Our need to access multiple outlets to power all this technology is higher than ever. But many homes and offices predate our electronics-dependent lifestyle and are equipped with an inadequate number of outlets. When that’s the case, people often turn to surge protector power strips.
Surge protector plug strips help us get around a lack of outlets. They multiply a single plug into one that can handle half a dozen items. Also, they protect against electrical power surges. As a temporary solution, power strips are adequate. But as a long-term answer, plug strips don’t make the grade.
Surge Protector Receptacles: A Better Way to Power Up
Some people go a little crazy when it comes to connecting plug strips, installing one in just about every corner of the house. There’s a safer and more attractive way to get the outlets you want and the protection you need.
An electrical contractor can install surge protector receptacles in your home or business. What is a surge protector receptacle? It’s a wall outlet with built-in surge protection. If you don’t have the outlets to meet your requirements, you’ll love the convenience of wall outlets with surge protection. No more darn plug strips to clutter the floor!
Prairie Electric can replace your standard wall outlets with Pass & Seymour surge suppressor receptacles. With these, you can safely plug any of your expensive electricals directly into the wall unit.
Can I Plug a Surge Protector Into Another Surge Protector?
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You should never plug one surge protector into another. Surge protectors don’t always come with directions. Many people aren’t aware that there is a right way to use these devices.
When you piggyback one surge protector onto another, you’re creating hazardous electrical issues. These safety devices aren’t designed to plug into one another.
Nearly 20 percent of all failures and fires stemming from surge protectors happen as a result of daisy chains, according to a publication by the U.S. Office of Compliance.
Interconnecting surge protectors, each with devices plugged into them, then feeding them into a single source at the wall burdens the units. More electrical current runs through the devices than is safe, causing an overload that has the potential to start a fire or trip a circuit breaker.
Daisy chains overload the surge protection technology, putting your electricals at risk during power surges. If you must use a power strip as a temporary solution, stick to one at a time. For a long-term fix, contact Prairie Electric to install a surge protector receptacle.
Prairie Electric is a full-service electrical contractor ready to help with your next project. Contact us today.