What is everyone doing for EV surge suppression?

[ka9mnx]

I think what is the marketing back then. It was a big sales push.
Also, possibly some homes would be high up and no trees around it.

I don’t have the figures, but I am sure more electronics are damaged in this country from indirect lightning and electric utility surges than actual lightning hitting a home?

They were very popular on rural farm houses and out buildings where I lived. And yes, salesmen went around selling these things. An easy sell when fear is involved.

I've had damage from four near by lightning strikes. But never a direct hit. The closest, and latest, was to a large oak tree 80 feet from my home. Damage was caused by the huge electromagnetic field that accompanies the lightning bolt. The major factor, and conduit, was all the cat5 cable and house wiring in the attic. Converted the either net cables to WiFi and vulnerable stuff on the mains have surge suppressors. It seems to be working.

 

[alarmguy]

Looks like another strike for me for owning an EV, especially if we end up living in the south.

No, not a concern. I love electronics so in this new home, for fun. I installed a breaker box surge AND an outdoor HVAC unit surge. Plus I have surges on any electronic in the house, including the dishwasher, washing machine, refrigerator and overhead cooktop hood *LOL*
I wonder how many people forget to protect their refrigerator? Today's refrigerators have circuit boards (as washing machines, dishwashers and even my overhead exhaust fan) People forget that. Then we read about failures on circuit boards.

Almost any community built in the last couple decades now have unground utilities. Our last home, on the larger size 3000 sq ft.

16 years old when we just sold it. Our two builder installed 16 old AC units were still working like new. Also passed an HVAC inspection from the buyer. Never had a surge on those two units nor in my breaker box. I did have plug ins on electronics in the home.

Over head power lines in rural areas is an issue. Doing security systems I have done a lot of work on homes with big surges. Kind of creepy in some of them, blew out the appliances etc. Hey much of Long Island is overhead. It's not really that common though. But it does happen.

The lightening can get intense here sometimes. I "only" knew of one home with a direct hit and burned down. Newer large home like ours about 1/2 mile away. ...And because I love lightening, one time, I stood outside our brick front home near the front door overhang, watching the storm and bam, it was close because I felt electricity run through my arm as I had my hand leaning on the brick. The current made its way through the brick I guess cause it was wet. No damage in the home though. SO that was 2 instances in 16 years.

I was standing in that doorway. I will never forget it *LOL* Felt the charge go right up my arm where my hand was touching the brick. There is also a GFCI right below. I dont know where the charge came from. The wiring, ground or upper level.

 

[demarpaint]

Almost any community built in the last couple decades now have unground utilities. Our last home, on the larger size 3000 sq ft.

You bring up some interesting points, as a former L.I.er you remember "Sandy." I had a few customers in the Yacht Club in Island park. There they had underground utilities. They didn't bode well when the area flooded, in fact it took them a lot longer to get up and running because they had to tear into the streets and dig up cables, etc. to replace them. People with old fashioned overhead power were up and running a lot faster.

You probably also know by now, there's no way I'd own an EV, lol. With the recent protests against Elon/Doge and the vandalism to Tesla cars drove insurance prices on them around here a lot higher, even though I didn't see any of them vandalized. Go figure.

 

[alarmguy]

They were very popular on rural farm houses and out buildings where I lived. And yes, salesmen went around selling these things. An easy sell when fear is involved.

I've had damage from four near by lightning strikes. But never a direct hit. The closest, and latest, was to a large oak tree 80 feet from my home. Damage was caused by the huge electromagnetic field that accompanies the lightning bolt. The major factor, and conduit, was all the cat5 cable and house wiring in the attic. Converted the either net cables to WiFi and vulnerable stuff on the mains have surge suppressors. It seems to be working.

I was in so many homes like that. If you had a security system I might have been in yours. *LOL*
I know an instance where it hit a nearby tree and may have jumped to the overhead power lines. When I arrived people were on the phone with thier insurance company but they had more damage to appliances. I see A LOT of those lightening rods.

Ironically where I dont see them is on the farms we did. Chicken coops, and quail. That was the worst. EVERY darn storm once of our team would have to go out on a call right away. It would knock our monitoring system out, typically we had to replace the entire panel and of course it would be late day thunderstorms and it was critical and had to be done right away because the system monitors the feed and water systems, not a security system per se but the equipment to monitor. Those coops were like one giant lightening rod. All metal buildings, 10s of thousands of birds. You get used to it but it's gross. Typically the panels are in a sub building attached but some are not and you have to walk through the birds and try not to step on them.

 

[alarmguy]

You bring up some interesting points, as a former L.I.er you remember "Sandy." I had a few customers in the Yacht Club in Island park. There they had underground utilities. They didn't bode well when the area flooded, in fact it took them a lot longer to get up and running because they had to tear into the streets and dig up cables, etc. to replace them. People with old fashioned overhead power were up and running a lot faster.

You probably also know by now, there's no way I'd own an EV, lol. With the recent protests against Elon/Doge and the vandalism to Tesla cars drove insurance prices on them around here a lot higher, even though I didn't see any of them vandalized. Go figure.

Yeah, Sandy was something, we dont get salt water flooding here, unless you buy a small million dollar beach house to multi million.
I know Sandy well. I was already in the south but a sibling had a house on the Great South Bay in massapequa.
Lived there for decades in a more modern type home, not those older fisherman bay homes. The water went up a few feet into the second floor of the 3 story house. Now they are safe and dry here near the Carolina Coast. Never another flood worry for them.

I remember the photos of the streets. Looked like a snow plow came down the roads to clear all the possessions and furniture people were throwing out.

 

[demarpaint]

Yeah, Sandy was something, we dont get salt water flooding here, unless you buy a small million dollar beach house to multi million.
I know Sandy well. I was already in the south but a sibling had a house on the Great South Bay in massapequa.
Lived there for decades in a more modern type home, not those older fisherman bay homes. The water went up a few feet into the second floor of the 3 story house. Now they are safe and dry here near the Carolina Coast. Never another flood worry for them.

I remember the photos of the streets. Looked like a snow plow came down the roads to clear all the possessions and furniture people were throwing out.

One of my best customers in the Yacht club lost two cars, and had fish swimming in his living room. IIRC the water mark was up a little over 3' on the ground floor of his unit. Sadly I had finished painting his place about a month before the storm. It took close to two years to get things sorted out there.

 

[alarmguy]

EV surge protection, here is my suggestion. It's really simple.

Installed a break box surge protector AND I would also install another (because I am anal) at the charger. Simple stuff but if you are not handy by ALL MEANS have an electrician install them. Simple job, easy stuff but know what you are doing.

Examples. I am a fan of Eaton but that means nothing.
https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-whole-house-surge-protector/

At the actual charger outlet I am a fan of Intermatic that I use on my HVAC units but that also means nothing *LOL*
https://electricvehiclegeek.com/ev-charger-surge-protection/

 

[nobb]

Here in Canada, residential power consists of L1, L2, N, G going in the panel. 240VAC service is taken from L1 and L2. I've always installed a whole home surge protector in my houses as I figure it's cheap insurance. With these surge protectors, it's protecting L1 and L2 relative to N and G. So even though it's a 120VAC surge protector, since it's protecting L1 and L2, it should also be protecting your 240VAC service as well.