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FAQs

Surge Suppression Q&A

Question:   What is a Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) and how does it work?
Answer:     A MOV is a sintered ceramic component with a suspended metal oxide screen. It acts much like a solid state switch, creating a low impedance path to ground. It is voltage dependent and begins to conduct when voltage on one surface exceeds a given threshold. This threshold is determined by the thickness of the component. The opposite side of the MOV is connected to the ground.

Question:   What is the response time?
Answer:     Measured in nanoseconds (billionths of a second), Surge Suppression Incorporated products have extremely fast response times due to the short internal MOV lead lengths as well as the application of other fast response components. Aside from lead lengths, all MOV’s have similar response times, however the response time of the complete device is affected by other components as well as the MOV lead lengths. Most manufacturers claim a “response time” for their products and while this is an important consideration, most claimed response times are simply that. Claims of picosecond or “instantaneous” response times are largely false and should be disregarded.

Question:   What is clamping voltage?
Answer:     Clamping Voltage is the initial voltage point at which a MOV begins to conduct voltage and draws one milliamp or more of current. This is simply the point at which the MOV begins to operate.

Question:   What is let-through-voltage?
Answer:     Let-through-voltage is the left over surge energy to which your equipment is exposed after the surge suppression device has done its job. Lower is better.

Question:   Will it save me electricity?
Answer:     Absolutely not! If someone tries to sell you a surge suppression device as an energy saver, he/she will most likely end up on 60 Minutes! Hopefully, this practice is a thing of the past.

Question:   Will it make my electrical equipment, lighting, etc. last longer?
Answer:     Yes. By removing the damaging transients from these types of equipment, the life expectancy will be increased by as much as 50%.

Question:   Will it protect me from a direct lightning strike?
Answer:     If lightning strikes your equipment directly, nothing manmade can protect that equipment. However, if lightning strikes the power lines, a tree, or the earth and travels into your facility via the electrical system, a quality, properly sized surge suppression device can control the effects of that lightning strike and reduce damage to your electrical and electronic equipment. Field tests have proven that a three level cascade of quality, properly sized surge suppression devices on an electrical system can reduce the energy of a significant lightning strike to an insignificant level at the output of the third surge suppression device.

Question:   What happens if it fails? Will it turn my power off?
Answer:     No. MOV's self sacrifice in a "dead short" mode. When this happens the MOV ruptures and goes off line (opens). Additionally, the NEC requires that SPD's be connected to the protected circuit via a circuit interrupt device (fuses or circuit breakers). The worst that could happen is that you might lose power to the circuit to which the SPD device is connected.

Question:   Will it catch fire or explode?
Answer:     When properly applied and installed, surge suppression products should not explode. The most common cause of this type of failure is using a device that is too small for the application, or is not properly fused. Surge Suppression Incorporated requires a complete facility survey to assure that this type of misapplication does not occur.

Question:   How long will it last?
Answer:     The life of an MOV based product is determined by the number, duration and intensity of surges that the component sees over its lifetime. The key to making a MOV last longer is to eliminate the heat that causes the MOV to degrade. Surge Suppression Incorporated foes that by encapsulating the surge suppression components in our exclusive thermal stress reducing encapsulation compound. The result is effective surge suppression that does not degrade over time, as do most MOV based suppression devices. The real measure of life expectancy if the manufacturer's warranty. Surge Suppression Incorporated guarantees their products for twenty-five (25) years. This is a "no hassle" direct replacement warranty.

Question:   How will I know if it is still working?
Answer:     The lights will be on. If the indicator light(s) are not illuminated, the device should be assumed to be non-functional. Call 888-987-8877 to report this situation and arrange for a replacement unit.

Question:   What if I have three phase electrical service?
Answer:     Surge Suppression Incorporated is a full line surge suppression manufacturer. What this means to you is that we have devices for all types of electrical applications. We also manufacture devices for telephone and data transmission applications.