How to Wire a Whole House Surge Protector

Installing a whole house surge protector has become a topic of increasing interest to many householders. Investing in such protection is being seen as a worthwhile cost in relation to the expense of replacing equipment destroyed by an electrical surge.

Electrical surges affecting your home can be caused by lightning strikes or by incidental power surges originating from the utility supply. In certain cases, even normal changes in the operating cycles of power-hungry equipment can cause power spikes in your domestic electrical supply.

A whole house surge protector operates by detecting such electrical surges as they enter the main circuit board. Such a surge will cause the surge protector to instantly disconnect supply to the circuit board and redirect the incoming electrical power to the ground wire where the charge will dissipate.

To ensure complete safety, it is recommended that electrical switching equipment should be installed by a qualified electrician. It is also important to follow any state or federal regulations when such devices are installed.

The following steps explain the basic method of how to wire a whole house surge protector unit.

Step 1: Locate the Circuit Breaker Box

Find the main electrical circuit breaker box to your home and gain access by opening or unscrewing and removing the front cover. Turn the main electricity supply lever to the “Off” position.

Step 2: Decide Location for Protector Unit

Examine the circuit breaker panel and consider if there is space to fit the whole house surge protector unit within the box. (The closer the unit is fitted to the circuit breakers the more effective its response.)  If there is insufficient space in the box you should remove a “knockout” panel from the side of the box that is nearest to the neutral bus (or ground terminals) bar.

Step 3: Remove Knockout Panel

The method to remove a knockout panel will depend on the style of circuit breaker box. Either use a screwdriver blade to lever out the panel then remove with pliers, or apply pliers directly to remove.

Step 4: Fix Surge Protector Unit

The small surge protector unit will include 3 attached wires and will have screw fittings to secure its box in place. Ensure the wires are properly positioned to exit the box freely. Position the unit either on the circuit breaker panel or just outside the circuit breaker box beside the removed knockout panel. Use the screws supplied and a screwdriver to fix the unit in place.

Step 5: Wire Up the Unit

With a screwdriver, loosen a terminal screw on the neutral bus (or ground bar), insert the WHITE wire that leads from the surge protector unit, and retighten the screw. Press the two nearest circuit breakers to the surge protector unit to the “Off” position. Loosen the terminal screws at the base of both circuit breakers. Insert the BLACK wires from the surge protector unit into each breaker terminal. Finally, tighten up the two terminal screws.

Step 6: Activate Unit

Return the switches on both circuit breakers to the “On” position. Turn the main electricity supply lever back to “On.” Check that the green electrical current detector light on the front of the whole house surge protector unit is lit. The unit should now be effectively working.