Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!hes%ecsvax.uucp@brl-tgr.ARPA From: hes%ecsvax.uucp@brl-tgr.ARPA (Henry Schaffer) Newsgroups: net.micro.cpm Subject: MOV transient protectors Message-ID: <8756@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Wed, 27-Feb-85 22:18:21 EST Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.8756 Posted: Wed Feb 27 22:18:21 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 2-Mar-85 03:48:49 EST Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA Lines: 19 Re: protecting your house from lightning carried on the incoming power lines. 1) Most homes around here have 3 line, single phase 120/240 service. All three lines should be protected- taking 3 MOVs or ONE three- electrode gas tube. When the gas tube is fired (due to voltage on any pair of lines) it "shorts" all three lines together. 2) At the entrance to the house wiring the power lines can indeed supply lots of power and so the protection device must be able to pass lots of current and dissipate lots of power. Once again a gas tube fits the description. A company I've dealt with (through a distributor) which makes a variety of gas tube surge protectors is TII (I don't remember what it stands for, and I can't find my catalog.) An example of a home lightening surge protector (from a 6 year old spec sheet): Three wire, maximum discharge voltage: 450V@500AMP, 800V@1,000AMP 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 1 3/8" + 1/2" threaded nipple $21.54.