# Surge Protector on every stove



## kinsmanstoves (Dec 12, 2008)

With all the power issues you will need a surge protector or UPS that can handle the stove.  You will have electrical problems with out them.  Do not just plug them into the wall.


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## imacman (Dec 12, 2008)

Yep, what Eric said!  

I'm very glad I have a surge protector on my stove.  While the power never actually went out last night, it blinked off/on at least 4-5 times in about a minute.

If you don't have one, get one before you fry your control board.

Here's one similar to what I got:
www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2454736


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## tinkabranc (Dec 12, 2008)

I agree!  Get that stove protected!

The weather is terrible here with high winds/rain/ice and the UPS on my stove 
has been getting quite a workout off and on all nite.  

At the risk of jinxing myself, my stove has been running without any hiccups so far.


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## jtcm05 (Dec 12, 2008)

Can you explain what those of us without a UPS can do?  Will a regular old 15A power strip surge protector suffice?


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## Xena (Dec 12, 2008)

I've been in this same house for 47 yrs and can count
on one hand the amount of times we've lost power so
it's not a huge concern here but regardless....
I use this Belkin.  http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-12-Outlet-Protector-Ethernet-Protection/dp/B000HPX46U
One in the living rm, one in the home office.




			
				jtcm05 said:
			
		

> Can you explain what those of us without a UPS can do?  Will a regular old 15A power strip surge protector suffice?



a UPS in most cases will provide power to your stove while
giving you ample time to shut it down properly.   A good surge
strip should in most cases protect your stove electronics in
a power outage but your stove will obviously shut down
when you lose power.


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## kinsmanstoves (Dec 12, 2008)

zeta said:
			
		

> I've been in this same house for 47 yrs and can count
> on one hand the amount of times we've lost power so
> it's not a huge concern here but regardless....
> I use this Belkin.  http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-12-Outlet-Protector-Ethernet-Protection/dp/B000HPX46U
> One in the living rm, one in the home office.




Must be nice.  We lose power all the time.  The last big one was for 4 days during the summer.  The well pump needs electric to work so without electric we have no water or heat (except for the wood stove)  The diesel generator came out to play and served us well.  That might not work in very cold temps if the fuel gels.  Looking for a small gas generator around 1000-1500 watts just for one of the pellet stoves.

Eric


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## Lance1 (Dec 12, 2008)

Thanks for the tip, I have Belkin suppressors on everything else, but didn't dawn on me the stove control board. I would hate to try to find a replacement control board for my 10+ old obsolete stove. Let alone that inflamed price because it's obsolete.

BTW; a real suppressor will have a small silver UL tag on it .


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## South of Boston (Dec 12, 2008)

Great idea I heading out to get one now...


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## hossthehermit (Dec 12, 2008)

kinsman stoves said:
			
		

> With all the power issues you will need a surge protector or UPS that can handle the stove.  You will have electrical problems with out them.  Do not just plug them into the wall.



Well, first of all let me say I do have a surge protector on mine, just in case. HOWEVER, is it necessary? I don't know, Maybe we should have a poll. Remember, a surge protector work ONCE. Then it's dead, no reset, no fix, replace only. Won't get any power through it, ever again. It's how they're designed. SO, OK, the poll, how many have ever had one clamp up? I'd do it myself, but I don't know how.


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## imacman (Dec 12, 2008)

Lance1 said:
			
		

> BTW; a real suppressor will have a small silver UL tag on it .



The one from Radio Shack I mentioned above is UL listed, and protects to 1260 Joules (minimum for a pellet stove should be 1000).
Although it doesn't look like much, we discussed it's specs a month or two ago, and it's really a nice unit, and pretty effective for the price.  Here's the specs:

Protected line, neutral and ground (L-N-G)
Clamping volt: 330V
Joules: 1260J
Peak voltage: 6000V
Spike capacity: 60000A
Ground LED indication (green)
EMI/RFI Filtering up to 40dB

And BTW, those long white ones people buy for their computer/printer/cable modem/etc,  are CRAP.


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## swalz (Dec 13, 2008)

hossthehermit said:
			
		

> kinsman stoves said:
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Not exactly true, yes a good surge protector is only good for one bad power surge but it also clamps voltage when it gets to high and some will help boost the voltage up for brown outs. A lot of people don't know that it is the little surges or brown outs that will kill electronics. It won't do it right away but over time it wears down the electronic components and then they start to get weak and after awhile they will fail.


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## j00fek (Dec 13, 2008)

macman said:
			
		

> Yep, what Eric said!
> 
> I'm very glad I have a surge protector on my stove.  While the power never actually went out last night, it blinked off/on at least 4-5 times in about a minute.
> 
> ...



got the same thing, just a belkin from office max.


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## lass442 (Dec 13, 2008)

I have a UPS for my MAC; the stove cost a little more than what what I paid for the computer. It's a worthwhile investment of $45.00 to to get an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for the stove considering the cost and inconvenience of replacing the control board. Especially when the outage is likely to occur in the dead of winter. I already know that the stove will seep smoke into the house upon unplanned shut-down. The UPS we have for MAC has a nice loud alarm that sounds within 10 minutes of losing battery back-up... I would get the same model for the stove so I'd know to shut it down properly before we get smoked out.


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## ResOps (Dec 13, 2008)

Power surges are a daily event in most homes. A surge event is an increase or a decrease in line voltage. Large well pumps, furnaces and AC units starting and stopping all cause power surges in a home electrical system. This is on top of actual utility events (brownouts etc).By our Ontario Electrical code the voltage entering a service may fluctuate by as much as 5% and be acceptable (120 +/- 5% = 126 / 114). So if your at the 5% and a surge happens it has the ability to be higher just in daily household living. Over time sensitive electronics can be affected.
The problem for many older houses is in order for a surge protector to work you need a system ground. I'm not familiar with the home systems in the States but many older homes here were simply a 2 wire system with no ground. In the event of a surge the voltage exceeding the clamp setpoint diverts through the ground.

When buying a surge protection device look for a Underwriters Laboratories (UL)(ULC) or a Canadian Standards Association (CSA) label to ensure you have an approved device as there are overseas imports available at the local 'buck shops'.


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## sydney1963 (Dec 13, 2008)

j00fek said:
			
		

> macman said:
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I have the same thing from HD.


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## JBlank912 (Mar 28, 2009)

I know this is an old topic, but I just thought I would renew it with an experience I just had. Based on this chain and the fact that I repair computers and have seen what power surges do to them, I put my stove on a surge protector. The other night, weather was clear, the power went out "nasty". The lights got bright, dim, bright, on/off, over a 30 minute period the lights started do weird things and I heard electronic noises that I knew were bad. It turned out a transformer caught fire at the sub station. In the morning, I had to reset 6 circuit breakers to get power back on for everything. The stove started then died. It turned out the $9 surge protector from Home Depot had given its life for the the stove. I replaced it and all was good. The surge protector was dead. I decided to open the surge protector just to see what had happened inside. The circuit board and capacitors on it were BLACK!

$9 for a surge protector that saved me a lot of money I'm sure. Money well spent.


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## jng518 (Mar 28, 2009)

Most manuals (in small print) the company wants you to use a surge protector. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surge_protector

A line stabilizer/conditioner is a device that does "low voltage regulation with 
spike bar noise and spike suppression" . Look at the TRIPP LITE line.
The one I use is rated at 800 watts. 

The first one is a "one shot" protection
The second is reset able.
My 2¢


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## BreckP23Newbie (Mar 28, 2009)

The First Thing I bought Before I fired up The Stove Was A good ups with sinewave, surge, brownout protection, Worth Every Dime especially Considering the cost of a motherboard/electronics so I took the upfront hit and it also great when I have a power outage because it gives me Ten Minutes To fire up the generator, Priceless....


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## THE ROOSTER (Mar 28, 2009)

I use both, have the UPS protected with the surge protector as well... Nice set up BreckP, how long does that run your stove???


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## BreckP23Newbie (Mar 28, 2009)

20 minutes, although to be honest as soon as the brownout occurs I run Down And Crank Up the Generator, When The Power Comes Back I crank Up the Zepplin And Jam To Some Tunes On My Drumset. :coolsmile:


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## orangecrushcj7 (Mar 28, 2009)

BreckP23Newbie said:
			
		

> The First Thing I bought Before I fired up The Stove Was A good ups with sinewave, surge, brownout protection, Worth Every Dime especially Considering the cost of a motherboard/electronics so I took the upfront hit and it also great when I have a power outage because it gives me Ten Minutes To fire up the generator, Priceless....



what did this set you back, and where'd you get it?


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## treehackers (Mar 28, 2009)

Every piece of electronics worth over $200 should be plugged into one of these.

http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=LE600

Not only a surge protector but line conditioner which is key. Sells for about $45


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## BreckP23Newbie (Mar 28, 2009)

I purchased Online At 
http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/

They Dont have that model but they have alot of comparable units, They Were the best price At the time, Between the generator, The Cable Required to connect the generator to the outside wall connector, Wasnt as bad as you might think, I went to reliance website and they show how to wire the whole setup to your exiting service. With a little patience you can save the cost of installation, which can vary, Electricians are worth everydime if you dont feel up to the challenge.

here is the cost of the wall kit with box from the same company that i have in my pics 
http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/Reliance-Controls-20216AK/p1118.html

Then you can get something similar to this briggs and stratton model
http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/Briggs-&-Stratton-30439/p2686.html

YOU ARE ALSO GOING TO NEED THIS OUTSIDE BOX
http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/Reliance-Controls-PB20/p1085.html

HERE IS THE EXACT KIT I PURCHASED
http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/images.php?products_id=1124

The Coleman in my pics has a really great subaru engine so it was a great buy, I paid back then 699.00
Quiet compared to other models, Coleman is a great brand, briggs and stratton as well.
cabling at home depot 45.00
power kit 265.00

Keeping the wife, kids, warm happy and connected to their toys, PRICELESS !!


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## exoilburner (Mar 28, 2009)

How about adding pictures vertically so the thread isn't so wide!


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## THE ROOSTER (Mar 28, 2009)

Orange Crush CJ-7 said:
			
		

> BreckP23Newbie said:
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I purchased the Harman Battery Backup 512H when I bought our stove, I drilled a hole in the floor to my basement ran an electric line up to the stove, and use my E-Z-GO golf cart to power my stove, you do have to rewire the cart to 12V... We had a power outage in late Jan. and this set up ran my stove from 07:45- 17:30, almost 11 hours until I got in from work and started my generator


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## investor7952 (Mar 29, 2009)

2 years ago I fryed 4 belkins on 1 big surge. 2 of them left little circle burn marks in my hardwood floor.They smelled terrible when  they blew. I can vouch that you cant use them again once this happens.I called Belkin and told them what happened because they have this $100,000 thing where they replace anything that was destroyed while useing there products.They asked if all the equipment was ok that was contected to them. I told them everything was great except I was out 130 bucks to replace the Belkins. TGhey told me they did there job and I needed to buy new ones.


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## imacman (Mar 29, 2009)

investor7952 said:
			
		

> 2 years ago I fryed 4 belkins on 1 big surge. 2 of them left little circle burn marks in my hardwood floor.They smelled terrible when  they blew. I can vouch that you cant use them again once this happens.I called Belkin and told them what happened because they have this $100,000 thing where they replace anything that was destroyed while useing there products.They asked if all the equipment was ok that was contected to them. I told them everything was great except I was out 130 bucks to replace the Belkins. TGhey told me they did there job and I needed to buy new ones.



The company is correct...the insurance is IF the device connected to the protector gets ruined....yours didn't.  I tend to think that the $130 was far cheaper than replacing all the things connected to them....they did exactly what their supposed to do....protect.


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## exoilburner (Mar 29, 2009)

I have an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).

My reason for the UPS is to prevent winter power problems from frying my pellet burner electrical components and it keeps the pellet burner or oil furnace going while I hook up the generator.  

It automatically smooth switches between UPC, Utility power, and Generator power.  It fixes poor Utility power; surges, spikes, low voltage and high voltage automatically.  And recovers from power problems with out having to be replaced like a surge protector.

My dealer repair tech said they have seen control boards damaged during power outages.  Usually at the coldest time of the year. 

My UPS is 1500VA used for commercial computer server applications.  
If I switch off the pellet furnace igniter (MANUAL LIGHT switch) and switch the hot air duct blower to LOW the UPS will run the pellet furnace for about an hour before the UPC batteries run out from a full charge. 

The UPS is made by APC model DLA1500.  It was $259 on Amazon.com.  Shipping & handling $33.


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