NEW, NEC Now Requires Whole-House Surge Protection

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Every three years, committees of the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) update their recommendations for the NEC (National Electrical Code). The NEC is the benchmark for safe electrical design and installation to protect against electrical hazards. With a new service (new home), service upgrade (higher capacity circuit breaker panel, such as what you might need when adding solar to your home or business), or service replacement, there must now be a type 1 or type 2 surge protector installed - this could also apply to remodeled homes or buildings. EnFin offers BOTH surge protection, as well as waveform correction, to clean the energy/power within your home or building in just one device.

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The main reason for the 2020 NEC code change requiring surge protection for service upgrades and replacements, is to protect your home's appliances and devices. The NEC goes beyond protecting people by also protecting their property. A damaged or destroyed TV, stereo system, computer, HVAC system, solar system, etc., is very costly, even if it is covered through insurance.

 

If you have temporary power for your home (i.e., a generator), this causes power fluctuation. A home has AFCIs (arc fault circuit interupptors), and GFCIs (ground fault circuit interruptors), to protect people from shock, electrocution, and electrical fires. You want your devices protected by a whole house surge protection device, such as the type 2 SPDs, to protect you from electrical fires and hazards.

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The NEC requirements come to be incorporated into new residential electrical code requirements and are enforced by local building code officials. There is no doubt that the new requirements will affect every part of the United States!

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Your risk of a massive surge from lighting depends on where you live and work.

Below is a map of the locations with the most lighting strikes in the U.S.

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The 2020 NEC includes a range of code changes. The new Section 230.67, requires the installation of a surge-protective device (SPD) for all dwelling unit service entrances. New and replaced electrical equipment and systems must incorporate an SPD(s). This new whole house surge protection requirement came about because NFPA’s Committee on the NEC, recognizes the growing need for surge protection to protect the increasing number of sensitive electronic systems in all residences. Residences make use of a wide range of sensitive electronic systems, such as burglar alarms, video security systems, audio/video systems, HVAC and data networks, in addition to appliances, TV’s, monitors, computers, cell phones, etc. The market for these technologies is growing in both dollar volume and sophistication, yet many homeowners are unaware of how common power surges are, or how damaging they can be to electronic systems.

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People often think that power surges are only a result of lightning strikes – when in truth, small, everyday power surges are far more common. In fact, power surges are often caused by the equipment right inside or nearby the house, or by events such as switching on the utility power grid. Protecting electronic systems in residences is a priority, and the new 2020 NEC requirements will have a strong positive effect, reducing the risk of damage to sensitive electronic systems in residential installations. Type 2 SPD’s, installed at the service entrance, form the first barrier against electrical surges entering the house from the outside world and the damage that they can cause. For particularly sensitive or important systems, such as burglar alarms, video security, and HVAC systems, additional steps may be required.

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Adding an appropriate EnFin surge protective AND waveform correction device(s) at the electrical service entrance is the first step to protect any residence or business from external sources of electrical surges and spikes.

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Most people are surprised to learn that many daily surge events can be generated from within the home or business itself. The most common sources are HVAC systems, but any other high-powered electrical device can generate surges when switched on and off. If any systems are present within the home – such as pumps, electrical heaters, or welding equipment – adding surge protective devices at these surge sources can minimize their effects on other sensitive electronic systems.

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If a system is particularly important or sensitive, like an expensive home theater system, it also makes sense to provide protection directly at the point of use. EnFin offers an HPS device that will add an additional layer of protection for these expensive systems.

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Protect your home or business with an EnFin DUAL purpose device that will not only provide you with surge protection, as required by the new code, but also waveform correction, to provide your home of business with clean power. Don’t be fooled by devices that only provide surge protection, make sure you are protected AND cleaning all of the energy entering your home or building.

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EnFin devices utilize patented waveform correction in addition to whole property surge protection. NEVER settle for just surge protection, get surge protection AND waveform correction for your home or business.

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