Home Improvement Today?

we install one on every house I build or renovate

 

They’re required here on new builds, and remodels when the service is redone.

 

From what I can find is that the pump assembly is a twist lock boot assembly attached and has locking tabs.

 

We have a whole home surge protector in the main panel and a second one just for the aircon. My network equipment is on a UPS / surge protector and we have all sorts of electrical protection for the solar panels and battery storage system. It's so complicated that I had an independent electrician come out after all of the work was done just to make sure nothing was screwed up.

 

Yes, sounds like you got the idea. That's what i was thinking, how could that little unit protect a whole house?

 

Both bars appeared to be screwed directly (flat) to the can. The bottom one has the main ground wire attached. All the neutrals were/are attached to the bottom bar, all the grounds to the top bar. I took a bunch of pics, this is the clearest one showing the bottom bar.

 

Any specific brand or model recommended?

 

my electrician uses Square D panels and breakers so its a Square D product

 

@soundman98 thanks for that info. How bad is my situation then? I should run copper 2/0 or Al 4/0 from the meter? I think my guy said it’s the same 2/0 to the meter though so maybe no point other than building for the future? Current usage was measured at 20 amps but that’s without the dryer or oven on and no heat pump connected yet. Still well under 100 amps for normal usage.

also, on the GFCI topic, I just set my boxes for the kitchen. There are two double gang, one triple and a single. I have tons of open spots so I was thinking of separate circuits for each box on the premise that why not have that? Kinda overkill of course. Then dedicated microwave on 20, disposal on 15 and dishwasher on 20, finally 15’s for the two fridges and a 15 for the sump pump which I guess needs another GFCI. Lemme know if you think any of that is super dumb.

 

No idea. Came with the house. If I were adding one, I'd ask an electrician that I trust - my buddy Jeff - and just do what he says.

 

it's a fun site to waste some time with though. if only not everyone took it as seriously as intended.

it's interesting because this is the second customer in a while that's done anything to ask or get into EMP protection. the first i told them straight up there's nothing anyone could do outside of covering their house with tinfoil and hoping for the best.

still hard to make out for me. that last pic is clear, but i really need one of the whole panel. the diagonal bar might be part of the bond, but hard to tell. one bar should be isolated for proper neutral connections with a separate connection to it connecting it to the metal housing--in daveasa's picture of the new panel, it's simply the green screw at the top right corner by the neutral bar that makes the connection.. for a main panel, it's really fine the way it is, but every panel since about the 1950's has the capability to be a sub panel, where the neutral would be isolated from the grounds.

just watch the coverage warranty, and stick to a name brand-- if the brand makes breakers, it's worth looking into. unlike that 'EMP Surge' brand.

i install mostly the eaton models because City Electric Supply is local all over my area, and they're always in stock. their model, iirc, has a low $25,000 connected equipment warranty, but i don't believe most other models have much better warranty coverage.

none of my past customers have called us back for a failed unit, so i can't say they work better/worse than plug-in surge protectors.

also, nothing says you can't 'stack' surge protectors and keep plug-in one's on critical equipment as well as having the whole-house unit...

yeah, my boss's house is similar, he's measured something near 60A at full load with all the lights, and 2 a/c's running.

but National Electric Code(NEC) is what specifies that a 200A service gets 4/0 aluminum and 2/0 copper for service wire. but keep in mind that NEC is always a bare minimum--technically, the 2/0 and 4/0 sizing is already downsized, as there's a specific section on residential electrical services that already plans for the load of the house to be lower. it doesn't matter what the measured draw is, NEC specifies that a house of your size needs a 200A panel minimum, and that needs the appropriate wire size. there's no allowance for smaller wire under any circumstance.

so the appropriate action here is to start planning to change the wire to the correct size.

somewhat overkill, but really not far off.

code really only requires 2-20A circuits for all kitchen countertop outlets.

microwave is around 1500w, so really needs it's own 20A circuit. as long as it's dedicated to the microwave and not easily accessible(like a cabinet-mounted unit), that doesn't need to be gfi protected.

the disposal/dishwasher, we generally run only 1 20A circuit for both, a circuit for each only needs to be 15A. disposals/dishwashers are both momentary loads, both around 8A each. newest code (2020+) requires that those are gfi protected, but many towns are on older code revisions, which allow for any dedicated outlet to be non-gfi'd.

15's for the fridges are a little weird-- the mfr's always state in the spec's that fridges need to be dedicated 15A circuits, but generally run about 4-6A each. so you're not entirely wrong to run each fridge on their own circuit, but it's slightly overkill-- 2 fridges fit on 1-20A circuit just fine. but don't put the fridges on gfi's, especially if the outlets are behind the fridges as they normally are. they fall under the dedicated outlet rule, but also, many newer fridges have all sorts of computer stuff that will constantly trip a gfi and not run properly, if at all.

the sump pump is another odd area-- newest code technically requires them to be gfi'd due to the location and accessibility within most houses, but i would recommend against installing a gfi on a sump pump if possible. otherwise make sure you've got a good sump pump backup and alarm!

 

My electrician uses Square D also.

 

Thanks. One fridge in garage and one in the kitchen so easier to run separate. Same with the kitchen circuits, easier to run one wire direct to each box. Now, the follow up question, 20 amp or 15 amp GFCI for countertop plugs? I’ve always done 15’s.

 

20 amp with 12g wire for kitchen

 

Def 12 gauge wire but the receptacles themselves, can’t think of any appliance other than the microwave which could suck 20 amps

 

Agree, but I believe code calls for at least 2 20amp's for counter outlets. I'm not an electrician though, so here's my source...

https://www.homedepot.com/c/ab/resi...requirements/9ba683603be9fa5395fab90175791f71

*Countertops must have at least two 120-volt, 20-amp branch circuits serving the outlets for small appliances. The receptacles should be GFCI and AFCI-protected and no more than 4 feet apart.

*For counter spaces more than a foot long, a GFCI receptacle is required, and no part of the countertop can be more than 2 feet from a receptacle. The maximum space between countertop outlets is 4 feet.

*Kitchen islands with countertops more than 2 feet wide or long must have at least one receptacle installed for the first 9 square feet, and one installed for each additional 18 square feet of countertop. Kitchen island countertop receptacles must be pop-ups installed in the countertop surface, not under the edge of the countertop.

 

I don’t see anything explicit in that language about the receptacles, just the circuit needs to be 20. Which is for sure. I guess easy to swap later if I want to. I kinda like the look of 15’s.

 

edit: I think you're right about 15 for the receptacle and 20 for the breaker.

Did I mention I wasn't an electrician? I'll see myself out now.

 

After repeatedly blowing 15A circuits with a carpet cleaner and having to run it from the 20A bathroom receptacles, I'd 20A absolutely everything.

 

15's are fine. there's a note in the code that says residential outlets can be either 15A or 20A.