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APT takes great pride in our products and support. If you need any type of pre-sale or post-sale support or assistance, please contact us at (727) 535-6339 or (800) 237-4567 or email at info@apttvss.com.
To return products, please contact us for a Return Authorization number prior to returning goods.
Our mail address is:
Advanced Protection Technologies, Inc.
14550 58th Street North
Clearwater, FL 33760 USA
Phone#: 727.535.6339
Fax#: 727.539.8955
US#: 800.237.4567
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Surge suppressors protect against transient overvoltages, also called transients, spikes or surges: hence the name Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor or TVSS. This term is shifting to Surge Protective Device or SPD.
Transient overvoltages damage sensitive electronic equipment in homes, schools, commercial, industrial and medical facilities, wastewater treatment plants, factories, etc. Transient overvoltages come from lightning and utility operations as well as internal actions such as motors cycling on and off. Modern microelectronic loads are sensitive to transients.
The downtime, damage and destruction caused to critical or electronic loads cost billions of dollars a year. In addition, life safety can be affected if critical equipment fails.
As the world further relies on technology, protecting susceptible equipment from surges is a prudent and wise investment. TVSS are proven to save money and time. From a Green perspective, few products offer better sustainability and reduce waste than TVSS. Committees that generate Electrical Codes are considering making TVSS/SPDs mandatory in future revisions because of their benefits and value.
Each distribution system has different surge suppression needs to achieve optimal protection. On certain applications, there are pitfall areas to avoid. We will assist you no matter what your situation may be.
Start with the Basics:
What do you want to protect?
What is the voltage and type of electrical distribution system? Three Phase, Split-Phase, Single Phase, Wye, Delta, etc.? (Overseas applications often use different grounding systems.)
New construction or retrofit?
Is a breaker position available to install the suppressor?
Fill out a copy of our site survey form that will address all of these questions and more.
We will suggest what level of protection you require for various applications including the service entrance, distribution and branch panels, motor control centers, PLCs, and fire alarm systems. We will help you with your specific situation. Please call at (800) 237-4567.
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COMMERCIAL
Education
Health Care
Government
Retail or Office
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INDUSTRIAL
Power Utilities
Factories
Mining
Railroad
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RESIDENTIAL
Appliances
Home Theater
Home Office
Landscape
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Writing TVSS specifications can be cumbersome and time consuming. Many specifiers prefer open specs for competitive bidding purposes. Too often, manufacturers offer proprietary specs that effectively sole-source their product. We can help you with a genuinely open specification that fits your needs.
Specifying Engineers: We can help you write the spec you want; features & companies that you prefer, as well as keeping out those that you would disapprove.
Government: We can help with legitimate competitive bidding specs.
Key specification parameters should focus on size, performance and safety.
• We generally suggest UL 1449 Listed by UL to most recent revision. (We believe that UL is the most rigorous certification agent and worthy of being requested by name.)
• UL 1449’s SVRs are probably the most meaningful benchmark for performance comparison. SVR testing is a controlled format test whereby key parameters are controlled, thus making results comparable. Other test formats may not allow true comparisons; some more like apples versus grapes.
• TVSS size ratings can be confusing. Ratings in ‘kA’ generally refer to redundancy. For example, a 200kA TVSS has more redundancy than a 100kA TVSS. As such, a 200kA unit should last longer. A popular misperception is that a 200kA TVSS will control a 200kA lightning strike. It might, but IEEE C62 surge standards explain why 10kA is the upper end of realistic surges that can enter building wiring. (Lightning is big – wires are small)
We can help you with your specific situation. Please call at (800) 237-4567.
We offer guide specifications as well.
Confused? Not sure how to connect a TVSS? Regardless of TVSS brand, call for help at (800) 237-4567.
Common questions:
How does a TVSS work? When a TVSS senses overvoltage, it instantaneously turns into a short-circuit and redirects that overvoltage to neutral and ground. When the transient overvoltage goes away, the TVSS resets itself automatically and stands guard awaiting the next overvoltage. The concept is similar to the pressure relief valve on your water heater and plumbing system. If pressure goes up, the valve opens to reduce pressure.
How do I connect the TVSS? Most suppressors are parallel connected, as opposed to series connected. There is normally a black ‘hot’ wire(s) connected to breaker, a white neutral wire and a green ground wire. All installations must obey applicable codes & regulations and completed by appropriately qualified personnel such as licensed electricians.
How short should the leads be? This is critically important to all brands of TVSS. Leads need to be as short and straight as possible. Why? Normal wiring at 60Hz might lose 2-3 volts per hundred feet. Surges are much higher frequency and voltage losses can be tens or maybe a hundred volts per foot. This voltage drop hurts the suppressor’s effectiveness. Consequently, leads must be as short & straight as possible
What if I don’t have an available breaker position? TVSS leads should not be ‘double-lugged’ with another load under breaker terminals. It is sometimes possible to splice wires, use a junction box or use NEC Tap Rules. Each situation can be different and a licensed electrician should be consulted. It is important to follow all applicable codes and regulations.
Always double-check voltages to make sure the TVSS matches the system!
For assistance, please call at (800) 237-4567.
SurgeCalcTM– SPD Selection Program
Using the results from the following questionnaire, this program calculates recommendations for appropriately sized surge protective devices. SPD recommendations are given for each IEEE C62.41 location category of the facilities electrical distribution system.
How it works?
Just select an answer from the pull down menu for each question. After the last question, click the submit button to see the recommended service entrance protectors for “Category C” locations. To see “Category B and A” recommendations, select these categories via the pull down menu and re-click the “Submit” button. The program will recalculate the recommended SPDs for the corresponding categories.
1. Geographic location of the facility.
This can be determined by consulting an Isokeuronic map and finding the location of the facility. Colored regions show increased number of lightning days experienced within the region. Each region corresponds to an IEEE exposure classification category.
2. Facility location relative to other buildings.
If the facility is in a rural location isolated from other structures, or on a hilltop the probability of a lightning induced surges is much higher than in an urban environment.
3. Adjacent Structures.
If the facility has a large antenna, water tower, or is the tallest building in the area it has a higher probability than a facility nestled among other structures.
4. Location of the facility on the utility service.
If the facility is at the end of the utility line surges will travel down the transmission line, or if there are other large industrial facilities on the same line surges could be introduced on the line by these nearby endusers.
5. Utility history for an existing facility or for facilities being served by the same utility of a planned facility.
If there has been equipment disruption or equipment damage in an existing facility this is an indication of a high probability of surge activity. If this is a new facility, an inquiry to other facilities served by the same utility will give an indication of surge activity.
6. Consideration of the equipment being protected and the function this equipment performs as it applies to the facility mission.
If the equipment is supporting mission critical functions such as an on-line database, a continuous process control application, life support equipment, or other equipment that is essential for the operation of the facility it should have a high level of protection.
7. Expense to repair equipment.
If there is equipment within the facility that is very expensive to repair if damaged, such as MRI equipment, network controllers, CNC machinery etc. the level of protection should be high to avoid expensive repair bills.
IEEE C62.41 Category:
Recommended Products and Critical Specifications
IEEE C62.41
Facility Exposure (Application Level)
Calculated Exposure Index
| IEEE C62.41.1 |
Low Exposure
Exposure Index <35 |
Medium Exposure
Exposure Index 35 to 65 |
High Exposure
Exposure Index > 65 |
| Category C (Service Entrance) |
120kA to 160kA |
160kA to 240kA |
240kA to 400kA |
| Category B (Distribution Panel) |
80kA to 120kA |
80kA to 120kA |
120kA to 160kA |
| Category A (Individual Circuits) |
50kA to 80kA |
50kA to 80kA |
50kA to 80kA |
Maximum Redundant Applications
| IEEE C62.41.1 |
Low Exposure
Exposure Index <35 |
Medium Exposure
Exposure Index 35 to 65 |
High Exposure
Exposure Index > 65 |
| Category C (Service Entrance) |
160kA to 240kA |
320kA to 400kA |
640kA to 800kA |
| Category B (Distribution Panel) |
120kA to 160kA |
160kA to 240kA |
480kA to 640kA |
| Category A (Individual Circuits) |
80kA to 120kA |
120kA to 160kA |
400kA to 480kA |
Surge Protection Terms and Features
| Redundancy |
Redundancy is the real meaning of surge current capability. As cited in our presentation and technical papers, the IEEE limits the maximum service entrance surge exposure to roughly around 10kA. This means that today's SPDs with their large kA ratings reaching 1,000,000 Amps will never be exposed to surge currents near their nameplate rating. Thus, the nameplate kA rating is a redundant rating above the IEEE 10kA maximum. For example, a 160kA per phase surge protector is a 16 times redundant system.
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| Maximum Redundancy |
This is the largest kA ratings Siemens recommends to be applied to systems in North America. The maximum surge current rating at this level is 400kA per phase, which is 40 times the IEEE's service entrance maximum surge.
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| Super Redundancy |
There are some clients who desire the highest amount of redundancy. Siemens provides suppressors which are double of our maximum redundancy levels. These devices max out at 800kA/phase.
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| Modular Suppressors |
Modular suppressors are suppressors that can be replaced in the field without replacing the entire suppressor being replaced. These units are configured with either a single replaceable module or with multiple modules.
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| Non-Modular Suppressors |
These are throw-away suppressors. Once these suppressors give up their lives protecting load equipment, they can't be repaired. They need to be replaced and the bad unit is tossed away.
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| Budgetary Suppressors |
Budgetary suppressors provide similar protection as our standard units, but they may have lower surge current ratings and/or reduced monitoring capabilities.
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| IEEE Surge Exposure Categories - C, B, and A |
IEEE C62.41.1 and IEEE C62.41.2 describe a facilities surge voltage and current exposure levels based upon electrical distribution locations. Just like fault currents, surge current magnitudes are reduced as it travels further within a facility. This is due to the increasing impedance opposing the flow of surge currents. To better describe this concept, the IEEE developed the following "location categories:"
Category C - Parts of the distribution system that is located outside the facility and including interior sections that include revenue metering up to the line side of the main overcurrent protection device.
Category B - Parts of the distribution system that starts at the load side of the main overcurrent device and includes major feeders, and short branch circuits.
Category A - Parts of the distribution system that includes long branch circuits and receptacles.
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