caymann
New England
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Joined: 09/15/2002
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Could this device be useful?
How does this compare to the Surge Guards out there?
It certainly is much cheaper.
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Sully2
Cincinnati
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Joined: 01/20/2003
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surge Guard is what Ive used. 30 AMP model on my Southwind gasser and a 50 amp model on my CC
2000 Country Coach Allure; Cummins ISC 330 HP; 71/2 - 8 MPG regardless
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hohenwald48
Hohenwald, TN
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Joined: 07/27/2002
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Looks like a very good solution without spending all the money on a Surge Guard. I especially like the $10,000 equipment replacement warranty. Only problem I see is that the installation document says it has to be connected to the entrance panel via (2) 15 or 20 amp breakers. If your entrance panel has enough spare slots I can't see why this would not be a good surge solution. Also, I'm not sure how protection would be impacted by operating a 50A rig on a 30A adapter.
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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Joined: 12/01/2005
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it only provides surge protection, not under/over voltage, miswiring, etc. delayed restart, etc. ; sort of like a $80 jobby available at camping world. you get what you pays for.
bumpy
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brobox
Sunny SW. Florida
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Joined: 11/18/2003
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I have to agree with bumpy. It only protects from a small portion of electrical problem that MH's are faced with. When it comes to electrical damage I wanted ALL of the protection I could get and went with the Progressive 50amp hard wired model. No more low voltage that damages the A/C units, no more going outside to reset the circuit breakers when the wife turns on her hair dryer. I am afraid a $60. surge protector is not going to protect you from low voltage that is common to RV parks.
Chuck
02 Travel Supreme, 2 street side slides
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JasonD
Annapolis, MD
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Joined: 07/26/2003
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Surge Guard gives you much broader protection, not just surge protection. Spend the extra and get a Surge Guard. Our last coach had the pedestal version, this coach has it wired in.
We've had the Surge Guard trip several times due to low pedestal voltage. A surge protector does you no good in that case.
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ThunderingQuiet
In Your Mind
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Joined: 12/20/2007
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I've been using Progressive EMS - HW50C for some time now. It did turn off our power at Fishing Bridge this last May when our voltage dropped below 104 volts. I decided to get this when our fulltimer friends got hit with a PG&E massive electrial surge. That surge took out EVERYTHING on the 120V AC circuit of their new motor home.
Progressive wrote:
- Voltage Protection:
Whenever source power falls below 104 Volts, or rises above 132 volts, the EMS automatically shuts down power to the RV. Once the AC source rises above 104-volts, or below the 132-volt level, the time delay indicator flashes for the preset time and then automatically restores power to RV. - Time Delay for A/C Compressor:
Whenever source power is interrupted by the source or the EMS due to a fault condition, the built in time delay is activated. There are two settings on the EMS; one is 136 seconds, and the other is 15 seconds. Consult you Air Conditioner manual to see if it has a time delay built in. If yes, use the 15-second delay. If no, use the 136-second delay. - Five(5)-Mode Surge Protection:
This feature provides full surge protection: L-N, L-N, L-G, L-G, and N-G. Total Joule rating is 3560, response time of <1 nano second. - Surge Indicator:
If ever a power surge damages the surge protector circuit within the EMS L-N, or L-G, the digital display error code will read E-10. This is your indication that it needs to be replaced. - Reverse Polarity Protection:
If source power is a reverse polarity condition, the EMS will not allow power to the RV and the error code will read E1. - Open Neutral Protection:
If the source has an open neutral condition the display will not appear, and will not allow power to the RV. - Open Ground Protection:
If source power has an open ground condition, the EMS will read an error code of E2 and will not allow power to the RV. - AC Frequency Protection:
If source power frequency deviates by (+/-) 9 hertz from 60 cycles per second, the EMS will shut down source power, and indicate an E7 or E8 error code on the digital display. - Accidental 220V Protection:
If 220 volts is detected when plugging into source power the EMS will not allow power to the RV. If this condition occurs while power is applied to the RV, the EMS shuts off power instantly. In either case the display will read the voltage and E3 or E5 will be displayed depending on the error code.
Tweetys has it for about $325
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hershey
Albuquerque,(fulltime) NM, USA
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Joined: 06/04/2003
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I bought the Surge Guard Model 34520 for its surge protection. So far, I've not had any instance where a surge guard was necessary. But: in the last year it has saved me from a low voltage situation twice. Once while we were away from the MH and once when we just arrived back to the MH and the AC next door was making a really strange noise. The owner wasn't home and when we entered the MH was operating on the inverter. Found that the actual voltage at the park was less than 90 volts. I turned off the breaker to the neighbors MH and monitored until it came back to a safe level and turned it back on.
So I'd spend the extra money and get a lot more protection.
hershey - albuquerque, nm
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dbates
Marion, Indiana
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Joined: 02/05/2006
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Below are the most mentioned RV electrical protection products you will find on this & other RV forums:
Click here for SurgeGuard's website.
Click here for Progressive's website.
Click here for a Comparison chart of the above two. Although this chart was created by a Progressive supplier it is fairly accurate except it does not include SurgeGuard's more recent 50 amp hardwired unit which compares very nicely with Progressive but is more expensive.
Click here for Tweety sales. They market both product lines so you can compare product prices (but shop around there might be a better deal somewhere else).
They are like collision insurance you might get by cheap but if you want good protection consider one of the two above.
I chose a Progressive hardwired because of better price, longer warranty, higher Joules (surge protection) and its remote monitor. It has done its job sereveral times for me over the past 2 years.
Dave
Plus New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island & Nova Scotia
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davepcpowernet
Battle Ground, WA
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Joined: 06/04/2006
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This low cost surge protector is intended for a whole HOUSE, that is, a stick built house on a concrete foundation. It would work fine for that application and I just might take them up on one for my HOUSE.
But I agree with those who like the Progressive or SurgeGuard's products. I myself have a hard wired Progressive that has saved my bacon (cooked in the microwave, that is) several times by shutting down when I forget to turn the water heater off.
Dave
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