Does anyone know how this works. Does it trip the main with a surge or does the device some how absorb the entire surge, thanks.
1651984
The device either absorbs the surge and/or passes it to ground. Manufacturers don't provide this information with their product, but I would expect the whole-house variety to do both. To the extent that they pass it to ground they might need to take less of a self-sacrificing hit. If you want more technical information, I would suggest WikiPedia.com. But the technical details are unlikely to be useful in choosing among products.
1651985
I am a Licensed electrician, and have installed about 10 of this type and about 30-40 other types. these devices do not shut off the the main breaker. all they do is absorb the fault, surge, or spikes. there is a green light that indicates it is functioning when that green light goes out then that means it needs to be repalced because it absorbed the fault.
1651986
Device is sacrificial. In the event of a surge it becomes the path of least resistance and accepts the over voltage. It will try to dump the surge to ground and most likely will permanently trip as a result. After an event you will still have power but the device should be checked. If the lights are not solid green than it did its just and must be replace before the next event.
1860896
Even though there is a 'Toroidial ferrite' in the unit, I doubt it will "Clean-up" the power to any remarkable degree. If your area is prone to wild variations in voltages present, (Pole transformer failing, lightning-induced over-voltage...) it should clip the high voltage surges. If there are alot of these, or especially high volts...the unit will eventually fail. (As all surge devices will) This one has a green 'Ready'-light when functioning correctly. I hope this is some help.
1377559
I think the surge protection would apply to all outlet including the USB. I use one of the USB port for a MagicJack Plus and it works fine although it sticks out of the wall a little bit.
1799066
I don't know for certain but I would expect that would happen. If the power surge is large enough to disable/destroy other electronics in your house then I suspect it would damage this device as well.
733596
It did trip a breaker on a power strip a couple of weeks ago (no harm done), but not since then. I would guess it depends on your wiring -- my building is old and it's not hard to blow a fuse when three appliances are running.
66441
Keith, I have installed this 24Plus, and I am very excited about it! It will cause a surge when the unit kicks on, yet it is very short lived, as are most surges. I would assume that you don't trip the power breaker when you use it, and there is nothing to fear if it is set up according to code. It just draws a lot of electricity when it runs! But it makes the best water!
626709
Did this event already occur to you? It has not to me. However, if the surge created from all of your power coming on at once did not short out your device, then it should power back on automatically. Personally, I usually unplug all important devices when the power goes off.
1318823
Typically there is a main panel typically nearer the service entrance (and a sub panel fed from the main panel). Put one unit there, on main panel. Doublecheck with the electrician to see if there's a quirky situation. Note that this protects against surges from outside. You can generate surges inside too which is why you still put surge suppressors on your TV PC even microwave if you're thorough. All this reduces never eliminates risks.
1981733
I am not sure. Normally you can not plug the device into the wrong voltage. That is why they make so many configurations. The surge part is normally for abnormal occur ancestors from the power company or lightening.
2015640
It is like most plug in surge protectors in the fact that it will only survive one major surge. When you "reset" a plug in surge protector after it has undergone a large surge it no longer offers protection. This device will survive several smaller surges.
1663200
The installation of the unit uses two adjacent breaker positions. Because of the design of breaker panels, two adjacent breaker slots places the surge protector across both of the utility poles of a two phase system which most homes have. Any incoming surge on any circuit in the panel will be "seen" by the protector since they are all connected to it, so therefore it works for surges in the entire home. Keep in mind however that surges can be generated from within the home and therefore sensitive electronics may also need to be protected by additional surge suppression equipment. Internally generated surges can wreak havoc on equipment before the surge reaches the Levitron system but external surges will be suppressed within the limits of the unit, before entering the house.
1459381
It trips (presumably because it overheats triggering a safety switch, not the breaker in the electric circuit) when plugged into a standard wall socket (no extension cord). It trips at HIGH setting 1200 watts but does not trip at 800 watts. She set it closer to herself and gets along at the lower setting with considerable complaint. Sorry to have been unclear in the original review which I was trying to keep short.
1070054
A surge can be from lightning or from line voltage, this unit is designed to catch the surge before it enters your house wiring and damage sensitive equipment. So yes it will do the job you want.
1814776
No surge protection. It barely weighs anything. Not sure about the shielding. It's basically just a cheap power strip. If that's all you want then you will be satisfied.
211099
No, it does not, and since most surge protectors are very temporary, if you use one it should be a separate unit. Most units of this sort do not use them. I do not.
1450345
You can plug your phone, cable and powered devices into this for full surge protection. It does not slow your speed or affect your devices in any way. The surge protection is a passive device and has no effect on the equipment. If your're using DSL then plug the phone line coming into the house into this device first then use the supplied cable to continue the connection to your modem. If you have a surge in the power or a possible lightning strike near the house then this device kicks in to absorb the extra energy. This may not protect a direct lightning strike so I also use a Supco SCM150 Surge Protector on the main breaker box of the house as added protection. You can plug your phone, cable and powered devices into this for full surge protection. It does not slow your speed or affect your devices in any way. The surge protection is a passive device and has no effect on the equipment. If your're using DSL then plug the phone line coming into the house into this device first then use the supplied cable to continue the connection to your modem. If you have a surge in the power or a possible lightning strike near the house then this device kicks in to absorb the extra energy. This may not protect a direct lightning strike so I also use a Supco SCM150... » Read More You can plug your phone, cable and powered devices into this for full surge protection. It does not slow your speed or affect your devices in any way. The surge protection is a passive device and has no effect on the equipment. If your're using DSL then plug the phone line coming into the house into this device first then use the supplied cable to continue the connection to your modem. If you have a surge in the power or a possible lightning strike near the house then this device kicks in to absorb the extra energy. This may not protect a direct lightning strike so I also use a Supco SCM150 Surge Protector on the main breaker box of the house as added protection. « Show Less
2207607
It is not surge protected. I ended going to Home Depot and buying the Leviton T5280 to replace the one that comes with this kit.