Can You Use the Cutler Hammer Whole House Panel Surge Protector With Any Electrical Panel?

Cutler Hammer Electrical Equipment

• Cutler Hammer is a division of the Eaton Corporation, which produces electrical control equipment for both commercial and residential applications. The company offers a line of whole house surge protectors called the Complete Home Surge Protection Type 2 Devices. The series includes three surge protectors with different levels of surge current capacity. The level in the series is denoted at the end of the model number with ULTRA, MAX and MICRO, which indicate the amount of protection, from highest to lowest.

Installing a Surge Protector

• A Cutler Hammer Complete Home Surge protector can be added to any circuit breaker panel. Many types of panels will have a knock-out spot where the surge protector can be directly installed inside the panel. If there is no room in the breaker panel, a surge protector can be mounted alongside the breaker panel. The surge protector is wired through a dedicated circuit breaker in the panel. The only limiting factor to adding a whole house surge protector would be if you do not have space in the panel for another circuit breaker.

Multi-Stage Protection

• Eaton recommends that its Complete Home Surge Protection Type 2 Device be used as part of a multi-stage protection plan. The whole house protector will knock down most of a very large surge, and strip type surge protectors should be used to provide another level of protection to sensitive electronic equipment, such as computers and televisions. The company notes that the plug-in strip surge protectors will not provide adequate protection against very large power surges, and equipment in the home could still be damaged if only one level of protection is used.

Additional Considerations

• The whole house surge protectors from Cutler Hammer include insurance against damage from a power surge that a protector fails to dissipate. The amount of coverage ranges from $25,000 to $75,000, depending on the model purchased. The company also offers surge protectors for telephone and cable lines that enter the home. These are other avenues for a power surge to enter a home and damage electrical equipment.