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FAQs
Q&A On Surge Suppression
Question: Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) - What are they and how do they work?
Answer: A MOV is a sintered ceramic component with a suspended metal oxide screen. It acts much like a solid state switch, creating a low impedance path to ground. It is voltage dependent and begins to conduct when voltage on one surface exceeds a given threshold. This threshold is determined by the thickness of the component. The opposite side of the MOV is connected to the ground. As the excess voltage passes across the metal oxide screen it meets resistence and is converted to heat and dissapated within the MOV.
Question: What is the response time?
Answer: Measured in nanoseconds (billionths of a second), ITD of Destin, Inc. products have extremely fast response times due to the short internal MOV lead lengths as well as the application of other fast response components. Aside from lead lengths, all MOV’s have similar response times, however the response time of the complete device is affected by other components as well as the MOV lead lengths. Most manufacturers claim a “response time” for their products based on the response time of the fastest component and while this is an important consideration, it does not represent the overall performance of the surge suppressor. Claims of picosecond or “instantaneous” response times are largely false and should be disregarded.
Question: What is clamping voltage?
Answer: Clamping Voltage is the initial voltage point at which a MOV begins to conduct voltage and draws one milliamp or more of current. This is simply the point at which the MOV begins to operate.
Question: What is let-through-voltage?
Answer: Let-through-voltage is the left over surge energy to which your equipment is exposed after the surge suppression device has removed all of the surge that it is capable of removing. Lower is better.
Question: Will it save me electricity?
Answer: Absolutely not! Surge suppression devices are designed to remove the excess surge voltage from the system. You are billed from the power company for the amount of current you use (KW). Removing the excess unusable surge voltage will have no impact on the overall KW consumption.
Question: Will it make my electrical equipment, lighting, etc. last longer?
Answer: Yes. By removing the cumulative as well as catastrophic damaging transients from these types of equipment, the life expectancy will be increased by as much as 50%.
Question: Will it protect me from a direct lightning strike?
Answer: If your equipment receives a direct lightning strike, no manufactured surge suppressor can protect that equipment. However, if lightning strikes the power lines, a tree, or the earth and travels into your facility via the electrical system, a quality, properly sized surge suppression device can control the effects of that lightning strike and reduce damage to your electrical and electronic equipment. Field tests have proven that a three level cascade of quality, properly sized surge suppression devices on an electrical system can reduce the energy of a significant lightning strike to an insignificant level at the output of the third surge suppression device.
Question: What happens if it fails? Will it turn my power off?
Answer: No. MOV's self sacrifice in a "dead short" mode. When this happens the MOV ruptures and goes off line (opens). Additionally, the NEC requires that SPD's be connected to the protected circuit via a circuit interrupt device (fuses or circuit breakers). The worst that could happen is that you might lose power to the circuit to which the SPD is connected.
Question: Will it catch fire or explode?
Answer: When properly applied and installed, surge suppression products should not explode. The most common cause of this type of failure is using a device that is too small for the application, or is not properly fused. ITD of Destin, Inc. requires a complete facility survey to assure that this type of misapplication does not occur.
Question: How long will it last?
Answer: The life of an MOV based product is determined by the number, duration and intensity of surges that the component sees over its lifetime. The key to making a MOV last longer is to eliminate the heat that causes the MOV to degrade. ITD of Destin, Inc. does that by encapsulating the surge suppression components in our exclusive thermal stress reducing encapsulation compound. The result is effective surge suppression that does not degrade over time, as do most MOV based suppression devices. The real measure of life expectancy if the manufacturer's warranty. ITD of Destin, Inc. guarantees their products for twenty-five (25) years. This is a "no hassle" direct replacement warranty.
Question: How will I know if it is still working?
Answer: The lights will be on. If the indicator light(s) are not illuminated, the device should be assumed to be non-functional. Call 800-766-0486 to report this situation and arrange for a replacement unit.
Question: What if I have three phase electrical service?
Answer: ITD of Destin, Inc. is a full line surge suppression manufacturer. What this means to you is that we have devices for all types of electrical applications. We also manufacture devices for telephone and data transmission applications.
 | P.O. Box 1212 Destin, FL 32540-1212 Phone: 800-766-0486 Fax: 850-654-9589 e-mail: info@itdofdestin.com |
© ITD of Destin, Inc. 2003