I was trying to research regular outlet surge protectors that go from the wall outlet then you plug your devices into it. I couldn’t grasp why those aren’t as effective as a protector for the breaker box. Is there a way to protect your whole house and can you explain why it is needed. I know absolutely nothing about electricity except you need a ground. Does ground on the breaker box differ than the protectors ground?
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Electricity does not need a ground. It does need a return path. In AC wiring that is called a neutral. Neutral and ground are bonded together at the fuse box/ breaker panel. The ground is for safety in case there is a fault. Surges can be between line and neutral, line and ground, or neutral and ground. A whole house protector can’t do as good a job protecting a branch circuit from inductive spikes which are caused by a motor on that circuit, but it will protect from spikes entering the house. Those are often caused by lightning or disruptions in AC power. Also a whole house protector will also (hopefully) be bigger and have a higher rating than a small power strip surge suppressor.
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