Phone Line Surge Protection ?

[73cuda]

I need to add surge protection in a house with 4 telephone lines and looking for the best way to do this without spending 300 or 400 bucks. I know there are some 4 line units out there but should I just consider using 4 separate less expensive units for this ?

Any recommendations ?

I welcome any ideas and advice, thanks,

Steve

 

[n5ims]

What do you need the protection for, a phone system where all lines plug in to the same system or 4 individual phones in various rooms, but each on their own line? Also, what kind of phone service is it that you need protection for, VOIP, normal residential service, normal business service, etc.? These details would make a great deal of difference to the answer provided for your question.

The phone company does provide lightning protection where they terminate the lines at your location, so additional surpressors don't usually provide much additional protection. If protecting a business phone system, the additional protection may be useful if not too expensive. You may look at something like this then Towermax - CO / 4 4 Line CO Module Surge Suppressor

 

[73cuda]

I apologize for not providing more details.

It's for a system with multi line phones in each room, not individual lines to a phone in each room. I'm looking for this for a good buddy who asked me about this and although I've used the phones at his house, I don't remember the brand at the moment, I think it's an Avaya system. And it's a normal landline phone service.

The Towermax looks good, I'll check into that, thanks for your helpful reply.

 

[73cuda]

I found a great site about this: Telephone Lightning & Surge Protection I've spent hours Googling and Binging and never saw that site until today so I thought I'd post it here for anyone else interested in phone line protection.

Steve

 

[IBNFSHN]

Your telco provides protection for each line at the demarc. The only other protection you need is for the PBX's power. I am a retired telephone PBX tech and lightning damage was very rare except in the case of close hits. Then nothing is going to help.

 

[73cuda]

Hi Bill,

The PBX system is Avaya with about 24 lines going out to each phone in rooms in the house, 4 TelCo lines coming in. The Demarc is inside the equipment room, the lines come in through underground conduit and there is no other Demarc on the outside. This was done for security. Whoever installed the Demarc ran a ground wire but never hooked it up, it was just hanging. I ran a new #6 copper to the ground bus in the panel.

The 4 lines come from the Demarc then into a ITW SurgeGate, this was then attached to a ITW outlet strip and plugged into the wall outlet, it does have a 3 wire plug but I ran a separate ground wire from the SurgeGate to the ground bus. Then I plugged the ITW outlet strip into an APC battery backup/surge protector.

Now I plan to add 4 lightning protectors from the company I linked to above in between the Demarc and the SurgeGate for extra protection with a a separate ground wire for them also.

So since you're a PBX tech, I'd like to ask you a couple of questions on this setup...

1- What's your opinion on the lightning protectors at the site I linked to ?

2- Is there anything else you would recommend ?

Please consider we're in central Florida and we get some major lightning storms pretty regular around here.

Thanks,

Steve

 

[IBNFSHN]

Hi Bill,

The PBX system is Avaya with about 24 lines going out to each phone in rooms in the house, 4 TelCo lines coming in. The Demarc is inside the equipment room, the lines come in through underground conduit and there is no other Demarc on the outside. This was done for security. Whoever installed the Demarc ran a ground wire but never hooked it up, it was just hanging. I ran a new #6 copper to the ground bus in the panel.

The 4 lines come from the Demarc then into a ITW SurgeGate, this was then attached to a ITW outlet strip and plugged into the wall outlet, it does have a 3 wire plug but I ran a separate ground wire from the SurgeGate to the ground bus. Then I plugged the ITW outlet strip into an APC battery backup/surge protector.

Now I plan to add 4 lightning protectors from the company I linked to above in between the Demarc and the SurgeGate for extra protection with a a separate ground wire for them also.

So since you're a PBX tech, I'd like to ask you a couple of questions on this setup...

1- What's your opinion on the lightning protectors at the site I linked to ?

2- Is there anything else you would recommend ?

Please consider we're in central Florida and we get some major lightning storms pretty regular around here.

Thanks,

Steve

I've never used the protectors you linked to but they look good. I can't for the life of me remember what exactly we used for protection when installing OPXs. We got them from Graybar and they were probably only a couple steps up from the old carbon type protectors. The only other thing I can think of right now is to double check your grounds as I'm sure you realize is very important. Make extra sure it is a good ground. What I mean by that is it use to be if you grounded to a cold water pipe you were good to go. But not no more. Many times I've seen new construction with nice pretty new copper pipes all through the building only to find where they went underground they were connected to PVC. Not good. If any doubt and you can't verify, drive a ground rod in. I always considered it cheap insurance. Also make sure everything is commoned up ground wise.

 

[davidgcet]

make sure the ground is THE ground for the building, don't just tap to a conduit or a water line.

as to the protectors, you want them on each incoming line as well as the power cord for best protection. as stated above there is no 100% guarantee in the event of a direct strike, but proper protection as close to the DEMARC as possible is best.

 

[poltergeisty]

http://forums.radioreference.com/electronics/179657-surge-protectors-limited-lifetime.html

Sometimes I wonder if a IP VOIP PBX system wonder be more practical...