Surge power protector- hard wire or portable?
I have room behind a panel to put the hard wire version. But what if for some reason it goes south? Now your going to have to wire around to restore power.Make it plug and play by putting plugs on ea...
Forum Discussion
The main purpose of any surge protector (portable or hard wired) is to prevent EXCESSIVE voltage from entering the RV. They do that by routing excessive voltage from the hot line back to the ground wire (not neutral line) via metal oxide varistors (MOV) between the two lines.
The MOVs are not damaged if a power surge event is mild, and they will continue to function and protect the RV by bypassing future excessive voltage events. If the surge is extreme (or above the MOV joule rating) the MOVs will be damaged. The MOVs in a hard wired box are replaceable, they are not replaceable in a portable unit. That's why I have mine hard wired.
In either case after the power surge event (assuming the wiring is not physically damaged), power will still be routed to the RV but will not be protected from future surges. It's not like a fuse - once blown then no power until replaced. (At least in theory)
The MOVs are not damaged if a power surge event is mild, and they will continue to function and protect the RV by bypassing future excessive voltage events. If the surge is extreme (or above the MOV joule rating) the MOVs will be damaged. The MOVs in a hard wired box are replaceable, they are not replaceable in a portable unit. That's why I have mine hard wired.
In either case after the power surge event (assuming the wiring is not physically damaged), power will still be routed to the RV but will not be protected from future surges. It's not like a fuse - once blown then no power until replaced. (At least in theory)
