Autoformer

I don't worry about surge or spike protectors with my Honda Eu2000i generator while dry camping. Should I be worried?

If your control board goes out, you can get over or under voltage. Highly unlikely, but possible.

Find some of the threads that discuss whether to put a built in EMS before or after an ATS.

mlts22 wrote:
I have wondered about getting a cheapie surge protector between the pedestal and the autoformer just for something to eat a spike or surge, but doesn't bother with low voltage shutoff.

This will work if you want cheap coverage. My appliances cost to much to replace to trust to cheapo. Progressive Industries for me.

Executive wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
pedestal, autoformer, surge, rv

This is how mine is set up....Dennis

Ditto.

wa8yxm wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
Some autoformers have built in spike and surge protection.

Spike protection yes
Surge.. I have never seen one with Surge protection.. Just Spike.

That said there is ONE autoformr that can buck overvoltage (Surges) as well as boost under voltage (Brownout) I can never remember the brand..But a surge protector AFTER it is still a good idea since on both BOOST and BUCK..It has limits and I have seen campgrounds that test those limits.

I don't know how great the performance is, but this is what I got from the Hughes website:

Experience performance and reliability with The Hughes Autoformer RV2130. 30 amp Low Voltage boosting transformer.

Hughes Autoformers are the only U.S patented Voltage boosting solution available today. All others are imitations.

• 30 Amp – 3,600 Watts capacity
• Fully automatic 10% boost when needed
• Park power diagnostic light
• Boost indicator light
• Spike and surge protection
• Size: 12”H x 5 ½“ W x 5½” D
• Weight: 21 Lbs.
• Two-year limited warranty
• Made in U.S.A.

NinerBikes wrote:
I don't worry about surge or spike protectors with my Honda Eu2000i generator while dry camping. Should I be worried?

Until it gets hit by lightning, no.

Lynnmor wrote:
Some autoformers have built in spike and surge protection. I don't know how effective they are, but I see no need to add a surge protector ahead of the auto former.

Frank's Voltage Booster doesn't say anything about spike or fault protection.

The Hughes Autoformer Manual says it will protect from "various spikes and surges" -- but, like Frank's, it says nothing about protection from electrical faults, like an open neutral.

PowerMaster says it "Protects all of your electronic devices against spikes and surges up to a direct lightning strike". Hubba hubba.

TRC's Voltage Regulators do not protect against spike and surges, but are open neutral "tolerant" (i.e., an open neutral won't fry the regulator).

Lynnmor wrote:

Adding a surge protector after an autoformer that has protection may not help much. I have read that you should not stack surge protectors in this manner.

I think as you can see from above NONE of the autoformers/voltage regulators above offer any electrical fault protection, except TRC's which is just for an open neutral.

I went with TRC's "solution" which was an expensive 50A fault indicator ("indicator" not protector) + 50A Voltage Regulator + 50A Surge Guard Fault Protector.

I found through actual disassembly and looking very few "Surge Protectors" are worth a plugged-nickel.

THERE ARE Z-E-R-O DEFINITIONS OF "SURGE PROTECTOR" THAR PROTECT YOU THE CONSUMER! NONE! NADA!

Some have one single tiny metal oxide varistor that wouldn't protect a Steinway piano from a chimpmunk fart, fifty feet away. When on-line the "protection" these con-artist products afford cannot be seen on an oscilloscope.

I notice that some companies like Tripp- lite gave joule ratings as if a joule rating is the last word in transient protection definition. That would be like advertising the specifications for an RV battery by giving forth only Reserve Capacity.

A decent Surge Protector would have a 25K joule pack of varistors wired phase to neutral, phase to earth, and neutral to earth...

THEN

Gas tube disharge devices (2) wired phase to neutal and phase to earth.

PLUS

Bi-directional TVS transient voltage suppressors. Avalanche rectifiers
Phase to neutral and phase to earth.

Not as good of cleaning-up as an isolation transformer but it's light-years better than the huckster garbage I see on the market.

But a handful of MOVs by themselves don't cut it. MOVs do a specific job and that's it and that isgrossly inadequate.

Why don't you write one of the stepped autotransformer companies and ask them if they use gas discharge devices or avalanche TVS devices in their products? I'd love to hear their full-of-BS replies.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
I found through actual disassembly and looking very few "Surge Protectors" are worth a plugged-nickel.

Which ones did you disassemble?

This is getting very confusing to me. Are there any electrical engineers on the member list who might be able give data proven advise? To surge protect or not, to Autoformer or not?

rfsod48,

If you have a 30 amp service, surge protection is less important.

If you have a 50 amp service, an open neutral can fry everything in your RV. Progressive Dynamics top of the line would be my choice.

Far more items are damaged by brown outs than by surges.

For the best protection, be "off the grid" and go large solar. Probably you have to give up air conditioning.

For second best, use an autoformer followed by a top of the line surge unit. Again Progressive because of their life time warranty.

You should check the power source before you plug in, not afterwards, even if you do have protection.

Here is what would do:

1. check voltage under load (both legs if 50 amp)
2. check polarity
If that passes then
3. plug in surge device
If the surge device gives a "green light"
4. unplug surge and plug in the autoformer
5. plug surge device into the autoformer.