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Information about Leviton Surge Suppresser


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Our motor home (2005 Travel Supreme 45 Select)) has a leviton surge suppressor #32120-001. It is installed to the side of the automatic transfer switch and wired into the switch. I have not opened the switch at this point to look. I am trying to understand:

A. Is this strictly a suppressor or does it do electrical management functions as well.
B. Does it protect the auto transfer switch from both the park power and the generator or only the park power?
C. Should I install a Progressive EMS LCHW50 in line ahead of the auto transfer instead of or in addition to the leviton suppressor or maybe not at all?
These questions are from a very electrically challenged individual. ME!

Thanks for your help
Dave

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Our motor home (2005 Travel Supreme 45 Select)) has a leviton surge suppressor #32120-001. It is installed to the side of the automatic transfer switch and wired into the switch. I have not opened the switch at this point to look. I am trying to understand:

A. Is this strictly a suppressor or does it do electrical management functions as well.

Suppressor only

B. Does it protect the auto transfer switch from both the park power and the generator or only the park power?

Should protect from all sources, as it's fed from the main house panel

C. Should I install a Progressive EMS LCHW50 in line ahead of the auto transfer instead of or in addition to the leviton suppressor or maybe not at all?

These questions are from a very electrically challenged individual. ME!

 

Thanks for your help

Dave

Here's a link to a line sheet for it. Nothing special, but better than nothing.

I have been wrong before, I'll probably be wrong again. 

2000 Kenworth T 2000 w/N-14 and 10 speed Gen1 Autoshift, deck built by Star Fabrication
2006 smart fourtwo cdi cabriolet
2007 32.5' Fleetwood Quantum


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Leviton company makes a lot of electrical equipment and they have a good track record, but it isn't intended for RVs. What you have seems to be the "whole house" surge surpresser

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As Daryl has stated, it is not a complete line monitor device but only protects from electrical surges. The "Surge Guard 38450" or the Progressive EMS-PT50C each provide much more complete protection that includes both over and under voltage protection and they both monitor for improperly wired or faulty power plugs and related problems. Each of these provide much more complete protection as what you have now is primarily a lightning protection device. There are many satisfied users of both of these products so you may want to consider adding one of them. Also, both companies make a built-in version which could probably replace what you how have, if there is sufficient space but will probably need to be connected differently from what you now have.

 

Should you choose to go with one of the portable models of either one, there is really no need to remove what you now have. It harms nothing at all and does give excellent protection from surges caused by lightning so it does have value even though it isn't complete protection. The device that you have is sufficient for a house because it is connected to the same source all of the time and so is not subjected to the problems that come with moving about and plugging into a receptacle. It does have a number of features that neither of those units have such as RFI noise rejection and it was designed for a much higher capacity power source such as a typical house with a 200a supply where your RV has only 50a supply.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Darryl, Kirk,

Since the Leviton is not wired into the main feed cable coming into the RV but as a side panel of the Auto Transfer Switch I think I can just leave it in place and go ahead and install the Progressive EMS LCHW50 in the main cable coming into the RV. This is what I am going to do when the weather warms here in Northeast Ohio and rain stops and I can look inside the Auto Transfer Switch and hopefully it makes sense. Thank you both for your help.

 

Dave

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Dave, As far as where to install either a "surge suppressor" or an EMS if you're using a Transfer Switch, here are my thoughts:

 

 

a) If you have a Transfer switch OUTPUT that feeds an RV main panel and it switches/chooses

between Genset ORRRRRRR Shore Power INPUTS, I would want a "surge suppressor" to

work REGARDLESS which source of energy (Genny or Shore) I was using, so it would connect

to the main panel (or transfer switch OUTPUT) which in turn gets its power from EITHER the

Genny OR Shore Power INPUTS. IT WORKS IN EITHER SITUATION. The same thing is

accomplished if its connected to Transfer Switch OUTPUT which feeds the RV main panel or

right at the RV main panel.

 

B) If an EMS is used to monitor and control "Shore Power" it would be in series in the line

FROM Utility/Pedestal TO where shore power enters the RV. IE if hard wired connects

between utility pedestal and main panel (or transfers Utility INPUT, see below) or else a

series inline In/Out Plug and Receptacle device from pedestal to RV.

 

c) If a transfer switch serves a smaller sub panel (for only certain selective loads) versus the entire

main panel, and you use a "surge suppressor" and could only protect one source, Id be

more concerned with protecting utility surges versus Inverter or Generator.

 

 

NOW TO YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

 

B. Does it protect the auto transfer switch from both the park power and the generator or only the park power?

 

 

It depends on where it’s connected. If it’s on the transfer switch OUTPUT to

your panel (THAT’S WHERE ID CONNECT IT) it protects EITHER Genny OR Utility

surges. If it’s connected to only one energy source (Genny OR Utility INPUT) it

only protects surges on those sources. I'm talkin "surge suppressor" here.

 


C. Should I install a Progressive EMS LCHW50 in line ahead of the auto transfer instead of or in addition to the leviton suppressor or maybe not at all?

 

As above I consider an EMS often protects against problems with incoming utility "shore power", so it’s an inline series device between utility pedestal and RV (or Transfer switches Utility INPUT). I guess it could if wired right "work" to also provide EMS to a Generators output, but I see it more as ONLY for utility protection and can envision problems trying to EMS the Generator??????

 

 

FINALLY if you have like a stand alone whole house "surge protector" (A parallel NOT a series device) that's NOT the same as the RV EMS. I can’t think of a reason why you can’t use BOTH just for the added "surge protection" afforded. The "surge protector" can still be in parallel with the main panel input (same as Transfer switches OUTPUT to panel) while the EMS is in series from utility to RV.

 

Nuff said, engineer attorneys just can’t make it short n sweet lol. I’m not there nor do I have any diagrams, so I have to cover all the bases in case things aren’t as Id expect or correct.

 

John T

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Your transfer switch doesn't need protection. It will either work or not. Wire your EMS between your transfer switch and the RV breaker panel. It will protect your RV no matter the source. It will not protect from a bad power supply cord. Only an EMS that connects to the pedestal will do that. I had a common wire come loose in a connector and it overheated the plug on the front of the RV and the cord. Easy to replace.

Ron C.

2013 Dynamax Trilogy 3850 D3

2000 Kenworth T2000 Optimus Prime

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Since the Leviton is not wired into the main feed cable coming into the RV but as a side panel of the Auto Transfer Switch I think I can just leave it in place and go ahead and install the Progressive EMS LCHW50 in the main cable coming into the RV.

If it were me, I'd consider replacing the auto transfer with one of the units which is combined line monitor and auto transfer such as the TRC 40350-RVC or the Progressive equivalent. This device is designed to perform both functions.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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