Where can I find a surge suppressor for my HVAC?

Question

I am looking for some sort of surge suppressor for my HVAC unit that will protect the compressor from damage resulting from brown outs and other power fluctuation issues. I can't seem to lock down what I am looking for with a simple Google search. Does anyone know about these and/or where I can find a couple?

Answer 1

Surges and "brown outs" are 2 separate things, but a good Transient Voltage Surge Suppression System will probably save you the cost of the system and installation by not requiring you to replace not just the A/C compressor, but other expensive electronics, as well. Quite often, a "brown-out" is followed by a voltage surge.

A typical home electrical system is subjected to thousands of "mini-surges" a year (some sources are as simple as the neighbor turning off their A/C, the Power Company having a "lag" time when adjusting to a lower demand, or lightning striking 50 miles away - they are not all dramatic, but they do add up). A TVSS System is a good investment. Find one made by the manufacturer of you home's load center, if possible, if you can't, don't worry. Most TVSS Systems are listed to be installed on almost any manufacturer's panel. Call your local electrical supply house and see if they have a display model in their showroom. Then, find a qualified, licensed electrical contractor to install it for you. (DO NOT expect it to take just an hour, it should probably take that long just to test the installation.) Also, find out if you will need a permit for this work; it is worth it, just to have an Inspector make sure it is installed correctly.

Answer 2

You may want to look into a delay start timer.  This would delay the start of the compressor for about 3 to 5 minutes at the start of the cooling cycle or in the event of a power outage.  The compressor pressures could then equalize so it would not be starting under a high load.  Check with your electrical or HVAC supplier.

Answer 3

Check with your local electrical supply store.

But if your experiencing brownouts and power fluctuations then I would recommend a a surge suppressor for your entire electrical service. They only run a few hundred dollars and an electrical can install it in about a hour or so.