ProSurge Whole House Surge Protector,HVAC Surge Protector, 200K Amps(SCCR),100KA(Surge Capacity per Phase),Single-Phase(or Split Phase),3-Wire for 120/240V,UL Listed

Why I added a whole‑home SPD

After a summer of brownouts, a fried cable modem, and a few too many close lightning strikes, I decided it was time to add a whole‑house surge protective device to my service equipment. I installed the ProSurge SPD on a 120/240V split‑phase panel and have lived with it long enough to form a clear opinion on where it shines, what to watch for, and who it’s best for.

What it is

The ProSurge SPD is a compact, UL 1449 5th Edition listed Type 1/Type 2 device designed for single‑phase (split‑phase) 120/240V systems. It’s rated at 100 kA surge capacity per phase with a stout 200 kA short‑circuit current rating (SCCR). Inside is ProSurge’s thermally protected, arc‑extinguishing 20PTMOV technology—essentially a safer, self‑sacrificing MOV stack that is designed to fail safely under extreme events.

The enclosure is plastic, weather‑resistant, and small enough to sit inside a load center or mount externally using a threaded nipple and locknut. A single green LED indicates protective status. Wiring is straightforward: L1, L2, and a G/N lead for the equipment ground/neutral bar (it’s intended for service equipment where neutral and ground are bonded). It’s listed for indoor or outdoor use and carries both UL and CSA marks.

Installation experience

I mounted the ProSurge SPD at my service panel using a 1/2‑inch knockout and the supplied lock ring and gasket. For a Type 2 installation, I fed it from a dedicated two‑pole breaker; ProSurge’s documentation accommodates Type 1 (line‑side) or Type 2 (breaker‑fed), but a two‑pole breaker provides a convenient disconnect and short, symmetrical leads. I chose a 25–30A breaker size per the instructions and installed it in a position adjacent to the main to minimize wire length.

A few practical notes from the install:

• Keep leads as short and straight as possible. I trimmed the factory 12 AWG stranded conductors to reduce inductance and avoided any loops. On SPDs, lead length directly impacts clamping performance.
• Land the ground/neutral lead on the service bonding point. This unit uses a combined G/N conductor, so installation at the service equipment (where neutral and ground are bonded) is ideal.
• On outdoor meter‑mains with wrap‑around doors, mind the knockout placement. If you punch a lower front knockout too close to the door lip, the SPD’s body can interfere with the door closing. Side or lower knockouts worked best for me.
• Torque lug connections to spec, and if you’re not very comfortable working inside a panel, hire a licensed electrician. Even with the main breaker off, the service lugs remain energized.

Total hands‑on time was about 20 minutes, including breaker install and dressing the conductors. Once powered, the green LED came on immediately.

Build and design

For its size, the ProSurge SPD feels well thought out. The housing is compact and sealed with an O‑ring under the mounting stem, which helps outdoors. I wouldn’t call it a polished NEMA 4X enclosure—there’s no formal NEMA rating stated—but it’s clearly built to live in a damp environment or behind a dead‑front. The LED is bright enough to glance‑check in a dim garage.

The 100 kA per‑phase rating is generous for residential service. More important than a big headline number is how a device behaves under UL 1449’s test regimen; this unit is 5th‑edition listed, which means it’s been evaluated for safety, thermal runaway, and let‑through performance at standard test currents. I would have liked a full datasheet with Mode and VPR values (for example, L‑L, L‑G, and N‑G clamping levels). The label and manual cover the basics, but serious buyers will want those figures when comparing against Eaton/Siemens/Square D units.

One design choice to understand: there’s no dedicated neutral conductor. On a main service where neutral is bonded to ground, the L‑G clamping path is appropriate. If you intend to install in a subpanel with isolated neutrals, I’d favor locating the SPD at the service entrance or choosing a model with a separate neutral pigtail to cover L‑N modes more directly downstream.

Day‑to‑day performance

A whole‑house SPD is quiet insurance. It doesn’t “do” anything you can feel during normal operation, and that’s the point. I can’t (and don’t want to) stage a direct lightning test, but I can speak to behavior with everyday transients.

In my setup, large inductive loads (a 5‑ton HVAC compressor and a small welder in the garage) create switching noise and occasional spikes. Since installing the ProSurge SPD, nuisance resets on sensitive gear have been uneventful—no noticeable change in light flicker (SPDs don’t fix voltage sags), but the networking gear and TV have ridden out a couple of ugly utility blips without drama. That’s consistent with what an MOV‑based SPD should do: clip fast, high‑frequency surges that ride on top of the line.

The LED is your simple health check. If the MOV array ever sacrifices itself in a severe event, the light goes out and it’s time to replace the unit. That’s standard for this class of product. I added a small label on the panel door to “check SPD light after storms” as a reminder.

What it does—and doesn’t—protect you from

• Great at: lightning‑induced transients, utility switching spikes, back‑EMF from motors, and general high‑frequency overvoltages that would punch through power supplies.
• Not for: outages, brownouts, sustained over/undervoltage, or line noise that needs filtering. It’s not a UPS and won’t keep your gear running during sags.

For best protection, I still layer point‑of‑use surge strips on mission‑critical electronics to handle local surge paths and data line protection (coax/Ethernet), but a service‑level SPD like this takes the brunt of big events before they enter the branch circuits.

Code and compatibility

If you’re under the 2020 NEC or later, a Type 1 or 2 SPD is required at new dwelling services. The ProSurge SPD checks that box with its UL 1449 5th Edition listing and Type 1/2 flexibility. It’s designed for 120/240V split‑phase systems; it’s not for three‑phase panels. The 200 kA SCCR is more than adequate for typical residential service fault currents.

Wish list and trade‑offs

• Published VPR and mode data: I’d like a readily available datasheet showing clamping voltages for L‑L, L‑G, and N‑G modes at the UL nominal discharge current.
• Monitoring: A single LED is simple but binary. No audible alarm or dry contacts for remote status. If you tuck it inside a panel, plan to check it periodically.
• Neutral lead option: For subpanel installs with isolated neutrals, a variant with a neutral pigtail would broaden use cases.

None of these are deal‑breakers at this price and form factor, but they’re worth noting if you’re speccing gear for a more complex installation.

Tips for a clean install

• Place the two‑pole breaker as close to the main as possible.
• Keep all three leads short, straight, and separated from high‑current conductors where practical.
• Bonding matters: verify the service neutral‑ground bond is correct and that your grounding electrode system is intact.
• Label the breaker and the SPD on the panel schedule.
• After severe storms, open the panel door and confirm the status LED is lit.

The bottom line

The ProSurge SPD is a compact, UL‑listed, Type 1/2 whole‑home surge protector with robust per‑phase surge capacity and a high SCCR, packaged in a weather‑resistant housing that’s easy to mount indoors or out. Installation is straightforward, the wiring is simple, and the indicator is clear. While I wish ProSurge published more granular VPR/mode data and offered optional monitoring, the fundamentals are strong: proper listings, solid construction, and practical design choices that suit a residential service.

Recommendation: I recommend the ProSurge SPD for homeowners who want a reliable, code‑compliant whole‑house surge protector without spending a fortune or sacrificing panel space. It’s easy to install (or have installed), has the right safety certifications, and provides meaningful protection against the kind of surges that take out modern electronics. If you need remote status, granular spec sheets for a consulting comparison, or a neutral lead for subpanel installations, you may look at higher‑end models or variants; otherwise, this unit is a smart, sensible upgrade that adds real resilience to a home’s electrical system.