Wiring a surge suppressor receptacle

[haystax]

I know how much you guys love wiring ?'s -

I bought a couple Leviton surge suppression 110V hospital grade receptacles designed for a structured wiring installation for use in my basement home theater.

They are designed for a strip and poke type wiring connection with a screw to tighten the wire against the terminal, no bending wires around terminal screws but looks like a legit setup. There are "Line" and "Load" terminals with two holes next to each screw.

If I use the "Load" side of the recep to feed the downstream receps would that provide surge suppression for all the receps in the circuit? Like a GFI does?

Or should I just wire them to the other hole in the "Line" side? Poor instructions in the box, I assume the "Load" side is for downstream but why are there two choices?

One recep is stand-alone single box. 4 total downstream of other box.

Thanks!

 

[KLF]

They are designed for a strip and poke type wiring connection with a screw to tighten the wire against the terminal, no bending wires around terminal screws but looks like a legit setup.

This is commonly called "backwiring".

If I use the "Load" side of the recep to feed the downstream receps would that provide surge suppression for all the receps in the circuit? Like a GFI does?

Yes. But you can't put more GFI's downstream if you do this. Just use "regular" non-GFI recepts. Just be aware that if you fault any of the downstream recepts to ground, the GFI will pop and kill ALL the plugs downstream.

 

[fledglingme]

if this is the idem you're working with, the information will be in the pdf brochure Surge Receptacles from Leviton Network Solutions

 

[haystax]

Thanks for the help -

Wired in on the "Line" side, GFI protection is in the breaker panel, I've had much better luck with panel mounted GFI breakers than trying to daisy chain a row of receps. More expensive but a better install IMO. Primary outlet is the only one I am really concerned about, if a table lamp blows Not that I have ever really had any problems but I gotta protect my man cave treasures you know.

I'm also using a surge protector power strip for the TV and components and the other outlet will be for a powered sub-woofer. Our REA power service is pretty spotty so I'm trying to overkill a little.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

The load terminals will allow surge protection OR GFCI (depending on what type of recepticle you are using) protection to continue downstream for a certain # of recepticles. With GFCIs it can be up to 6 additional recepticles(regular type recepticles) downstream of the GFCI recepticle landed on th load terminals. Not sure how many additional recepticles can be added to the load terminals of the surge supressor...landing the downstream wires on the line side will send straight (Not surge or gfci protected)power to the downstream receps...HTH.BTW...a gfci trips when there is a neutral to ground short, so when installing downstream receps in line w/ the gfci, make sure that the bare ground wire is not touching the neutral term anywhere and you'll be fine...

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

The load terminals will allow surge protection OR GFCI (depending on what type of recepticle you are using) protection to continue downstream for a certain # of recepticles. With GFCIs it can be up to 6 additional recepticles(regular type recepticles) downstream of the GFCI recepticle landed on th load terminals. Not sure how many additional recepticles can be added to the load terminals of the surge supressor...landing the downstream wires on the line side will send straight (Not surge or gfci protected)power to the downstream receps...HTH.BTW...a gfci trips when there is a neutral to ground short, so when installing downstream receps in line w/ the gfci, make sure that the bare ground wire is not touching the neutral term anywhere and you'll be fine...

Is this a local adopted code or the manufacture limit
The N.E.C. has no limit

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

Is this a local adopted code or the manufacture limit
The N.E.C. has no limit

I believe that I found that on the levinton literature, which would make it a manufacturer thing. which kinda makes it an NEC thing, as in installed in accordance w/ manufacturers specifications for ul approval....

 

[haystax]

Thanks for the info -

All my circuits are GFI protected by the breakers themselves in the panel. These outlets are surge protection single outlets and I believe they are a single event suppression device. An alarm sounds once surge protection isn't functional. Kind of a PITA but i didn't realize this until after I bought them.

I also use a surge cap and lightning arrestor at the main breaker panel on my side of the service connection.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Thanks for the info -

All my circuits are GFI protected by the breakers themselves in the panel. These outlets are surge protection single outlets and I believe they are a single event suppression device. An alarm sounds once surge protection isn't functional. Kind of a PITA but i didn't realize this until after I bought them.

I also use a surge cap and lightning arrestor at the main breaker panel on my side of the service connection.

I spoke with my Leviton rep today and if you are using a Leviton brand surge protected outlet with load side wiring capabilities you can run as many outlet on the load side within the rated amperage of the device.

This also applies to Leviton GFCI outlets with load wiring capabilities.

 

[haystax]

Thanks! Good to know as the code reqs for #'s of outlets seem very vague. I ran lots of circuits in my house because I had plenty of space in the panels.

In the basement I think I have 6 outlets on each circuit for the living space and I want to say that commercial code calls for like 12 on a 20A breaker. Not sure if that is correct but you would have to have a fairly large space or really be short on space to exceed that. Plus dedicated circuits for major appliances and workspaces.

I used a Taunton Press book by Rex Cauldwell as a reference for all my wiring and I think it is one of the best DIY resources for wiring a house. I really like his "above code" methodology for going above and beyond minimum reqs to make a safer living environment. He also wrote an excellent plumbing book that I used.

From my experience with 480V 3 phase on all our irrigation systems, I try to overkill on wire sizes and panel space when working on household stuff.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

I spoke with my Leviton rep today and if you are using a Leviton brand surge protected outlet with load side wiring capabilities you can run as many outlet on the load side within the rated amperage of the device.

This also applies to Leviton GFCI outlets with load wiring capabilities.

thanks for the update...must be confusing it w/ some other arbitrary bs floating around in the toilet bowl of my brain.