Adding lightning protection to your house

[snoozee 98]

Are you comfortable with working with electrical components when main breaker is turned off? If yes then switching the SPD is just a matter of unscrewing then cables, removing from the busbar and then reversing the steps with the new component. 
most important is to make sure main breaker is turned off, use a test pen to confirm no electricity before removal and never let the bare wires touch each other after you remove them from the device. 

[AWS 6]

2 hours ago, petetherock said:

Is it easy to replace a bad SPD?
I saw some sites suggesting replacing it every two years... I can't imagine asking a LEW to come so often... especially if there isn't any fault.

If there is a strike and does it always turn red? I can't imagine having to keep a few of these standby... if it's easy to swop, maybe I can use a Type 1 in future in the same spot.. 
Thanks

It’s easy to swap out and if you switch off the main breakers before the PUB’s meter at the meter compartment, not the DB ones, it’s 100% safe. The life span of a SPD is not dependent on the number of strikes but on the total amount of energy being diverted to earth since installation. Once the varistor or gas discharge tube life span is used up, the indicator will turn red and it’s time to replace. Some SPD comes with a FM function and able to warn owner through a LED display or an audio alarm that the SPD is no longer functioning and need replacement. 

[petetherock 13]

Thanks, I'm awful with DIY, so I hope it last for a while...

If it does need replacement, can I swop out the Type 2 and use one of the Type 1?

Edited February 16, 2022 by petetherock

[petetherock 13]

On 2/9/2022 at 3:23 PM, snoozee said:

my electrician used cables from Sigma.

I had wanted to split the DB into one for each floor initially but ended up not doing it and put it inside a store where my network equipment rack is. The main consideration of not having split DBs was how/where to hide the DBs.

torch light is subjective la. Nowadays our mobile phones usually near to us all the time so can use the phone's LED as torch.

how much you ended up paying for all the SPDs?

My builder came through nicely:

$500 for the one at the gate, and one more at the smaller DB for L3. He also fixed the spoiled isolator and wall sockets affected, and helped me install an outdoor lamp that needed replacement....

Half a day's work.

 

[AWS 6]

12 hours ago, petetherock said:

Thanks, I'm awful with DIY, so I hope it last for a while...

If it does need replacement, can I swop out the Type 2 and use one of the Type 1?

For the replacement unit, you can source for a Type1+Type2 from e-commerce platform. Almost all foot print for 3P+N is same. You can use back the same housing. 
If you are hands on, off the breaker before the meter before disconnecting. Your meter display will be off too but it’s alright as there isn’t any alarm to be triggered. Once the meter display is gone, it further confirm that there is no live current downstream. Just don’t contact the neutral and earth wires.

[petetherock 13]

14 minutes ago, AWS said:

For the replacement unit, you can source for a Type1+Type2 from e-commerce platform. Almost all foot print for 3P+N is same. You can use back the same housing. 
If you are hands on, off the breaker before the meter before disconnecting. Your meter display will be off too but it’s alright as there isn’t any alarm to be triggered. Once the meter display is gone, it further confirm that there is no live current downstream. Just don’t contact the neutral and earth wires.

Thanks, it seems that he screwed the item directly on to the wooden panel.. so I wonder if the housing can still be reused... can you recommend a particular one? I'm a bit of an audiophile, so getting a decent one matters..

Re - the KAM brand that my friend uses, that's a really low price. But how's the quality? 

Edited February 17, 2022 by petetherock

[AWS 6]

1 hour ago, petetherock said:

Thanks, it seems that he screwed the item directly on to the wooden panel.. so I wonder if the housing can still be reused... can you recommend a particular one? I'm a bit of an audiophile, so getting a decent one matters..

Re - the KAM brand that my friend uses, that's a really low price. But how's the quality? 

 

Red outline is the box.

Green outline is the SPD.

To remove the SPD, unscrew the 4 visible screws at the perimeter of box and out pops the box cover. Then use a Philips P2 to loosen all the cable connections. To remove the SPD:

 

The will be a spring loaded metallic clamp. Use a flat head screw drive to push down the clamp’s recessed hole to loosen the clamp as show in red circle outline
The blue rectangle outline is the DIN Rail where the SPD’s clamp latches on to give support. 

For a Type1+Type2 combi SPD, I will recommend Hager SPA401or DEHN 941310. For around SG$500-$700, is only a fraction of your hi fi setup, not even 3% of an amp.

KAM is made in China, too cheap to trust.  Do note the KAM is Type3 and you will need a Type3 to protect your setup and needed to be as close as possible to your setup. 
You can consider DEHN 953205. This is a single phase Type3 SPD. It is about SG$100+ from Amazon. DEHN & Hager mostly made in Germany.

[petetherock 13]

Had another trip - but I found that it was because the koi pond cable was worn down. When my LEW came, he said the SPD last a few years, he has not been asked to replace them yet, so fingers crossed..

I've not been able to find a Type 1 locally, but hopefully it lasts a few years then I'll ask the LEW to help then.

Thanks

I'm a firm believer of good quality electricity, and it does help the sound more than conditioners and fancy cables I feel. Plus it has the added benefit of keeping the house safe. 

[petetherock 13]

Need some help: my pool light stopped working - all other circuits are fine, it's on a timer, but even if I turn of the timer, it doesn't work. Everything else on the same circuit are fine
So can it be a timer issue or is it the lamps, but can all the lamps fail at the same time? Is there any internal fuse inside the timer - so is it easy to change that module? 

Or is it the MT 120A module?
Thanks very much

It's the one labelled L 

[snoozee 98]

the timer module can fail after years of use. there's no user replaceable part inside.

you can try to bypass by flipping up the cover and pull down the switch from Auto to I. if doesn't work, you can try to swop the timer module with the one on the right side. you need to open the DB cover and then disconnect the wires connected to the timers. remember to turn off the breakers first and confirm there's no electricity flowing by using a test pen. once the wires are disconnected, make sure the wires do not touch anything as you can cause a short.

if confirmed timer failed, you can buy a new one online or from electrical component suppliers.

[AWS 6]

To add to what snoozee said, also do a push to test the RCCB (CD240B) module. If it trips, leave it at the tripped position and then work on swapping the timer and feed back further.

[petetherock 13]

Thanks 🙏 

any electrical store that you can recommend which may sell these items?

the DB cover has also broken but can the front of the box be replaced with one of another brand ? I looked - the brand is Marvelin 09.08 and I’m not sure where to source the components…. 
 

[snoozee 98]

Big supplier like choo chiang marketing will have the stuff with outlets in many areas. Price is not the cheapest though. If you can find time between 8am to 5pm on weekdays, then kelantan lane in Jalan Besar area next to DSC clinic have a supplier. Else Verasamy road nearby will have many suppliers like Kim siah or Albert Hoo including Choo Chiang. 
 

DB cover usually need to use with the same model base and sold as a set. Can’t really mix and match. So if you want to replace need to replace everything including the base which will mean you need to power down further up the line or even from the main incoming just to be safe. Neutral and live wires can cause short if touched even if the MCB is turned off. Need to shut down the main incoming breaker to cut off the neutral connection as well as the 3 phases to really cut off everything. 

[petetherock 13]

So I got an electrician to come by - great guy in case anyone needs one

Not the timer or switch sadly, it’s either the cabling within my pool or the lights… might need the pool guy. Will see how since everything else works … sigh 

[snoozee 98]

what are the 2 breakers used for?

was there any trip of the breakers?

usually 20A breaker is used for power sockets and 10A breaker used for lights. your breaker labeled with L is a 20A breaker so it might not be for lights.

if your lights are connected in series, then it might be a case of blown blub causing all the rest of the lights not to work.