Homeline 50 kA Plug-On Neutral Whole House Surge Protective Device

A great product easy to install

Hard to rate a product that controls line surges, because one does not know if it is effective unless a surge destroys electronics - - better safe than sorry. However, with Square D warranty, and insuring household electronics up to $50,000, one has to trust its effectiveness. This should be used in addition to individual surge protection units in rooms. Easy to install push on connections requires no wire connecting [works with Square D Homeline panels]. Clear instructions, that recommends installing close to main breaker - - so I moved two circuit breakers to empty slots.

All you need is two vertically adjacent single breaker slots close to the mains. Plug and play, that’s it.

I have been an electrician for over thirty six years. Many of these years holding a master electrical license in several different states. I have installed hundreds if not thousands of Square D Home Line 200amp load centers. I was very excited to see this product. Rated for 22,000 amps to protect your home electronics. Once it arrived I was a little concerned over how cheaply it appeared to be made. Once I went to install it I found out how cheaply it really is. When I went to try and snap the product on the bussing per the instruction it crumbled in my hands. Square D use to the be best made products in the electrical industry, unfortunately they no longer are. All in all don't waste your hard earn money on this. You will be disappointed as well.

Assuming that you have a Square D Homeline circuit breaker panel with the plug-on neutral feature, as well as 2 adjacent open breaker spaces, installation of this unit couldn't be simpler. There are no connections to make other than popping it in. Note that this unit is only for use in Square D Homeline panels with the plug-on neutral feature, which most current and recent panel models in the line have. If your Homeline panel does not have this feature, Square D also makes a model with a neutral pigtail lead, for connection to your neutral bus. Should you have a Square D QO-series panel, you will require a model designed specifically for that series panel, as they take a different form of circuit breaker. The manufacturer does recommend installation "as close to the main circuit breaker or main lugs as possible". Most electricians will fill a panel with breakers from the top down, so most times any free spaces in your panel with be farthest from the main breaker or main lugs. Not sure how much of a difference in the level of protection provided that the location of this unit makes, but the breakers can always be shuffled around to meet this suggestion.

I used a Homeline plug-on neutral panel for a rewiring job for the first time and was very pleased with several aspects. There is no mistaking which neutral pairs with its mated hot conductor, the entire panel looks much cleaner, and there is some time savings in my opinion. Many electronics can be plugged into strip-type surge suppressors, like computers, TVs, etc, but a whole house suppressor will protect the rest of your electronics that can’t be, like ranges, refrigerators, furnaces and everything else that seems to have touchy electronics built in these days. So when I found out that Square D has designed a whole-house surge suppressor specifically for this panel, I was eager to try it. Once the panel cover is off and the corresponding breaker tabs snapped off of the front, installation takes about 5 seconds. Just snap it into place, no wiring, faster than installing a breaker. A small indicator light lets you know that it is working. A couple things that you should keep in mind: You will need two adjoining breaker locations (above and below), and the specs say that you should mount this as close to the main or incoming leads as possible. That may mean relocating other breakers, which in turn may mean some splicing or other modifications to the original panel layout. Apparently only a suggestion, so it will still work in a more distant location, although possibly less effective. Double check that this particular device is the one designed for your panel. I think that it is a good idea to do research about surge suppressors to see what they will and will not do, the different types, ratings and applications. It is a topic more involved than can be described here. Like many safety devices, you really never know if they are doing their job, because the result is that everything is just fine. This device is surge rated at 50,000 amp with 500 volts line to neutral and 800 volts line-to-line, but I could find no total rating in joules in the specs or online. In summary, I find this device the easiest and most effective method for surge protection if you have a plug-on neutral

After installing a competing product that required punching out a new hole in the load center, then wiring, and mounting next to the load center, the Square D HOM250PSPD Homeline Plug-on Neutral SPD Whole Home Surge Protection Device was just too easy to install! I thought I was missing a step, so I went over the directions five times to be sure - it really is a plug-and-play device. Just take the cover off your load center, pop it on the rails, replace the cover, and you're done. It took all of two minutes, with most of the time consumed by removing the screws for the load center cover. Everyone should install one of these for the peace of mind it delivers.

I had an electrician install a manual transfer switch with a E.L.C.(emergency load center), and wanted to add a whole house suppressor. Since my new E.L.C. is a plug on neutral, this device made even easier to choose. So far it seems to be working well, but time will tell with these future PSPS coming this year.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser