What battery charge level for storage?

[D.E.]

That is the APC protector that resulted in a 15 million unit recall. Due to at least 700 potential fires that APC knew about. Also discussed here.

A surge, too tiny to overwhelm protection in attached appliances, also destroyed that tiny joule protector - catastrophically. Protector part (MOV) manufacturers state that catastrophic failures must never happen. Only acceptable failure mode is degradation.

So, a surge, too tiny to harm attached electronics, almost caused a house fire. Grossly undersizing a protector (Type 3) gets naive consumers to recommend that protector. Rather than superior circuits, inside an appliance, that are more robust.

Effective protectors remain functional for many decades after many direct lightning strikes. With specification numbers that say so. Provided by other companies known for integrity. Protector must never burn - fail catastrophically.

For same reasons, if a plug-in protector is found in your luggage, a cruise ship will probably confiscate it. They take fire threats far more seriously.

That protector did no effective protection. Adding five cent protector parts, to sell for $25 or $80, protects profit margins. Effective protectors remain functional - do not burn. Come with numbers that define protection even for direct lightning strikes. Cost about $1 per protected appliance. Must exist to protect Type 3 protectors. Nearby lightning strikes cause no changes if protection is effective.

Effective solution answer this question. Where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate? Then potential house fires do not exist. Then fans did not spin. A Tesla did not need external power to open its door. Indicators that no effective protection existed.

How many joules in that APC protector? Thousand joules is near zero protection.

Thanks for your comments. I was surprised that the electronic devices plugged into this surge protector weren’t damaged considering the look of this surge protector, but I believe you in that it should be impossible for this device to protect plugged in components against such a catastrophic strike.

 

[RichAZ/CapeCod]

We put in two whole-house surge protectors in two homes. We were told by an electrician at one site that a direct lightning strike would most likely fry the protector, and everything else electrical, in the home.

Rich

 

[westom]

We were told by an electrician at one site that a direct lightning strike would most likely fry the protector, and everything else electrical, in the home.

Electricians are not taught basic electrical concept. Only taught what must connect to what to protect human life.

For a protector to be effective, it must connect low impedance (ie less than 10 feet) to earth ground. Most electricians would not know what impedance is. Since impedance is irrelevant to the NEC and human protection.

Electricians are not taught that his connection to and quality of earthing electrodes defines protection. Protector never does protection. Its is only a connecting device to what does ALL protection. Facilities (professionals) concentrate mostly on and expand that which defines all protection. Single point earth ground.

Electrician will do what code requires. Put two electrodes in earth. May be barely sufficient to protect appliances (depending on geology). But facilities (professionals) who know this stuff pay most attention to earthing.

Effective protection means a surge is not anywhere inside. That surge, incoming to the APC via AC mains, was at the same time also outgoing via attached appliances and then to earth. Appliances conducted that current without damage. APC: unfortunately that unacceptable failure gets naive consumers to recommend it.

Lightning (one example of a surge) can be 20,000 amps. So a minimal 'whole house' protector is 50,000 amps. Direct lightning strikes (even over 100 years ago) do not damage effective protection.

If lightning causes damage to anything (an EV or a protector) then a human mistake created (permitted) that damage. The effective solution ALWAYS answers this question. Where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate?

EV needs properly earthed 'whole house' protection. With earthing (not a protector) requiring most attention.