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surge protection, brown out surge

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  • 04-01-2010 7:27pm
    #1
    ifconfig
    Registered Users Posts: 880 ✭✭✭


    A few weeks ago we had to replace a module in our heat pump which is sited in the garage. It was the soft starter module.
    We had a scheduled ESB outage a few weeks earlier.
    The service engineer suspects that when the ESB returned after the outage that it temporarily resumed at below 220v resulting in much higher current persisting for a time resulting in damage to sensitive equipment.

    While I understand that brownouts are rare enough I've been advised to put in a surge protection module and I'm getting our electrician to come next week to fit one (or more).

    Looking back on the dates involved something else has come to light.
    I realise that a pump in the header tank in the attic (our water supply to sinks/cisterns is pressurized) comes on it causes a fairly noticeable pop in a subwoofer/PC speaker setup I have downstairs.
    Having mentioned this to another electrician he thinks this might be a power factor correction capacitor which might have also sustained failure after the brownout.

    Are there hazards here ? Obviously, putting in the surge protector will add protection for the future. Also, if there are planned ESB outages I will use the isolator switch for the heat pump to turn it off and resume power to it once the supply seems to be back.

    My main concern is whether the speaker pops which occur when the water boosting pump comes on are symptomatic of anything which might be hazardous, eg grounding issues ?....


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