Voltage spikes can sometimes be a big nuisance as far as the safety of the various electronic appliances are concerned. Let's learn how to make a simple AC Mains surge protector circuits at home.
What is a Surge Protector
A surge protector is an electrical device which is designed to neutralize minor electrical spikes and transients that normally keep appearing in the mains utility lines. These are normally installed in sensitive and vulnerable electronic equipment to prevent them from getting damaged due to these sudden unprecedented surges and voltage fluctuations.
They work by instantaneously short circuiting any excess high voltage that may appear in the mains AC line for a very duration.
This duration is usually lasts in microseconds. Anything above this period of time may cause the surge suppressor itself to burn or get damaged
What is Voltage In Rush
A sudden voltage spike is basically a sharp rise in the voltage lasting not more than a few milliseconds but enough to cause damage to our precious equipment almost instantly.
It thus becomes imperative to stop or block these from entering vulnerable electronic gadgets like our personal computers.
Commercial spike busters are though available pretty easily and cheaply too, cannot be trusted and moreover have no reliability test arrangement so it becomes just a "assuming" game, until it's all over.
Working Design
The circuit of a Simple AC Mains Surge Protector Device below, which shows how to make a simple homemade AC mains high current protector device is based on very simple principle of "speed breaking" the initial jolt through components who are well equipped in the field.
A simple iron resistor and MOV combination are more than enough to provide the protections we are looking for.
Here R1 and R2 are 5 turns of iron wire (0.2mm thick) over a 1 inch diameter air core each followed by an appropriately rated varistor or an MOV connected across them to become a full fledged spike protector system.
Sudden high AC entering the input of spike are effectively tackled and the "sting" absorbed in the course by the relevant parts and a safe and clean mains is allowed to go through the connected load.
Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) Calculations and Formulas
The calculation of energy during application of such a pulse is given by the formula:
E = (Vpeak x I peak) x t2 x K
where:
Ipeak = peak current
Vpeak = voltage at peak current
β = given for I = ½ x Ipeak to Ipeak
K is a constant depending on t2, when t1 is 8 μs to 10 μs
A low value of β corresponds to a low value of Vpeak and then to a low value of E.
Transient Protector Using Inductors and MOV
Question Regarding Surge Prevention in Electronic Ballast
Hi swagtam, I found your email address from your blog. I really need yr help. Actually my company has customer in china we make UV lamps and we use electronic ballast for it. now the problem is in china because of Over Voltage the ballast burn out so i design circuit which is in attachment which doesn't help either?
so i found your Ultimate High/Low Voltage Protector Circuit which i wants to build. or can you tell me the update if i can do in my circuit that will be great. sorry if i am bothring you. but i really really need yr help to save my job thanks Thank You Krishna Shah
Solution
Hi Krishna, According to me the problem may not be with the voltage fluctuations, rather it's because of the sudden voltage surges that's blowing of your ballast circuit. The diagram shown by you may not prove very effective, because it does not incorporate a resistor or any kind of barrier with the MOVs. You may try the following circuit, introduce it at the entry point of the ballast circuit.
Hope it works:
Using an NTC and MOV
The following image shows how two different sudden high voltage suppressor devices could be tied up with the mains line for achieving a double edged safety.
The NTC here enables an initial switch ON current in rush protection by offering a higher resistance due to its initial lower temperature, but in the course of this action its temperature begins increasing and it begins allowing more current for the appliance until a normal working conditions achieved.
The MOV on the other hand complements the NTC output and makes sure that in case the NTC is unable to stop the up-surge onslaught correctly, it switches ON itself shorting the residual high transient content to ground and as a result establishing a safest possible supply for the connected load or the appliance.
RFI Line Filter and Surge Suppression Circuit
If you are looking for a mains AC line filter circuit having a combined protection against radio frequency interference (RFI) suppression, along with voltage surge control, then the following design could prove quite handy.
As we can see, the input side is protected with an NTC and MOV. The MOV grounds any instantaneous over voltage surge, while the NTC limits an over current surge.
The next stage constitutes an RFI line filter, comprising of a small ferrite transformer and a few capacitors. The transformer arrests and blocks the passage of any incoming or outgoing RFI across the line, while the capacitor network reinforces the effect by grounding the residual high frequency content across the line.
The transformer is built over a small ferrite rod, having two identical winding wrapped one over the other, and one of the winding end connections swapped between the input/output Neutral line.
Casper Mostert says
Dear Swagatam,
I live in South Africa and we are bombarded with daily blackouts. My underfloor heating is controlled by WiFi smart switches and I’ve already lost 2x smart switches due to voltage spikes when the power utility restores power. My smart switches are rated for 10ampsp and the max amp drawn from one of the underfloor heating panels is 4.6amps (1050w, 230v) so the smart switches are well within spec. My wall space is extremely limited, so commercially available surge protectors will not fit in the space.
I saw your circuit and was wondering if using a 2.5E 8A, 20mm disc thermistor coupled with a MOV 14mm RMS=230V 104J varistor will be adequite for the mentioned scenario?
Any advice will be appreciated
Thanks
Swagatam says
Hi Casper,
yes I think the NTC/MOV combination should be able to tackle the switch-ON inrush problem. If it doesn’t then you can perhaps try a delay ON relay timer circuit.
Bob J. Lathim says
Dear Sir,
I Need a circuit to attach to my Ham Radio Power supply(13.8 VDC) and a Battery Back up of (12 Volts DC) so that when the Mains go dead from Blackout the Circuit will automatically switch to the (12 Volt DC Battery) My radio is operated from (12 Volts DC Normally) From a power supply working from the Mains 220 VAC) the radio Draws about 20 Amperes on Transmit so the circuit would have to be able to handle at least (25 amperes @ 12 Volts DC) to be safe.
I Know they have commercial Units that do this Job, But I like Building my own Gear, I am a Ham Radio Operator.
Thank you and Namaste
Swagatam says
Hi Bob,
You can try the following relay configuration for fulfilling your requirement:
Daniel says
HI Swagatam,
I’m at a revision of a Pinball machine. Either I replace the old bulky LineFilterAssembly or I take it apart and replace the components. This Filter is already 30 years old. It contains a Thermistor to limit the inrush current and a Varistor to protect from over voltage and it contains an EMI Filter. The whole LineFilterAssembly feeds a quite big transformer with 1 primary and 9 secondary. The highest secondary is 100V and the lowest is 9V. The whole machine is fused to 220V 5A T. Do you know a compact device who can handle the requirements? Would you restore the original LineFilterAssembly and replace the onboard components?
Swagatam says
Hi Daniel,
The only EMI filter circuit that I know is the one shown at the end of the above article. You can probably try the last circuit from the above article by building the RFI filter using thick wires, may be 1mm thick.
Roopesh Gowda B M says
Hai Swagatam,
I am working as a hardware engineer in one of the reputed company, and i am working on a filter.
Basically we install some electronic equipment’s in central railways and there there is 110VAC, which is regulated from railways 25000V. but when switching happens or power on off happens there is a high voltage surge and that surge is spoiling my LC filter as well, please suggest me a way to solve this issue.
input= 110VAC
surge = nearly 4000VAC
surge duration= 3-4 millisec
please suggest me a way forward to solve this issue.
Swagatam says
Hi Roopesh, I think you must install powerful MOVs at the input side of the AC mains. One such example can be studied in the following article:
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/high-power-industrial-surge-suppressor/
KABIR ABDULRAZAK says
Good morning sir.
Long time , please I have a question, may I use this circuit to apply it in my arduino circuit to protect my Arduino from EMF . because sometimes my Arduino hocked and stopped working at any time while in working because am using High voltage generator in the circuit.
Swagatam says
Hi Kabir, the above circuits are meant for AC mains surge suppression, not for Arduino circuit. For Arduino circuits, you can feed the 12V to the Arduino through a 7812 IC and connect a 1000uF/25V capacitor right across the DC input pins of the Arduino. This will help you to get rid of any kind of interference from the high voltage generator.
Chaplin says
Hi,
I would like to build an inductor (line reactor) as it was done in the patents used by Zero Surge, Surgex, BrickWall.
Could you walk us through how to build this type of inductor for overvoltage protection?
It is a 100mH air inductor in the case of Zero Surge but there are 2 inductors I believe in the case of Surgex which is even more efficient.
In the case of this circuit, the use of a ferrite would lead to a rapid saturation that is why you propose an iron core in your answers for the protection of overvoltages and not just as a common mode filter?
In your texts you write ferrites but I think it is rather an iron core (as you have answered to others) since ferrite indicates a mixture of metals… Otherwise, what type of ferrite do you suggest?
Swagatam says
Hi, sorry I do not have the exact calculations for building the kind of surge suppressor that you are referring to, so it is difficult for me to suggest anything useful.
Yes iron core may work better for mains surge suppressor inductors since the frequency range of the input AC is within 50 and 60 Hz.
Alberto Flor says
Im interested with your innovations and circuit designs.
SAURABH ALTEKAR says
Hello,
I am Mr. Saurabh from India.
I request you to suggest me solution for a problem that I am facing
First I’ll explain you the circumstances and my setup .
circumstances :-
In India we normally have 220V to 240V AC Supply.
But we have some problem in our area , Voltage normal range is 260V to 290V, service provider company is irresponsible, so I am handling it with Servo Stabilizer and reduce it to safe range of 220-240V. But during Night 11:30pm to morning 5.00AM Voltages surges up to 310V and it is beyond my stabilizer range.
There is an automatic relay controller that cuts main supply if Voltage is more than 300V. Then it monitors voltage for some time, if it is unsafe, main supply remains disconnected permanently ( and then relay is to be reset manually, even if supply goes safe it does not start automatically ) Due to which whole night UPS remains active and battery goes down by 5am.
Due to 300+ Voltage, when main supply is disconnected by relay, some revers current continues, resulting led and tube lights corners to glow slightly, even if they are switched off !! There is RCCB after Relay, when it is switched off manually led and tube lights corners does not glow.
Setup:-
1) First supply comes to Relay range of 145V to 300V, 16AMP upper limit is se
2) Then, there is 63AMP RCCB for shock protection, current leakage (30mA protection)
3) Then there is servo stabilizer 3KVA range 145V to 300V
4) Then there is UPS 1.5KVA
I want some solution that will reduce extra voltage from 290V to 335V with addition of some circuit.
Kindly suggest me solution.
ThanX
Swagatam says
Hello, the only feasible option is to build another stabilizer circuit which will changeover when the mains voltage reaches 300 V, and will reduce it by 50V, so that 300V now becomes 250V….or 330V is reduced to 280V and so on.
You can try the concept explained in the following article:
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/how-to-make-small-homemade-automatic/
Make sure TR2 is rated at 24-0-24V, 5 amps
Dalvin Jose D says
Hi Swagatham,
I am from south India. May i know the reason for LED night lamps and some of LED wall lights glowing Dim even when the switch is powered off (that is phase is off and only neutral is connected). How to resolve this Issue. During rainy time LED lights will be even brighter. Kindly suggest some circuit to sort this out. Thanks…
Swagatam says
Hi Dalvin,
The issue could be due to residual or leakage mains AC, or the other reason maybe because the LIVE wire to the LED bulb is not connected through the switch, rather the neutral wire is connected through the switch. You can remove the LED bulb from the socket and check the socket pins with a line tester with power switched OFF. If the line tester shows a LIVE pin ON even while the switch is switched OFF, that would mean your LED bulb switch is wrongly configured with the switch. In that case you may have to change the connections to the switch and make sure the LIVE wire is connected through the switch.
However if you are sure that the LED glows even while the LIVE is switched OFF then the problem cannot be solved easily. In that case you may have to open the LED bulb and connect a filter capacitor right across the LED series connection and check if the problems resolves or not.
Ankush Gupta says
Hi. Thanks for making homemade circuits website. We want to develop 4kv, 6kv and 10kv surge protection device. Need help 🙏
Swagatam says
Hi, thank you,
for 4kv and above you will need a MOV or metal oxide varistors rated to handle the same amount of voltage as specified.
If you Google “4kv MOV” you will be able to find many online sources selling MOVs rated to handle this power
Subir says
Hi Swagatam,
Can I add one more NTC at neutral line as well as live line too…is it give better inrush current protection?….Waiting for reply
Swagatam says
Hi Subir, you can do that but that might increase the effective series resistance in the mains line, and could affect the working performance of the load….
Shady amy says
Hi Swag,
Very nice explanation..thnks for sharing the knowledge…bro can u please guide me..
I made a extension board with 3 sockets and 3 switches ..1 indicator and 1 fuse…I intend to connect 1 55inch led tv…1 pc…and 1 Playstation can u pls tell me the value of fuse I should use (6amps or 10amps)…and pls tell me the value of mov with its complete part no.
Incoming voltage is around 220-240v.
The pc connection is via a digital ups..that means I am connecting the ups to one of the 3 sockets in the extension board.
The drawing wattage would be around 400 to 700watts if all 3 equipments are on simultaneously.
And pls tell me the value of thermistor
Can I add ptc in series with ntc so as to arrest the current surge in addition to rush current protection done by ntc
Swagatam says
Hi Shady,
Since the fuse is supposed to be rated in amps, we have to find the maximum permisible amps to the systems combined. Dividing the 700 watts with 220V gives 3.18 amps, meaning a 3.5 amp fuse would be just enough for the task.
I won’t suggest a PTC, since an NTC will be itself quite sufficient for controlling the initial switch ON surge. You can use any 4 amp (steady current) NTC for the purpose.
And instead of PTC, you can employ an MOV rated to tackle 350V peak voltages.
Shady amy says
Thnks for the prompt response…salute ur dedication.
As per your suggestion I will go ahead with the ntc. But the fact is that ntc will clamp the initial switch on current surge..and the threat of overload current flow in some instances still pose a danger
so to curb all 4 instances like
1) voltage surge
2) voltage overload
Mov will manage
3) initial current surge = ntc
4) current overload = ?
Pls specify any addon to arrest the overload current
And I humbly request u to specify the part no.
Of mov,ntc,and new addon if any(overload current protection)
For example 20d471 mov or any other
Thnks again.
Swagatam says
You are welcome! The overload current can be controlled by the fuse itself! An additional circuit can be use to shut of a relay, as discussed
in the following diagram:
Mains AC Overload protection Circuit for Voltage Stabilizers
The NTC and the MOV will need to be checked from online datasheet.
You can easily Google
“4 amp NTC”, and “350 V MOV”, you will be able to find those from the existing online charts.
Shubham ingle says
Hi Swagatam,
how calculate the required resistor power rating for 1.2us X 50us pulse. with the resistance value of 200ohm and the mov clamping volatge is 1.5Kv.
please let me know your feedback.
Swagatam says
Hi Shubham, sorry I do not have the formula for this calculations
Mark says
You suggest using an NTC resistor to protect against surges. However, since it is a negative temp coefficient device, its’ resistance will decrease when more current goes through it. Did you intend to suggest a PTC resistor?
Swagatam says
NTCs are intended for preventing the initial switch ON surge. Once the initial switch ON period is over the NTC is supposed to work with minimal interference and minimal resistance to current.
Seun says
Please Sir, will the ntc and mov serve as current limiter for loads
Swagatam says
NTC will act as current limiter to an extent, but MOVs won’t.
S.Mani says
The design of circuit using ntc,mov and line filter is good.
I have seen many tv sets having ptc also.
Balcha says
Swagatam Thank you i got answer for all of my questions.
keep up the good work!.
Swagatam says
Thank you Balcha!
VL SOOD says
I HAVE 3-PHASE 20 KW CONNECTION IN MY HOUSE. WHENEVER THERE IS SPARKING IN THE GOVT SUPPLY LINE SOME ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT GETS DAMAGED. CAN I PUT THREE UNITS AS PEER YOUR CIRCUIT ON THE THREE PHASES AFTER MY MAIN 3-PHASE MCB FOR SURGE PROTECTION
Swagatam says
You can use the second design, and please do not write in capital letters.
Swagatam says
Use it in your specific equipment which get damaged, not in the 3 phase line.
VL SOOD says
I have a 3-Phase 20 KW connection in my house. The Electicity Board transformer is next to my house. Whenever there is a spark in in the transformer or supply line to my house, the home appliances get damaged. I understand this could be controlled with MOV. Could you please suggest a suitable circuit.
Swagatam says
Using high power MOV is the only remedy for such sudden voltage fluctuations, a permanent solution could be a triac based stabilizer circuit, which could be very large and complex to build.
chandan negi says
Hi….Swagatam can you help me ac supply distortion .i have two switch one is 220 ac for my 12v pcb board.and other one for examination lamp also 220 ac.when i up down lamp 220 ac switch my 12v supply distortion and front display reset. i have used mov,pf,emi filter,
Swagatam says
Hi Chandan, distortions can be corrected through inductors and capacitors or LC filters, as shown at the end of the above post. EMI filter should have worked…try increasing the inductor values.
Ankush says
Hi sir ,
I am working on Street light timer
But there is issue of voltage fluctuations
I need surge suppressor what can u do ?
Swagatam says
Hi Ankush, you can use an MOV or varistor for suppressing standard AC fluctuation surges.
Ankush says
Sir thanks for reply
All ready I used mov but it burn and need to replace but I want circuit
no need of replacemant of mov
Swagatam says
Ankush, in that case you will need a transformer based stabilizer, using triacs, or a PWM based stabilizer.
Ankush says
Sir any refrance is available at your side?? Please give me
Swagatam says
Ankush, what is the Voltage and current specification of the timer? I think you can use a capacitive power supply and have a constant voltage for the circuit.
Dee says
Hi, thanks for sharing your circuit diagram.
Regarding circuit with two MOV & 10 Ohm R, i need to use it for my device, 230~235V input, protected from AC line at max 240V. It consume just 0.1 A (100mA~150mA) current.
Based on the formula you gave, is it not too big for R?
Supply- input V/I load = 240max – 230~235 / 100~150mA (0.1A) = ~2K R ?
And is it go to high dissipations with that such value?
Thanks.
Swagatam says
You are right, the formula doesn’t seem applicable for the MOVs, because then the MOVs won’t be required, and the resistors itself will effectively restrict the surge, and the dissipation will be extremely high.
The formula should be simple R = V/I, where V can be the clamping voltage the MOV, and the current can be the maximum current the MOV can handle for a few microseconds.
Let’s say the clamping voltage is 350V, and the max current limit is 50 amps, then the series resistor will be 350/50 = 7 ohms.
Robert Pointer says
Hello,
I have a similar question:
I have a ham radio amplifier wired for 240vac.
It has an analog power supply. When first turned on the THUMP is very loud with inrush current. The filaments in the tubes do not like this very much and it shortens their life.
I thought about using an NTC on each hot leads into the amp but I have no idea what value. The AC line is fused at 6 amp. Any suggestions?
Thank you very much
Swagatam says
Hi, since the filament should be rated to consume low current, may be between 200 mA and 500 mA, a 5 ohm NTC should do the job nicely.
Fabio says
Hi Swagatom
I am planning to install a main surge suppressor on my home.
I did a schematic online, and I would like you to check it.
The link is: https://ibb.co/Btddv8g
I use MOV + TVS (The TVS diodes are b-directional)
Do you thing will work?
The board will be connect straight after the main circuit breaker in parallel not in series.
Thanks
Swagatam says
Hi Fabio, it looks OK, but I don’t think the MOVs are required across earth and neutral! And even better to go for NTC instead of TVS…so NTC in series and MOV in parallel with the mains line would work better.
Fabio says
Hi Swagatam
Thanks for your replay
I live in Australia and on the main switchboard there is a link between Neutral and Earth.
This because if Earth is not present in case of fault the Neutral became the Earth.
Correct me if I am wrong but the NTC in series is just for inrush current.
Thanks
Swagatam says
Hi Fabio,
I was considering to streamline the design cost wise, but if you are OK with higher costs then you can go with the design that you have created, there’s no problem with it. Yes an NTC is for controlling in rush, which is also a major cause of equipment burning.
Rosco says
Hi Fabio,
The circuit might be fine (I’ve not analyzed it), however the layout is also crucial. You need to provide wide spacing between the tracks to prevent flashover if there is a high voltage incoming spike.
Many compact devices providing this function ‘pot’ the circuit in epoxy to help prevent unwanted sparks across gaps between conductors and unwanted ‘creepage’ across the board substrate.
I’d strongly suggest re-visiting the track spacing.
Fabio says
Thanks Rosco
I have already printed all the PCB. I will follow your suggestion and maybe use epoxy!
Thanks a lot!
Rosco says
Cool cool…
Want you to be safe so you can keep making stuff and publishing content… ☺️
Swagatam says
Thank you!
Jainil Shah says
Hi SWAGATAM, I want to have 10KV Surge protection in my 230V AC Mains circuit. Kindly assist me for that.
Swagatam says
Hi Jainil, what is the source of the 10kv, is it from lightening?
Jainil Shah says
Yes, Source is Lightening.
Swagatam says
To protect against lightening you can apply the following circuit idea:
This can be placed between the mains input and the load. When the input goes beyond 270V the triac will trip and blow the fuse. If required you can increase the 270V limit to 300V or higher.
Kennedy L Mtonga says
Thanks a million. OK so lastly is is possible to shed more light on the components such as the diodes, the LED/LDR Assembly, and the Working voltage for the relay RL1 including component marked LD1. My real education is in computer networking and electronics was just a chapter so i am trying to beef up with the help of individuals lie yourself. Fortunately so. Hope its no bother. i intend to build it on a breadboard.
Thanks once more.
Swagatam says
Thanks, I have updated the required details in the linked article.
Kennedy L Mtonga says
Hi. I am stuck (not my name lol). I am a technician in the making. Just started learning. i am trying to design a circuit that only allows an adjustable current value (maximum 5 Amps on a supply voltage of 220 V). The operation is that drawing anything above the set current trips the load circuit but can be reset (reconnected by a reset button).
The challenge is to limit the current draw under normal( no short circuit) conditions. Just to limit.
Thanks in advance.
Swagatam says
No problem, I think you can try the following concept for the mentioned requirement
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/mains-ac-overload-protection-circuit/
Kennedy L Mtonga says
Thanks a lot. will post and share on my research results once done.
Swagatam says
Ok great!
Shaun Halvorsen says
Hello ,
Could you advise me on the components need to monitor with a led on the third leg of a iTMOV on a 230v line please.
Swagatam says
Hi, you can try the following details:
https://www.littelfuse.com/~/media/electronics/datasheets/varistors/littelfuse_varistor_tmov_itmov_datasheet.pdf.pdf
Shaun Halvorsen says
Hello ,
Wow very fast answer ,really impressed ,just the answer i was looking for .
I have some hifi equipment i want to connect a filter board to the mains and have some supresion before it .
This will be good thank you so much ,very kind .
Regards shaun Halvorsen.
Swagatam says
Thank you, Glad I could help! Wish you all the best!!
Jan says
Hi Swagatam,
I will appreciate it if you can assist me with the following.
I want to add surge protection to all of my 15A sockets in my house.
Ref. to your circuit
Home » Home Electrical Circuits » AC 220V/120V Mains Surge Protector Circuits
The values of the components I intend to use is:
Thermistor SCK201ROMSBY
Size 20mm
Termination Radial
Tolerance ± 20%
Tolerance Code M
Max Steady State Current @ 25 deg C 13A
Zero Power Resistance @ 25 deg C 1 Ω
MOV 14D391K
Size ` 14mm
Max Allowable ACrms V 250V
Max Allowble DC V 320V
Varistor V @ 1ma 390V
Max Peak I @8/20uS 4500A
Max Energy 10/1000uS 100J
Rated Power 0.6W
Typical C @ 1kHz 510pf
Do you think these will do the job?
Your assistance will be much appreciated.
Regards
Jan
Swagatam says
Hi Jan,
It looks good, but if the RMS goes above 250V even for a second, your MOV will burn, better increase the RMS range to 300V.
Jan says
Thank you Swagatam,
I will certainly do that.
Regards
Swagatam says
You are welcome Jan!
BIJU MICHAEL says
What is the details of NTC resistor used with MOV. please give me details of NTC resistor…
Swagatam says
It will depend on the load actually. For loads upto 1 amp, the value can be 5 ohms, a described in this article:
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/using-ntc-resistor-as-surge-suppressor/
Nathan says
Hello! I’ve got a somewhat complex question but not so difficult question that you can help me with. I’ll give you a little background as to WHY I am asking.
I have just moved into a new house that only has a 15amp circuit in the office. My wife’s computer equipment alone places a heavy demand on this circuit and I know that by adding my computer I would very easily overload it. To solve this issue I ran a dedicated circuit just for my equipment. My PC can be very power hungry depending on load as I am into water cooling overclocking, etc. I also know that PC power supplies are typically a little more efficient when operating at 240v than 120 and I figured while I was running a new circuit I could just as easily run two. I used #12 wire and ran two circuits. One is set up for 120v and has a 5-20R receptacle. The second I configured for 240v and has a 6-20R receptacle. This portion of the project is done, everything is hot, I only need to move in and hook up my equipment, I have the appropriate power cord to hook up my PC. I have been looking though and have noticed that many of my other components, such as my monitors will also operate on 240v so I figure why not run as much on 240 as I can?
Well as it turns out thus far the biggest reason why not is the ability to physically connect everything. My 240V circuit only has a single 6-20R receptacle and I have the need to plug in five or six devices. In the 120V world the simple solution is a power strip. I have had little success finding 240V power strips with 6-20R receptacles and those that I do find are $$$$. I figured I could build my own for a whole lot less money, or build a much superior product for the same money. A power strip is easy, but I figure if I’m going through the trouble I might as well build in surge protection and that’s where my lack of knowledge becomes a problem.
As I understand it European “200” volt systems are configured as a Hot-Neutral-Ground configuration with 200V from hot to ground or hot to neutral. In contrast my US configuration will be Hot-Hot-Ground with 240V with hot to hot and 120V from either hot to ground if that makes any difference at all in system design. I was thinking of creating some kind of a box with a “bus” system, consisting of a bar or terminal strip for each leg and the ground. This would allow me to connect multiple receptacles to the bus in parallel and thus not have the possibility of drawing excess current through any one receptacle.
Wish List:
1. Fused (or circuit breaker) protection for both hot legs. I’m thinking some kind of circuit breaker would be good so it could kill both legs in the event that one side has a fault, like a double pole circuit breaker.
2. High capacity surge suppression – Would it be more effective to have single surge protection point for the entire bus, or individual for each receptacle? My gut tells me that several smaller ones would be more effective than one large one but I could be dead wrong, I honestly do not know.
3. Visual indicator of surge suppression function.
Swagatam says
Hello Nathan,
You can use calculated fuses on both the lines, because fuses are the cheapest way to handle a short circuit condition.
It is better to have separate MOVs for each receptacle, than having a single large, as guessed rightly by you. Here’s a link that may help:
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/how-to-select-mov/
Visual indication for surge suppression can be impossible, because a surge may happen in milliseconds, and therefore impossible to track. However I have an idea which can be used for recording a surge occurrence, as explained in this article:
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/surge-arrestor-circuit-with-surge/
This can be modified as per user preference.
Nathan says
Thanks for the information! On the visual indication I wasn’t really looking so much for a way to see when a surge happened, but rather that the surge suppression was still working and wasn’t burned out. I’ve seen this on commercial power strips, kinda a built in self check if you will.
Swagatam says
You can add an LED across each fuse through a 56K 1 watt resistor. Meaning each LED must have a 56K 1 watt resistor in series. If the fuses blow the LED will switch ON, indicating the blown condition of the fuse. However this still won’t be able to show the condition of the MOVs whether they are actually working or not. Suppose if one of the MOVs become open internally, this cannot be identified by any means.
Nathan says
Fair enough. Regarding the connections of the MOV’s. In a 240v HOT-HOT-GROUND scenario it seems you would have an MOV from each hot leg to ground. Assuming there was a surge on one hot leg which tripped the MOV and shunted it to ground, what would stop that same surge from tripping the other MOV and shorting leg to leg instead of to ground?
Swagatam says
I don’t know much about HOT HOT GND connections and how these are configured? However a surge mostly won’t last more than a few microseconds, so if it’s grounded by the first MOV, it probably won’t reach the second MOV. If the surge lasts for more than microseconds could be enough to burn the MOVs or the MOV could catch fire.
Gajendra mishra says
hi sir,
first i try to explain you my system….which is regarding to operate 3 phase submersible pump from gsm based remote and data accusation also….
in that metal sheet enclose contain electro-mechanical contactors, smps for gsm data logger for sms and gprs connectivity.
problem is —
1.some time when pump is off due to non power we found that when power comes suddenly electrical blast create in contactors at ac input terminals.
2. some time when starter strat, gsm electronic immediate shutdown or restart, due to this pump cant start.
3. in solar operated gsm logger , found that in rainy season modem became hang.
i think all above are due to electrical surge..
sir please guide me how to solve it, i want to make a spd solution for above …..
Swagatam says
Hi Gajendra, for controlling surge you can try a delay ON timer circuit, as explained at the bottom section of this article:
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/simple-delay-timer-circuits-explained/
You can replace the relay with a 3 contact relay for connecting the 3 phase through the relay.
the delay ON could be set by adjusting the values of C2/R2. The emitter zener diode is not required and could be replaced with a wire link
Voon Yongjian says
Hi sir,
I am designing a surge protection device for lightning. Is the design above is suitable for it? Can I replace the resistor with an inductor because i saw it somewhere in other website?
Basically my input supply will be 240 Vac, what is the value of clamping voltage of MOV is suitable? Can I use MOV with 240V clamping voltage?
Thanks!
Swagatam says
Hi Voon, if the lightning strikes directly into the house wiring then no surge suppressor would be capable of stopping it.
MOV can suppress only minor electrical surges, not lightening related surges….to suppress lightning related surges the best idea would be to employ a triac based crowbar circuit as described here
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/2017/03/surge-arrestor-circuit-with-surge.html
the high voltage capacitor and diode can be ignored and removed.
you can also include an MOV/inductor suppresor as per your initial requirement in conjunction with the above design.
RAO says
Namasthe,
I am talking about the " Ajantha make wall clock : OLC Quartz 104, Model. computer century Calendar", which I am using. There is a supply module inside the clock. Every time there is a power shout down in our area and the power comes up, the clock fails. The watch repairer says supply unit is burnt. So I just wanted to incorporate a surge suppresser to this clock externally.
Swagatam says
OK I understood, the in-built power supply could be an SMPS based…..as expressed in above comment you can try connecting an NTC in series with any of the supply lines, and also connect an MOV across the two supply lines after the NTC.
I'll try to update the diagram soon for your reference
RAO says
I have an electronic digital calendar clock, its supply unit has bagged off three times due to surge voltage in the mains. I want to incorporate a simple sure suppressor for it. it may be drawing less than on ampere current. what value components are recommended. please advise me if any simplest circuit which I can assemble myself.
Swagatam says
Normally any god power supply will never burn with minor supply fluctuations….what kind of supply unit have you been using? Is it SMPS based or transformer based?
I would suggest you to use your cellphone charger for the purpose which has all the protections in-built
still if you are interested to build your customized surge suppressor, you can try an NTC in series with any of the input mains supply lines, and additionally connect an MOV across the two supply lines after the NTC.
Ravi kumar says
Hi Swagatam,
I'm planning to install a surge suppressor for the whole house at the mains AC panel (next to the meter board) is there a standard part available available off the shelf or do we need to design one and install. i was able to find CHSPT2MAX from Eaton, but its too expensive, any suggestions…
Swagatam says
Hi Ravi, you an industrial MOV, in conjunction with the following delay ON relay crcuit, adjust the delay time to may be a second or so, and connect the relay contacts with the house wiring.
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/2013/02/make-this-simple-delay-on-circuit.html
Industrial MOV sample is discussed below
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/2015/01/high-power-industrial-surge-suppressor.html
patrick vaz says
Hi Swagatam,
How are you,
A friend of mine had his TV friend due to a voltage surge,
Voltage Input from the mains line is 230V, sanctioned current is 6amps. want to help him out.
Can I use the circuit mentioned above 2 MOV with 10ohms 2 watt resistor,
-what should the value of the MOV be.
– what should the value of the fuse be in terms of AMPs.
– should a Indicator lamp be added in the circuit after the fuse,
Kindly advise.
warm regards
Swagatam says
Thanks Patrick, I am good!
yes you can try it, just replace the resistors with 1 ohm 2 watt, because 10 could be a bit too high.
MOV could be rated at 350V (clamping voltage)
fuse could be an 8 amp rated….
indicator lamp is optional, it can be added for indicating a blown fuse
patrick vaz says
Hello Swagatam,
Thank you so much,
Apart from the Mains, it could be added in different sections of the house, where sensitive equipments are such as TV/ Music systems etc., just to be safe.
Is this okay ?
warm regards
Swagatam says
Thanks Patrick, yes you can use an MOV with every appliance but MOV has its own restrictions too, for example it might not withstand the surge if it lasts for more than a millisecond, and could cause a short circuit and fire, therefore a series fuse also becomes mandatory.
Alternatively you can use a single powerful MOV near the main DP of the house, the MOV specs are explained below
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/2015/01/high-power-industrial-surge-suppressor.html
By the way all modern equipment already include a built-in MOV in their system
shivtej nirmal says
What MOV VALUE and part no
Swagatam says
can be a 350V MOV
Narciso Calzo says
Hi Swagatam,
I was looking for a surge suppressor device circuit diagram and was directed to your site. Upon reading about you and going through the comment and replies between you and your readers, your patience in answering all the queries really put me in great admiration to you. I came across so many people like you in the web but you are different from them, they can't respond.
Recently I just decided to become a hobbyist in electronics although I don't have a formal education or training about it but a steward/stewardess can land a commercial plane with the guidance of the ground controllers( this is from a movie).
I was inspired by a friend that showed me his DIY audio amplifier and it works well. I asked him for the details and he gave me copies of schematics, pcb layout, parts list as well as procedures of adjustments but it is limited to a 100W into 8ohm power. I want to evolve this to a 350W,8ohm design. The design uses 2SC5200 output devices and TIP41C drivers.
Can you give me suggestions, advices or even a new design from you, or, is it okey to publish the circuitry since it was designed by an EE in order for you to go through it and come up with solutions and recommendations to meet the desired power for my first project.
Actually I have already etched the pcb the very conventional way. By the way I am from the Philippines, work as a material eng'r in a construction company.
Nice knowing you Swagatam.
Your new reader/jollower,
Osic
Swagatam says
Hi Osic, thanks so much! I appreciate your enthusiasm and wish you the very best!
Amplifiers can be quite difficult circuits as they require precision and balance at every node and stages of the circuit and so far I have not been able to master these gadgets due to their complex concepts and configurations.
So I am really sorry I won't eb able to assist you with amp designs, therefore I would recommend you to select a schematic which is originally designed to suit your specifications instead of modifying a design having a different specifications.
I have a 100 watt simple mosfet amplifier circuit in this site designed to work with around 35V normally which is capable of generating upto 300 watts power simply by using a higher voltage input of around 100V…however it requires a 4 ohm speaker, If you wish you could try that design also!!
Narciso Calzo says
Okay Swagatam I will take a look at your design. Thanks Swagatam, more power.
Lim says
Hello!
A friend of mine was thinking of building a surge suppressor and voltage regulator by using ARM microprocessor. He was thinking of using inductor plus MOVs together. Do you think it is feasible?
Thank you.
Lim.
Swagatam says
Hello,
MOVs don't require any external triggering circuit for activating, it's a self-actuated device so I don't think an MCU could be used for operating an MOV
Makhon Barooah says
ko good, but we want buy pcg/ components/ etc in india. is it possible in india?
Swagatam says
yes, it' possible.
Mark Mare says
Dear Mr Swagatam
Firstly thank you for this great website, i have built a few small projects of your design, i have become extremly interested in transient voltage and the long term damage it does. I will test the above circuit and give some feed back.
What i would like to ask is (if you perhaps have an existing) a design where one can "monitor" the transient voltage on a incoming line (the main grid). I understand that there are "in line counters". This can be a great tool to take the readings before and after the unit install.
Will this be possible?
Again thank you for the great site and info.
Best Regards
Mark
South Africa
mrmcon@gmail.com
Swagatam says
Thank you dear Mark,
The simplest way could be to connect a digital ammeter in series with the MOV that may have a feature to latch up to the reading corresponding to the transient value each time power is switched ON.
If it's possible I'll try to design and post it for you.
Mark Mare says
Thank you very much Sir.
cloyd mamontayao says
The upper diagram sir is what we wanted to do (parallel to the source) but we are not sure if it can supress the voltage surge thats why we decide to design another (lower diagram) which is connected in series from the source. i'm begging for your expert suggestion and advice sir that can help a lot to our device to function and for us to pass the subject. thank you sir SWAGATAM.
Swagatam says
normally all TVSS devices are extremely reliable and can be trusted for the necessary actions.
you can refer to the following article for more info:
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/2014/09/testing-mov-metal-oxide-varistor-surge.html
cloyd mamontayao says
this is the diagram of our device sir.. the source is Line to Line. we just put the ground into the device for the MOV's.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B786VWhN4zxiTzlmeUhQRml4R2M
Swagatam says
…please toggle the share option…
cloyd mamontayao says
Hi Mr. Swatam, do you have a schematic diagram for TVSS or SPD for resedential use only. pls include the value of materials.
thank you so much.
Swagatam says
Hi Cloyd,
you can probably try using the devices explained in the following article:
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/2015/01/high-power-industrial-surge-suppressor.html
put these directly across the wires that enter the house wiring.
the value can be of 350V/50amp
cloyd mamontayao says
Hi Sir Swagatam, thank you for your response. i want to ask you more question sir about TVSS/SPD , This is for our thesis sir and i'm hoping that you can give us more details about the connection. we are troubling of our design sir because we would like to make a TVSS device that will connected parallel to the source (40A Breaker), thus we doubted our design due to its connection if it can really suppress the voltage surge. i will show you our design sir and were hoping that you can give us some advice on how to fully get the right design.
thank you for your time sir Swagatam, best regards.
Swagatam says
Hi Cloyd,
The link which I suggested you in the earlier comment can be effectively used as a transient voltage surge suppressor.
Other option is in the form of diodes which is explained here, these also need to be connected parallel to the input mains supply:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transient-voltage-suppression_diode
The image provided by you is not opening, please make it "public" by selecting the share option.
Roberto Carmona says
Hi Mr Swatam. Cogratulation for your extraordinary electronic web page…….
I write from México. My question is: For a 120v nominal voltage, what should be the value of the resistors, and the maximun peak voltage and Joules for the MOV's ?
Thanks in advance for your help…….
Swagatam says
Thanks Roberto,
for 120V you can select 200V as the clamping voltage for the MOV, the resistors are not critical they are just for complementing the MOVs, any value between 0.5 ohms to 1 ohms will do the job.
10 ohm is far too big and must not be used, it's incorrectly shown in the diagram.
Makhon Barooah says
Value of MOV and best company product….thnx.
Makhon Barooah says
Plz. value of MOV and best one company product……thnx.
Swagatam says
company is not important as all are good, the clamping voltage rating should be 50 V more than the input mains supply voltage.
Nilesh says
Hi Swagatam ,
How are you ? hope doing well.
If want to draw constant 220 v AC at any point
Generally input is
Low – 110v / 130v AC
High – 230/260 v AC
Required Output
220 V AC (Stabilized)
Can you please suggest best circuit . if Tranformerless will preferable.
Thanks
Nilesh Patil
Swagatam says
Hi Nilesh,
I am fine, thanks!
You can try the design that's shown in the following article:
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/2011/12/how-to-make-accurate-7-stage-op-amp.html#uds-search-results
a transformerless design could be very difficult since it would involve complex mosfet drivers, ferrite inductors etc, so I think using the traditional iron core transformer would be much easier, although a little bulky.
chris.sorbi says
Hi,
Is it possible to use this diagram for a single wire ground return system? My power line is a single phase 240V and the neutral is coming from a copper rod in the ground. The voltage fluctuates a lot and i would really like to protect my devices (Mainly motors and VFD's) and some computers. Do you recommend any other systems like high and low surge protection? Also, what protection rating should i expect (high voltage vise)
I appreciate your response in advanced.
Chris
Swagatam says
Hi,
the above circuit will only help to control surge in-rush to some extent but won't control the voltage fluctuations.
you would need a voltage stabilizer circuit for tackling the issue effectively, one design has been discussed below which may be tried or procured readymade:
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/2011/12/how-to-make-accurate-7-stage-op-amp.html#uds-search-results
CT Simms says
Hello Swagatam,
I would like to install a whole house surge/spike protector.I have a 120/240 VAC 200 amp single phase supply,with the neutral carrying the unbalanced load.I want to install 4 mode protection below the main breaker.L1/L2,– L1/N,—L2/N,—N/Gnd.The Neutral/ground may be redundant,but I am a belt-and-suspenders kind of guy.This is a sub-fed panel so the Equipment ground and Neutral are not bonded at the panel.
I would also like to install an indicator light to indicate normal/fail status of the MOV’S.
Thanks in advance for your help on this matter.
Swagatam says
Hello CT, yes you can definitely try the concept for your application. Connecting MOVs across the mentioned areas might help you control the intermitent vltage spikes.
Having an LED indication for the MOVs might be difficult unless you also employ a fuse with each of those MOVs.
Moses says
Can I use 101k inductor with the specs listed below in series with NTC and 2500 capacitor to create a similar effect because that is what is available in my area and I do not know where to get a ferrite core that I will use to make the 3.1uH that you have specified above. If not what can be a replacement for that because I want make a surge protector for my tv. Technical Specifications
Abracon AIUR-03-101K technical specifications, attributes, and parameters.
Swagatam says
The coil inductance needs to negligibly low, so the mentioned inductor cannot be used. The inductor could be built by winding around 40 to 50 turns of copper wire over an iron core
Shersingh Badhoriya says
Hi….Swagatam can u give the VA rating of mov & fuse of above ckt u used above….when my ckt I/p current is 130mA and o/p current is 170mA & o/p voltage is 167 when I/p voltage is 230V for electronic ballast. ….so please share it with me asap….
Swagatam says
Hi Shersingh,
you can use a 350V RMS, @5amp rated MOV.
Swagatam says
telephone surge protector?? i didn't get the application, can you pls explain it?
Swagatam says
No it's not due to spike, it's due to a split second late response from the UPS, try with a new good quality UPS and you won't find this issue happening.
Swagatam says
For what application do you want to use it?
Moses says
Can I use a piece of nail as the iron core
if better ones are unavailable or maybe use a few turns of iron wire or copper wire
Swagatam says
You can use a small iron bolt. A nail may be too thin to be effective. Iron wire will be much better since it will offer the required resistance to the surge.
Swagatam says
You can incorporate thermistors and MOVs together, resistors can be avoided then.
for knowing more about thermistors, you may refer to this article:
https://www.homemade-circuits.com/2013/02/using-ntc-resistor-as-surge-suppressor.html
Moses says
Is there any need for slightly insulating the iron bolt before the first winding since the bolt has toothed edges to avoid scratching the wire.
Swagatam says
yes, you can apply a layer of insulation tape over the bolt…