Electrical – Adding whole-house surge protection to main panel

electricalelectrical-panelsurge-suppression

I'm looking to install a Schneider surge protector at the main breaker, likely this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CONA1OQ/

enter image description here

The key things in the instructions which I'm trying to resolve:

  1. Install it as close to the top (main feed) of the panel as possible

  2. Use an empty 20A 240V breaker

  3. In some jurisdictions (I'm in FL) you can piggyback it onto a used breaker by wiring it in the same hole as the existing wiring, but otherwise, you can consider adding a new breaker.

My panel looks like this:
enter image description here

So, my questions:

  1. The breakers at the top are 60A, will it matter if I use one of these?

  2. If I do, can I piggyback it in with the wires in that 60A breaker?

  3. It looks like there's a spare 30A breaker near the bottom. Does that look right? If so, will it matter that it's not 20A, and also that it's not closer to the feed?

  4. Is adding a new breaker at the bottom feasible?

Closeup of that empty breaker and the current space at the bottom:
enter image description here

Background:

I have an older house which doesn't have grounding throughout, and I'm wanting to put some surge protection in. I've read mixed info on whether a ground is required for surge protection at each socket, and in the end decided it's just going to be easier to do it at the main breaker.

Best Answer

First I would like to extend my sympathy for you having a ZINSCO Panel. It is without question the worst panel ever manufactured except for a Federal Panel. However I must say that it has kept many an electrician employed on the replacement of these panels. The breakers have a tendency to weaken and spread over time and that causes arcing and overheating on the bus basically destroying the panel. I would recommend replacement at you earliest convenience.

Now on to your problem. The surge arrestor is designed to be installed on a 20A/2P breaker. If you try and connect it to a larger breaker you are not protecting the Surge arrester circuit small as it may be. In Commercial installations we are required to install in line fuses if we are installing on a larger breaker.

Tapping on to another breaker is allowed but only if that lug is designed to accept two conductors. The only two residential breakers that allow this that I know of are Sq D QO style and Cutler Hammer CH style and definitely not ZINSCO. So you will have to pigtail the conductors of the Surge Arrester to another circuit, then connect it to the breaker.

Mounting the Arrester anywhere on the panel after the Main doesn't have a profound effect on the Arresters use.

Hope this helps.

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