Home automation surge protection

The Critec SRF DIN rail mount surge reduction filter is designed to protect against power surge damage and is installed at the main switchboard to help protect the home automation controller, security and audio equipment, home theatre and other equipment.

The filter uses ‘triggered spark gap’ technology at the front end to handle lightning strikes directly to the power lines in the vicinity of the house. The second filter stage consists of a low pass L-C filter, while the third stage uses a secondary surge protective device. The purpose of these stages is to reduce the voltage level to less than 500, even when a large 20,000 A lightning surge comes in on the home power circuit.

The device is claimed to more significantly attenuate voltage levels and rise time than traditional surge protective devices without secondary stages, known as shunt diverters, which reduce voltage, but cannot attenuate the rise time.