Pellet Stove Surge Protector

A pellet stove surge protector can save you money, and inconvenience. Pellet stoves use sophisticated digital electronics as do modern appliances such as washing machines, audio and TV equipment.

Instead of having a separate protector for each appliance, to my mind it makes sense to have a protector that will safeguard the whole house.

Don't confuse a surge protector with a GFI, (Ground Fault Interrupter) or RCD (Residual Current Detector). GFI's and RCD's are designed to protect a human user from electric shock and won't provide pellet stove protection.

It is not recommended to connect a pellet stove through a GFI or RCD because the power requirement from the stove on start up can fool these devices into turning the power off, and even if the stove works at first, you could be left with a lit stove smoking away with no power to the fans or control board

If you decide to get a surge protector just for your pellet stove, and connect it directly, you can get one with specifications that relate directly to your stove.

Look for one that is rated at 130 volts (US) or 270 volts (Europe), and with an amp rating that is slightly higher than the internal power fuse on your stove.

Clamping Voltage
Above this voltage, the surge protector will redirect the excess. Look for a protector that clamps at 330 to 400 volts. More than this is too high.

Energy Absorption
Measured in joules, the more the better. This is the amount of excess energy the surge protector can absorb before it fails. Not less than 200 joules, and as I said - the higher the better. Generally though, more protection is more expensive

Response time
The longer the response time, the longer your equipment is at risk. Less than 5 nanoseconds is desirable.