liftmaster lightning suppressor kit

Has anybody installed a MOV lightning suppressor kit on their garage door opener? I bought one and the instructions appear to be wrriten by someone on drugs. Any help would be appreciated.

Reply to
j355ga
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Never heard of such a screwy thing. Were you on drugs when you bought it?

Reply to
salty

I got referred to a job once where the garage door openers got hit a few times from lightning. The owners were told that they needed a surge suppressor. I went over to take a look. They already had a surge suppressor on their main panel. The house had no ground connection. The original electricians connected the grounding electrode conductor to the main water line from the well which was plastic and changed to copper upon entering the basement. The connection at the ground rod was not installed properly and was loose. I surmised that the garage door openers were getting hit because of the metal tracks of the garage doors being in contact with the concrete floor. I drove two new ground rods and haven't heard any more complaints about lightning.

I suggest that you take your MOV kit back to where you bought it and make sure that you have a good grounding electrode system for your house.

Reply to
John Grabowski

What kit, what instructions, what trollin it is..

Reply to
ransley

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(MOV - Metal Oxide Varistor)

To protect the safety sensors and logic boards from electrical storms and power surges. Use before a lightning strike, electric storm or power surge occurs. Will decrease that chances of power surge or lightning strike shorting the receiver logic board for Chamberlain Liftmaster machines. Wiring Instructions: Attach MOV wires directly to motor unit terminals 2 & 3 (white & black) located on the receiver logic board. Note: Units with quick connect terminals, both bell wires must be twisted or connected together and reinserted using only one hole leaving the second hole for MOV wire.

Route green ground wire to the chassis top. Attach wire to chassis with the self threading screw, using the existing hold as illustrated. Note: Screw drive units with side access dor, attach to the chassis hanging brackets with hardware provided. Note: - This product will not protect receiver logic board or safety sensors from nearby electric storms or lightning strikes, but from power surges caused by those elements.

Reply to
j355ga

Looks like a kit an individual assembled to sell - no manufacturer name.

If MOVs get hit with enough energy they fail. When they fail they start conducting at normal voltages and go into thermal runaway. UL listed devices are required to have protection that disconnects overheating MOVs. This kit doesn't. And no ratings. I wouldn't use it.

There are listed suppressor outlets or plug-in suppressors. If using one the control wiring should be kept away from ground.

Reply to
bud--

What's the problem with the directions? They seem clear to me.

As others have said, I'd suggest investing in a whole house panel type surge protector, rather than this add-on device. I've never done anything special to any of the garage door openers at any places I've lived and never had any problems attributable to surges. And like bud, I doubt this kit would be coming from the manufacturer.

Reply to
trader4

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