Business Phone/Data Lightning Surge Suppressors
The term "Lightning Protection" is a misnomer giving a false sense of security to many businesses that their phone equipment is not going to be destroyed by lightning. In reality, the only way to ensure "Lightning Protection" is to unplug all telephone and data lines! (even that is not 100%) "Lightning Suppression" is a better term used to help protect terminal equipment (TE) such as modems, faxes, alarms, and digital phone systems such as a KSU (Key Service Unit.) Please read Lightning Explained for more information on the effects of lightning.
The telephone company (Telco) is generally responsible for providing primary surge suppression at the point where their phone or data lines enter the building. Many businesses have discovered the hard way that the primary surge suppression is not adequate and as a result have their entire phone system destroyed by severe thunder storms. The primary surge suppression tend to have a fairly slow reaction time (microseconds to milliseconds), which may protect the older analog phones, but these days very few businesses use that type of phone -- generally the devices are electronic (verses electrical for the old analog phones), and are much more susceptible to damage from a surge. In addition, some types of primary surge suppression fail after an initial surge resulting in no protection from additional surges. `
Secondary surge suppression should be placed between the incoming phone and data lines and the TE, and generally requires a telephone installer to ensure proper installation. Secondary surge suppression should have a faster response time to a surge than the Telco suppressors, be self resetting, and in case of a failure continue to provide protection to the TE. The secondary suppression should provide suppression between each incoming wire pair and each wire of the pair to ground as explained in the web page Lightning Explained. When the suppressors are used to suppress lines between buildings or long lines within a building one suppressor should be installed on each end of the cable to trap any surges created on the external cable -- surges will travel both directions and could protect the phones at one end but damage the KSU on the other end when both ends do not have suppressors.
Surges and voltage transients may also be created locally in a facility by electrical equipment such as motors and could also cause equipment damage. Suppression should be considered internally for TE and network devices, especially in an industrial atmosphere that uses heavy machinery.
Ethernet connections are especially venerable to Lightning, Transients, and ESD damage. Many phone systems are now using VOIP, which use Ethenet connections to provide phone service. The low voltages and high frequencies used with Ethernet connections require a different suppressor technique than the lower frequency phone lines
The BK Series Surge Suppressors
BK12 (left) -- BK24 (center) BK-EN1 (right)
Our solution.
Development information on the BK Series Surge Suppressors BK Series Suppressor Development.
Detail information on the BK Series Surge Suppressors BK Series Suppressor Details.
Sales (Mike Kummelman) Phone 813 403-9498 Email Sales (sales@bnksurge.com)
Custom Screen Printing available.
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B&K Web Enterprises, Inc.
1219 Baycove LN
Lutz, FL 33549
Phone 813 909-1790 FAX 813 909-1815
Bob bnick@bnkweb.com
Karen turtle@bnkweb.com