Installing SPD and wiring correctly

[thaisail]

I just received my new SPD MOV from Lazada. I first want to know if I bought the right size! My main concern is protecting my three brand new Samsung double inverter copper 12,000 BTU aircons from any potential spike from lightning or otherwise. I also have a house full of only LED lighting.

 

My first question is about the wiring diagram. I will of course disconnect the line and the neutral from the PEA meter carefully with full safety equipment on before starting this job. I can then disconnect the wires from the bottom of the 63 amp CB. I would like to remove the entire DIN rail and replace the screws with ones that will allow me to slide the 63 amp CB to the left and the voltage current protector to the right. I am hoping to have enough space on the DIN rail to mount the SPD in middle. I hope there is room in the bottom of the 63 amp CB to clamp two wires instead of one in the same clamp on each side of the the bottom of the CB. I would then connect the other end of the jumpers to the Line and Neutral on the top of the SPD and put the same two shown in the photo back to connect the bottom of the 63 amp CB to the top of the voltage and current protector. I would then connect a minimum 10 sq mm earth wire (hopefully 16 sq mm Earth wire if I can find it), from the bottom of the SPD to the same Earth pin in the floor of the garage that the main panel earth is connected to. I was planning to buy a separate clamp and clamp the new SPD earth cable below the other wire and clamp from the panel. Would this work?

 

My second question is do I need to drive a separate Earth pin exclusively for the SPD? The one I have now is 2.5 meters long and I will be drip feeding water through the hole in the concrete to keep the earth around the pin wet all year around. 

[Crossy]

 

[sometimewoodworker]

14 minutes ago, thaisail said:

I would like to remove the entire DIN rail and replace the screws with ones that will allow me to slide the 63 amp CB to the left and the voltage current protector to the right. I am hoping to have enough space on the DIN rail to mount the SPD in middle. 

No need to remove the rail as all the units clip on to it, you can, if the pigtails are long enough, just push the current units along the rail.

[thaisail]

26 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

No need to remove the rail as all the units clip on to it, you can, if the pigtails are long enough, just push the current units along the rail.

The screws I used are too long and the 63 amp CB and the voltage and current protector are hitting the screws so I will have to modify the way the did rail is attached. I am the one who built that box but I didn't know about the SPD when I did the job so I didn't pay attention to the screws. I still have a long piece of DIN rail if I need a longer piece to fit in there. 

[stouricks]

55 minutes ago, thaisail said:

I just received my new SPD MOV from Lazada. I first want to know if I bought the right size

Should that not have been determined before purchase?

[Crossy]

No real need to pull the wiring at the meter.

 

With your 63A incomer turned off it looks like you have enough in the tails to "hinge" everything out of the way to remove your over/under and the DIN rail, install a longer rail with better screws and clip it all back together.

[thaisail]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

No real need to pull the wiring at the meter.

 

With your 63A incomer turned off it looks like you have enough in the tails to "hinge" everything out of the way to remove your over/under and the DIN rail, install a longer rail with better screws and clip it all back together.

I wanted to do it that way but the Thai electrician left that awful looking excess cable loop that makes me cringe to look at it. So I thought I would cut the power from the meter one last time and get that cable cut and straight on top of the 63 amp breaker. Each time I use these Thai electricians, I hate having to do the job over again to make things clean and neat. Guess I have a bit of OCD after all!

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, thaisail said:

I wanted to do it that way but the Thai electrician left that awful looking excess cable loop that makes me cringe to look at it.

 

A cable 6" too long is 1,000,000 times better than one which is 1" too short ???? 

 

I was taught to leave enough slack to be able to re-wire a connection 3 times.

[thaisail]

9 minutes ago, stouricks said:

Should that not have been determined before purchase?

It was only 175 baht and I figured that someone will tell me if I mess up!

 

[thaisail]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

 

A cable 6" too long is 1,000,000 times better than one which is 1" too short ???? 

 

I was taught to leave enough slack to be able to re-wire a connection 3 times.

good point!