this is why I'm asking
@Sidney, there are different levels of SPD but as they seem to consist of some form of cartridge fuse, I couldn't see how even the lowest class might protect from grid surges. Which begs the question what will (if anything) other than Voltage Optimisers? I ask, becuase I have a suspicion that grid voltage spikes wipe out LED drivers (either that or the drivers are lettuced). This theory being based on fitting LED lights from the same manufacturer that last well in some places but seen prone to failure in others.
The cartridge fuse is probably an MOV.
The performance of a surge protector is based on a dv/dt model that is centred around the response required to limit damage by EMI caused by such things as lightning strikes.
Thus very high rates of rise.
Whether the grid switching spikes would approach that rate of rise is unknown, plus the levels of voltage may not be adequate.
Remember also that surge protection has a finite life.
The other thing you may have is higher voltage levels where the drivers are short lived.
I know of a situation where a contractor fitted hundreds of lamps on a new build these had an enormously high failure rate, and the contractor was obliged under the terms to replace them, at their own cost, as warranty.
The replacements suffered the same fate, and again had to be replaced, ad infinitum. Almost.
So the contractor tried to claim from the lamp OEM.
This went to court, because there was voltage monitoring undertaken, and the voltage was at the high end of the range allowable in the UK. Right at the top end.
The lamps were 230V rated, and the lamp OEM specification did not rate the lamps to the full range of UK voltage, they did an alternative version rated at 240V which went to the high end of the allowable range.
Contractor said, dodgy lamps, lamp OEM said they had chosen the wrong lamp.
Hence it went to court. Not heard anything else.
However, it may be worth looking at the voltages and the lamp ratings.
IMHO, the nominal voltage in the UK is now stated as 230V, so anything that is rated at 230V and supplied into the UK market must be able to function correctly and safely within the nominal voltage limits of the UK public supply.
However, this seems not to be the case?...
