Xringer; I see in one of your posts that you piggybacked your protector onto your mini-split's 20A breaker? Is this wise? By connecting to the load side of that breaker you may be cheating the rest of your home out of the surge protection if that breaker should trip for a bona fide reason. If, for instance, the utility voltage drops in the early stages of a storm (voltage goes down- current goes up), and the current goes up, and causes the breaker to trip, you may have no surge protection as the storm progresses.
I realize that may seem like an extreme situation, but that is the nature of the device.
The reason they suggest connecting to an unused (or new 15A 2P) breaker is that it is a safe way to connect to a live service, the breakers terminals are designed for smaller conductors, and you can make all your connections then flip the toggle on the breaker to put the suppressor into service.
Many manufacturers recomend installing the device as close to the utility conductors as possible, there are even encapsulated weatherproof models available, designed to be installed on the triplex at the top of your service mast, or within your meter base. These models require a disconnect/reconnect from the power company, so there is a bit more planning and expense involved.
I hope that this is helpful. Rob
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