I put one of these whole house on my main panel a year ago. We have been through several electrical storms since them and have been in two area wide power outages with the reulting start up surges. We have had no damage though my neighbors say they have not been so lucky so it does seem to be a worthwhile investment especially with all major appliance sporting circuit boards.
Leviton 120/240-Volt Residential Whole House Surge Protector-R02-51110-SRG - The Home Depot
