A surge protector is electrical distribution equipment, so it is allowed to be installed inside a panel. Occasionally we see them sitting loose in the bottom of a panel or leaning against the inside of the box; but manufacturers design them for installation outside the box on the side (through a knockout) or front (through a twist-out). 

    The primary reason is that they have small status lights that indicate that they have not been damaged by an electrical surge—or simply stopped working—and are still functional. Any sense of security gained by having surge protection for the appliances and circuits in your home would be terribly wrong if the device was not working, and you didn’t know it, when the next surge hits.

There are other options, such as a surge protector designed to install directly to the bus bar with the circuit breakers, which is manufactured by Square D and shown below. Larger surge protection devices can also be mounted next to the panel box. But just laying them loose in the bottom of the panel is not recommended by manufacturers.

    Also, see our blog posts What do I need to know about buying a whole house surge protector? and Why is an undersized wire between a circuit breaker and a whole-house surge protector device acceptable?

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Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about ELECTRIC PANELS:

• What causes copper wires to turn green or black in an electric panel?  

• What is the maximum number of circuit breakers allowed in an electric panel?

• When should a corroded or damaged electric panel cabinet or disconnect box be replaced? 

• What is a tandem circuit breaker? 

• When did arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breakers first become required?

• Can an electric panel be located in a closet? 

• Can an electric panel be located in a bathroom? 

• Can you add circuit breakers by different manufacturers to an electric panel if they fit?

• My circuit breaker won't reset. What's wrong?  

• What is a split bus electric panel?

• How do I identify a combination AFCI (CAFCI) circuit breaker? 

• What does a circuit breaker with a yellow or white test button indicate? 

• What is the maximum gap allowed between the front of a recessed electric panel box and the wall surface surrounding it? 

• What are the requirements for NM-cables entering an electric panel box?

• Why is a fuse box/panel an insurance problem for homebuyers? 

• Why is bundled wiring in an electric panel a defect?

• What is the difference between GFCI and AFCI circuit breakers? 

• What does it mean when a wire is "overstripped" at a circuit breaker?

• Why is an old fuse panel dangerous?  

• Who is the manufacturer of those "bad" electric panels?

• Why is the circuit breaker stuck in the middle? 

• What is a double tap at a circuit breaker?

• What is the right electric wire size for a circuit breaker in an electric panel?

• What is the life expectancy of a circuit breaker? 

• My circuit breaker won't reset. What's wrong? 

• Why do some breakers in my electric panel have a "TEST" button on them?

• What is the right size electric panel for a house? 

• What do I need to know about buying a whole house surge protector? 

• What is the maximum allowed height of a circuit breaker (OCPD) above the floor?

   Visit our ELECTRIC PANELS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.